Applying for jobs - I have the essential criteria for the role but not getting interviews

kjaia

Hello
I am in the process of applying for various jobs atm. I have recently applied to several large organisations (such as the NHS, a university etc) who all display the "Disability Confident  Employer" logo on their job vacancy adverts. I absolutely believe that I have all the "essenntial" and, in many cases, all the "desirable" criteria for the roles that I am applying for - I make sure that I make this clear on the application by addressing each of the criteria individually. I also complete an "equal opportunities" form for each one - stating quite clearly that I am registered disabled and use a wheelchair. There are now several times that I have not been given an interview when I believe that I should have been under "Disability Confident  Employer" scheme. What should I do about this? Of course, what I don't want to do is antagonise a potential future employer or become "blacklisted" by an HR department as a "troublemaker".
Any thoughts, advice or comments on this topic would be very gratefully received.
Thank you for your help with this.
Kjaia

Markmywords

Badges are meaningless.

Try not telling them you are a disabled person and not filling in the questionnaire. See what happens then.

At least you'll know.

Mwila_Scope

Hi @kjaia,
Thanks for your question and welcome to the online community.
sorry to hear about that , there is nothing more frustrating  and demotivating that applying for roles, that you feel you are qualified for and not getting any interviews 

The disability Confidence scheme is in place to guarantee interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria. unfortunately the scheme is not legally enforceable and therefore some employers might not honour their commitment . Have you attempted to contact said employers directly to ask for some feedback-i know a lot of employers state that they do not give individual feedback during the application stage but it might be worth asking.

If you feel you would like some help exploring why you might not be getting interviews for roles you are qualified for, Scope have a brand new employment service called Support to Work. The service aims to support disabled people based in England and Wales who are seeking paid employment. If Eligible for the service, you will be assigned to the an adviser who  will work with you to explore your current employment needs and try to establish the reason why your applications are not progressing to the interview stage. 
If you would like to find out more about the service, give us a call on; 0300 222 5721 , email; supporttowork@scope.org.uk, or alternatively you can visit our website here

we look forward to hearing from you 

thespiceman

Hello@Kjaia  I am sorry this happening to you.  Unfortunately badges, logos do not mean anything.  Just because they say they employ people from our community.  Means they fully comply with the so called disability employment regulations does not mean anything.  This is my point exactly.  I wish the best in finding employment and I pray and hope you are successful.  Unfortunately it hurts being rejected.  You are not alone in your struggles.