This article is written by Harj Dhesi, UK public servant in the Home Office.

2020 is the year of Inclusion for the UK Civil Service, the year “to celebrate achievements, sense of belonging, being able to be your authentic self, feel you have a voice and make the Civil Service a great place to work”.

I believe this year would have been less impactful, and diversity would not have necessarily gotten the deserving attention it has, if it weren’t for the sad, recent events in the US to do with George Floyd, Windrush in the UK and the pandemic in general.

Quite rightly, this has had a rude awakening in the consciousness of our governments and public institutions. If there has been one positive from this, it’s that it has enabled conversations at all levels on how to make our work practices more inclusive. However, I feel, there is one protected characteristic that is still poorly understood because if it isn’t visible, it gets brushed aside. I’m speaking of disability. Disability cuts across all other facets of life — gender, age, race, sexuality and colour.

The jobseeker's dilemma

Whilst the Civil Service does what it can to support people with disabilities (reasonable adjustments, workplace arrangements), I wonder if the same can be said about how they develop them.

We all know disability or wider medical conditions present their own challenges, but for some, to progress in the Service, the challenges are greater. As someone with a disability which is hidden, I wanted to lift the lid on some of the issues faced by Civil Servants with disabilities. These include things like where people are perceived as entitled or viewed to be in position of advantage.

DCS exists to remove barriers in recognition of attracting talent from a pool of people that have disabilities

I and colleagues I know have experienced this first-hand, either in the jobs we do or when we’ve applied for jobs. I recall, when I responded to an expression of interest for temporary promotion, a large proportion of people applied within the wider directorate. When I got the role on merit, instead of congratulating me, colleagues assumed that I had used my "free pass" to get ahead.

Declaring or talking about a disability which isn’t visible or otherwise can feel like a double-edged sword. Taking time out for medical appointments, not being readily available or having time off can become harder to explain, especially if one wants to retain privacy. When public servants apply for jobs under schemes like the Two Ticks and Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS), (these commit employers to encourage applications and offer interviews to applicants who declare they have a disability, if they meet the minimum criteria for the job as defined within the job advert) which have now been replaced by the Disability Confident Scheme (since 2016), it’s often the first time a disability is declared.

It’s something not many of my colleagues are aware of, but job seekers with disabilities are often put in a dilemma of whether or not to apply under such schemes — me included. We also know that those who do apply have a bar to pass, e.g. they must meet the minimum selection criteria — it’s not an automatic right. To be considered for an interview you must:

  • Have a disability defined by the Equality Act 2010

  • Provide evidence in your application that you meet the minimum criteria in the job description

  • Meet all of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential.

In other words, the final assessment of applications is the same as if you were not applying under the scheme.

If this doesn’t abate the question of fairness, the absurdity of some people’s scant regard for disowning common guidance by calling disabled candidates’ eligibility out, is even worse. I was personally told once, having been sifted through the application stage for a development scheme, that I wouldn't have progressed to the next stage if I hadn’t ticked the DCS box. To this day I am still reeling from the shock that a person in a senior position could articulate such a notion.

For months on end, I was left in two minds about whether to abort my application and suffered from  the imposter syndrome, thinking that there was probably someone who deserved the place more than me. A vicious cycle of declaring therefore ensues and for me personally, the issue has always been, will I be viewed as a lesser candidate? It wasn’t until I sat down with another colleague who explained that I had earned my place so far in the competition, and that DCS exists to remove barriers in recognition of attracting talent from a pool of people that have disabilities.

The uneven playing field

DCS is widely recognised both in the public and private sectors.

However, what is less known, is how HR interprets the bar and how they decide to process scores or even release them. There are different standards being applied across the Civil Service with regards to minimum criteria and essential skills.

With more people applying for jobs in the current economic climate, the competition is now fiercer and It’s understandable that it is not possible to provide feedback to all candidates who are not invited to the interview stage. However, steps should be taken to give candidates with disabilities feedback, as the number of people in government who apply via DCS is well below the proportion of people in society who would be eligible.

Candidates with disabilities have a hard-enough time competing on a level playing field as it is, without the added burden of having to strategise how much to share with colleagues and potential employers about their condition(s)

For someone with a disability, it’s difficult enough to secure a post or promotion, but not knowing how short you’ve fallen when you don’t get the job is a greater barrier still. What’s more problematic is that no direct guidance exists in the UK for selecting applicants, and the process remains purely subjective. There has never been a requirement for sifters to be trained in how to apply DCS or its predecessor, GIS. Success profiles do little to address this issue or serve as a reminder. There should be a way to improve this by introducing minimum and maximum margins when sifting, scoring on online tests and wider exercises. In the year of inclusion, there are some simple measures that could be adopted to simplify the recruitment process.

Having consulted the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on their view when candidates with disabilities have reported departments for not releasing scores on recruitment campaigns or been unable to validate feedback, CSC simply said departments can do what they want. There is surely a role here for the CSC to ratify this issue and provide better clarity and guidance.

Candidates with disabilities have a hard-enough time competing on a level playing field as it is, without the added burden of having to strategise how much to share with colleagues and potential employers about their condition(s). Resilience therefore comes easily to them. But where gravitas isn’t necessarily given but has to be cultivated, more should be done to provide a bigger voice for them, or at least make systems that are more transparent or logical. — Harj Dhesi