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How Form3 is shaping a more inclusive future for people with disabilities
ESG· 4min March 31, 2023
I’d hope by now you’re all aware of the MANY advantages of building a diverse workforce, these are well documented, and research is undeniable!
One of the frustrations I’ve witnessed in the technology space over recent years is the narrow DEI&B strategy businesses often take. Often the focus is on gender diversity, meaning these businesses place less emphasis on building a more diverse team in other areas, such as: race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and background, sexual orientation etc.
In this blog, I wanted to focus on ‘disability’ from my own personal and professional perspective as this is one area of DEI&B that I don’t feel gets the attention it so clearly deserves. I will discuss the main benefits Form3 offers which I believe make Form3 a top employer for people with disabilities.
Personal (I’ll keep it brief) 💪
It’s not something I am fully comfortable talking about, but I am disabled! Around 10 years ago I had a serious spinal surgery (I’ll spare you the gory details). This unfortunately left me with mobility issues. I’m lucky enough to not need a wheelchair day-to-day and can walk short distances unaided but everyday tasks I once took for granted are now a challenge.
Professional🚀
Prior to my operation I was training to be a P.E teacher, for obvious reasons I needed to change my career aspirations. I was lucky enough to secure a graduate recruiter role at Hays. Kudos to Hays, choosing a recent graduate who had only just got out of hospital and was re-learning to walk (on crutches) over the massive pool of other great candidates. I instantly fell in love with the world of recruitment and haven't looked back since.
After working in both corporate and boutique recruitment agencies for several years, I decided to move in-house joined Form3 in my first ever internal role. This is where the real journey began, and I have now been heading up the awesome Talent Team for close to 5 years!
Disability & Inclusion at Form3:
Working in the recruitment industry, the companies I have worked for have been very understanding and supportive. It certainly wasn’t easy building a career in an industry with very little physically disabled employees but in general I have no complaints.
However, it was only when I joined Form3 that I realised what a truly inclusive business should look like, and it changed my life. Although being inclusive stretches far beyond employee benefits, I wanted to concentrate on these:
- Remote-First 🏡
As someone who is physically disabled, this was a game changer. This not only reduces the stress/challenge of traveling to work/back, but it means I can work in an environment I’m truly comfortable in. Form3 has never forced to travel and when I do, they are always amazing when it comes to travel arrangement and accessibility in general.
- Flexible Working 2.0 🚶♂️
The flexibility you get at Form3 is so good that I often find it challenging to explain as I worry that I won’t do it justice. In my opinion you need to witness it first-hand! The flexibility enables me to book doctors/physio appointments at any time of the day, I don’t even need to check my diary. For me personally, I also like to work my diary around short walks in the day for my physical/mental wellbeing.
- Health & Wellbeing Allowance 🏋️♂️
We have a flexible H&W allowance, which in my opinion works well as, let’s face it, we all have different requirements and needs. For me, I was able to use the allowance to build a home “gym” which I use for physiotherapy. I’ve also bought an apple watch to track my activity levels (steps etc).
- Home Office Allowance 💻
Linked to remote-first, building an environment you feel comfortable in becomes even more important when you’re physically disabled. I’ve been able to kit out my home office with a sit-stand desk, second monitor, comfortable chair etc.
As a recognised ‘disability confident employer’ Form3 continue to look at what other benefits we can offer to support this group of employees. As a Talent Team, we’re also targeting ourselves on hiring more disabled individuals, I’ll save the “how” for my next blog I think 😉
If you would like to hear more about Form3 and the benefits of working here, please do contact me directly via email, Sean.hynan@form3.tech, or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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