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For small and medium-sized employers

The inclusive hiring toolkit

Practical checklists, sector guides and templates to recruit, onboard and keep people who are often overlooked: disabled and neurodivergent people, people with health conditions, and young people not in work or education.

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Why it pays off

  • Many adjustments cost nothing, and most are one-off and inexpensive.
  • Public support such as wage subsidies, job coaches and equipment funding is available in many countries.
  • Structured onboarding and regular check-ins reduce early drop-out for every new hire.
  • Small teams can adapt faster than large organisations.

From first idea to long-term success

Six phases. Essential steps are marked for when time is short.

  1. 1

    Get ready

    Small steps before you advertise that make every hire easier.

    6 steps · 3 essential

    • Name one person who owns inclusive hiring

      In a small team this is often the owner or a manager. They are the contact for candidates, approve adjustments and keep this plan moving.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Find your local public support before you need it

      Public employment services, disability organisations and youth programmes in many countries offer wage subsidies, job coaches or funding for equipment. Call once and note the contact and what they offer.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Decide which tasks in the role are truly essential

      Split each role into must-do and nice-to-have tasks. Flexibility on the nice-to-haves is where most inclusive hires succeed.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Set aside a small adjustments budget

      Many adjustments cost little or nothing, but having some money ready means you can say yes quickly instead of waiting for approval.

      Recommended · 15 min

    • Tell your team why, and what will change

      A short conversation about why you are widening who you hire prevents awkwardness later. Focus on skills and working together, not on labels.

      Recommended · 15 min

    • Walk through your workplace with fresh eyes

      Check the route from the entrance to the workspace, toilets, break area and emergency exits. Note quick fixes such as clutter, lighting, signage and noise.

      Recommended · About 1 hour

  2. 2

    Attract candidates

    Job ads and channels that reach people who are often overlooked.

    7 steps · 4 essential

    • Write the job ad in plain language

      Use short sentences, explain what the person will actually do each day, and avoid jargon and internal abbreviations.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Cut requirements to what is truly needed

      Remove degrees, driving licences, years of experience and vague demands like excellent communication skills unless the job cannot be done without them. Every extra requirement filters out capable people.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Say clearly that you welcome everyone and offer adjustments

      Add a sentence such as: We welcome applicants with disabilities, health conditions and gaps in their CV, and we make adjustments during recruitment and at work. Tell us what helps you.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Advertise where your candidates actually are

      Besides job boards, share the role with public employment services, youth services, disability organisations, schools, supported employment providers and InkludX.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Offer more than one way to apply

      Accept a short form, a phone call, a video or a visit, not only a CV and cover letter. Many good candidates never finish long online forms.

      Recommended · About 1 hour

    • Give a named contact for questions

      A real person's name and phone number or email lowers the barrier for anyone unsure whether to apply.

      Recommended · 15 min

    • Show pay, hours and location in the ad

      Clear information helps people plan transport, benefits and care, and reduces drop-out later.

      Recommended · 15 min

  3. 3

    Interview and select

    Fair, accessible ways to find the right person.

    6 steps · 3 essential

    • Ask every candidate what would help them at interview

      Ask everyone, not only people who disclose. Offer the questions in advance, extra time, a quiet room, a support person or a remote option.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Use the same short set of questions for everyone

      Structured questions linked to the real tasks make comparison fairer and reduce gut-feeling decisions.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Do not ask about health, diagnoses or the reason for a gap

      Focus on what the person can do and what they need. In many countries, questions about health or disability before an offer can be discriminatory.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Use a work trial instead of, or alongside, the interview

      A paid trial shift or practical task shows what someone can do far better than a conversation, especially for people who find interviews hard.

      Recommended · About 1 hour

    • Treat gaps in the CV as neutral

      Gaps can come from illness, caring, a hard start to adult life or a difficult job market. Ask what they did or learned only if they want to share.

      Recommended · 15 min

    • Give every candidate a clear answer and feedback

      A short, kind reply builds your reputation with support services and future candidates, even when the answer is no.

      Recommended · 15 min

  4. 4

    Offer and prepare

    Agree adjustments and support before the first day.

    6 steps · 4 essential

    • Put the offer in plain, written language

      Summarise pay, hours, start date, where to go on day one and who they will meet. Offer to go through it by phone.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Have an adjustments conversation before the start date

      Ask what would help them do their best work. Agree what will be in place on day one and what will follow.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Apply for support or funding before day one

      Wage subsidies, equipment funding and job coaching often have to be approved before the job starts. Check the rules early.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Choose a buddy from the team

      Pick a friendly colleague who is not the manager, brief them for 15 minutes and give them time in their schedule to help.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Write down agreed adjustments in a simple agreement

      Record what was agreed, who is responsible and when it will be reviewed. The employee keeps a copy and can take it with them if their role changes.

      Recommended · 15 min

    • Allow time for benefit and support changes

      Starting work can affect benefits, housing support or care arrangements. Be flexible on the start date and point to local advice services.

      Recommended · 15 min

  5. 5

    Onboard

    The first 90 days, when most hires succeed or fail.

    7 steps · 5 essential

    • Plan day one hour by hour

      Share a simple schedule in advance: arrival time, who meets them, where to go, lunch and when they finish. Uncertainty is the biggest stress on day one.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Give instructions in more than one format

      Combine showing, written step-by-step guides and photos or short videos. Let the person take notes or record explanations.

      Essential · Half a day

    • Hold short weekly check-ins for the first 12 weeks

      Fifteen minutes on what is going well, what is hard and what would help. Use the same time each week so it becomes routine.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Explain the unwritten rules

      Breaks, phone use, clothing, who to ask and how to call in sick. What feels obvious to your team has often never been explained.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Hold a 90-day review

      Review tasks, adjustments and goals together. Update the adjustment agreement and agree next steps.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Build up tasks and hours step by step

      Start with a few core tasks and add more as confidence grows. A gradual build-up of hours is often possible and reduces early drop-out.

