When it comes to applying for jobs, over half of the respondents (56%) said that inclusivity is an important consideration. — The Straits Times
SINGAPORE: Business architecture specialist for technology Yap Qian Yin remembers being often excluded from lunches with colleagues and company activities that were held in places that are not wheelchair-friendly.
Yap, a former Paralympian in her 30s, has had to use a wheelchair since she was 17 after experiencing side effects from chemotherapy for leukaemia.
Job hunting was an uphill battle for her due to her disability. It got to a point where she did not state her condition on her resume “as the response I got from prospective employers was bad”, said Yap, who graduated with a finance degree.
“Whenever I reached the interview stage of the job selection process and had to reveal that I’m a person with disability (PWD), employers often told me that they would get back to me. And then they never did,” she said.
Yap is not alone in experiencing discrimination at the workplace.
Even though the majority of young people in Singapore (69%) believe their workplace is inclusive, nearly one in three has witnessed or experienced discrimination at work, according to a new survey.
The workplace inclusivity survey polled 1,006 Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 18 to 43.
It was commissioned by The Straits Times and conducted by market research company Kantar in July 2024 to find out young people’s views of the importance and perceptions of inclusivity in the workplace, as well as their experience with it.
Fully 61% of the respondents defined inclusivity as everyone getting equal treatment regardless of gender, race, age and background – discrimination is minimised, and diversity is embraced.
One in five perceived inclusivity as recognition and validation of their efforts. Around the same number of people said it meant a supportive environment and collaborative communication.
When it comes to applying for jobs, 56% of the respondents said that inclusivity is an important consideration.
The other 44% said inclusivity is not an important factor when choosing a job.
The reasons given for saying inclusivity is not important include: It is inefficient to consider all perspectives (26%), it does not help to attract or retain talent (23%) and it may not help to secure the right talent through diversity hiring (21%).
But experts said that workplace diversity and inclusivity are not only beneficial to employees, they also benefit the company in the long run.
“Becoming more inclusive boosts employee engagement, creativity and productivity. When employees feel valued and respected, they tend to contribute more, which leads to better performance,” said Sriram Iyer, adjunct senior lecturer at the Department of Management and Organisation at the NUS Business School.
Hiring persons with disabilities can also improve productivity and increase staff retention rates, said Edward Chew, director of service development for employment at SG Enable.
“What’s more... employers can tap a broader talent pool, including persons with disabilities who have valuable skill sets that may be often overlooked due to their disability,” said Chew.
One section of The Straits Times survey examined common biases people might hold. When respondents were asked to role-play as hiring managers, around 40% said they would hire an able-bodied applicant for an information technology job over a candidate with similar qualifications but who has visual impairment.
At the same time, 42% expressed no preference between the two, while 18% picked the candidate with visual impairment.
In another scenario, 39% of respondents picked an unmarried candidate for a marketing role over another with similar qualifications who is married and returning to work after a career break.
Only 16% chose the candidate who had taken a break, while 45% viewed both candidates as equally suitable.
Unconscious biases are a common reason some workplaces struggle with inclusivity in hiring and promotion, said Iyer.
“These biases can stem from stereotypes about gender, race or educational background, leading people to prefer candidates similar to themselves at the workplace,” he said, explaining that the biases of the C-suite leaders often heavily influence the workplace culture.
“They may unknowingly favour people who share their experiences or backgrounds, which, combined with traditional hiring practices, can limit opportunities for under-represented groups and result in a less inclusive workforce,” he added.
The reference was made to affinity bias, which is the tendency for managers to favour individuals with similar backgrounds or experiences. — The Straits Times/ANN
