Coles tops the list for recruiting workforce with disability

More than 1 million Australians with disability of working age are unemployed and the unemployment rate of people with disability increased from eight per cent in 2003 to 10 per cent in 2018.

But fast forward to today, and one retailer is bucking that trend.

Coles Group has been ranked first out of 26 organisations for actively recruiting people with disability.

The Australian Network on Disability recently held it first Disability Confidence Awards and the supermarket chain was celebrated for its commitment to recruiting and retaining employees with disability.

The Australian Network on Disability highlighted the fact that Coles actively seeks applications from candidates with disability and makes adjustments for people to be able to perform at their best. Coles recognises that diversity amongst its workforce benefits everyone – other employees, suppliers and customers, too.

The retailer was recognised for continuing to develop momentum and for implementing new initiatives to improve access and inclusion for people with disability, ranking in third place overall in the 2021 Access and Inclusion Index, climbing an impressive five places from eighth position in 2019.

The result comes after Coles embedded inclusion recruitment specialists in its Talent Acquisition team and increased the number of people with disability that it employed during the past financial year by 1011, compared to an increase of 281 the prior year.

Other ways Coles has supported people with disability through its recruitment and onboarding processes include:

• Building relationships with employment providers
• Offering alternative formats to the recruitment process
• Ensuring candidates are offered a fair, equitable and supportive recruitment experience; and
• Introducing specialised talent programs for people with disability.

Where Coles leads, we hope other employers will follow.

Learn more about Coles’ accessibility action plan for team members and customers.