      Recommended · 15 min

    • Welcome the job coach or support worker

      If the person has a job coach, agree how often they visit and how you will communicate. They can support you too.

      Recommended · 15 min

  6. 6

    Retain and grow

    Keep people well, adjust over time and help them grow.

    7 steps · 4 essential

    • Keep regular one-to-ones after onboarding

      Monthly check-ins keep small problems small. Ask about workload, wellbeing and adjustments.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Review adjustments at least twice a year

      Needs change over time and with new tasks. Reviewing is normal, not a sign of a problem.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Notice early warning signs and act early

      Changes in punctuality, mood, quality of work or more short absences are signals to talk, not to discipline. Ask openly what is going on and how you can help.

      Essential · 15 min

    • Have a supportive sickness absence and return-to-work routine

      Keep light, agreed contact during absence and plan returns with gradual hours or adjusted tasks.

      Essential · About 1 hour

    • Offer a development path

      Training, new tasks and a clear route to more responsibility or pay are why people stay. This matters just as much for someone in their first job.

      Recommended · About 1 hour

    • Ask what could be better, and act on it

      Use short anonymous surveys or open conversations. Share what you changed so people see that their input matters.

      Recommended · About 1 hour

    • Recognise progress and contributions

      Small, regular recognition matters. Ask how people like to be recognised, as some prefer not to be in the spotlight.

      Recommended · 15 min

Guides for your type of business

What works in your sector: suitable roles, common barriers and quick adjustments.

Hospitality and food service

Kitchen assistant, dishwasher, prep cook, barista, housekeeping, breakfast host, runner

Read guide

Retail and shops

Shelf stacker, stock assistant, cashier, online order picker, visual merchandising assistant, customer host

Read guide

Care and social services

Care assistant, support worker, activity assistant, kitchen and housekeeping staff, peer supporter, receptionist

Read guide

Construction and trades

Apprentice, labourer, site assistant, painter, trade assistant, stores assistant

Read guide

Manufacturing, warehouse and logistics

Picker and packer, machine operator, quality checker, assembler, forklift trainee, delivery assistant

Read guide

Office and professional services

Administrative assistant, receptionist, data entry clerk, bookkeeping assistant, junior coordinator, archive assistant

Read guide

Tech and digital

Junior developer, software tester, IT support technician, data annotator, content moderator, digital marketing assistant

Read guide

Agriculture, landscaping and facilities

Farm hand, gardener, groundskeeper, cleaner, caretaker, maintenance assistant, recycling operative

Read guide

Guides for who you are hiring

What to do, what to avoid and typical adjustments. You never need to know someone's diagnosis to use these.

Young people not in work or education (NEET)Many young people outside work and education have had difficult school years, mental health challenges, unstable housing or simply no network into work. They often need a first chance, clear structure and an adult who believes in them more than specific qualifications.Autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other neurodivergenceNeurodivergent people often bring strong focus, pattern recognition, honesty and creative problem solving. Barriers usually come from vague communication, sensory overload and interviews that test social performance rather than skills.Mental health conditionsDepression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions are common and often invisible. People do well at work when they have a supportive manager, some flexibility and can talk openly without fear of losing their job.Physical and mobility disabilitiesPeople with physical disabilities, wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility or dexterity are often shut out by buildings and assumptions rather than by the job itself. Most adjustments are practical, one-off and inexpensive.Deaf, hard of hearing, blind and low visionSensory disabilities mainly call for changes to how information is shared. With the right tools, such as captions, screen readers, sign language interpreters and good lighting, most roles are fully accessible.Learning (intellectual) disabilitiesPeople with learning disabilities are often loyal, reliable and proud of their work, yet are among the groups most excluded from paid work. Success comes from building the role around real tasks, clear routines, easy-read information and support from a job coach.Chronic illness and fluctuating conditionsConditions such as long COVID, MS, diabetes, epilepsy, chronic pain or cancer can mean good days and bad days. What people need most is flexibility and trust, so they can manage their energy and keep working.Long-term unemployed people and career returnersPeople who have been out of work for a long time, because of illness, caring, migration, prison or a difficult job market, often have skills and motivation but have lost confidence and networks. A fair chance and a structured start make the difference.Keeping an employee who becomes ill or disabledKeeping an existing employee after illness, injury or a new diagnosis is usually cheaper and better than replacing them. Early, human contact and a planned return are what work.

Ready-to-use templates

Print, copy or adapt. Designed for businesses without an HR department.

Workplace adjustment agreement

A short, confidential record of what helps the employee work well. It belongs to the employee. There is no need to record a diagnosis, only what has been agreed.

Open template

Interview invitation with an offer of adjustments

Copy and adapt this message when you invite candidates. Send it to everyone, not only to people who have mentioned a disability.

Open template

Inclusive job ad structure

Use this structure to write a clear job ad that more people can understand and respond to.

Open template

First-week plan

Share this with the new employee before they start, so they know what to expect each day.

Open template

Buddy briefing

Give this to the colleague who will be the new employee's buddy. It takes about 15 minutes to go through together.

Open template

Weekly check-in guide

Fifteen minutes, at the same time each week. Let the employee speak first, and write down anything you agree.

Open template

Turn this into your own plan

Choose your type of business and who you are hiring, and get one checklist that tracks your progress, plus a tracker for each new hire's first six months.

Get startedOpen your plan

This toolkit is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules on recruitment, adjustments and support schemes differ between countries, so check with your local employment service or an adviser.