Employer Testimonials

 Employer Testimonials

Mayer Brown, April 2009

Mayer Brown believe diversity is critical to their success as a global law firm in attracting and retaining the best lawyers and a diverse client base.

In 2008, Mayer Brown teamed up with EmployAbility to successfully recruit four disabled candidates on to the Summer Work Experience programme, of which three were successful in obtaining Training Contracts. Mayer Brown are delighted at such a high conversion rate, and are certain that the support that both they and the disabled candidates received from EmployAbility was integral to this success.

Gemma Baker, Graduate Recruitment Manager at Mayer Brown said, “We are proud to be the first law firm to work with EmployAbility”.

EmployAbility continues to work and support Mayer Brown in 2009 in the following ways:

• Marketing the Mayer Brown Work Experience and Training Contract programmes to students/ graduates with disabilities
  
• Attracting and selecting suitable candidates with disabilities for the programmes
  
• Providing advice and guidance to Mayer Brown staff on any reasonable adjustments candidates may require throughout the recruitment process
  
• Providing a comprehensive support service for Mayer Brown staff for the duration of the work experience programme.
  
• Delivering disability awareness and etiquette training to Mayer Brown employees to ensure they are comfortable and confident in working and interacting with disabled people
  
• Marketing Mayer Brown as an inclusive employer to a broad spectrum of people with disabilities
  
• Advising Mayer Brown on all aspects of disability and employment

In working with us, EmployAbility has provided an excellent quality of service and we would not hesitate to recommend them as experts in the field of disability and employment to any other law firm or indeed any other organisation.

Gemma Baker
Graduate Recruitment Manager, Mayer Brown

Leading Global Financial Services Firm, April 2009

The Firm (leading global financial services firm) has worked with Tab Ahmed and Sarah Denness for the last 3 years to execute our diversity recruitment strategy for students with disability.

We first worked with them in 2006 to develop an interbank event for students with disabilities to raise awareness of the industry and challenge misconceptions and preconceptions that many students especially those with disabilities have.

Following the success of this event it was evident to the Firm that we were missing out on a significant pool of talent currently opting out of our recruiting process.  We subsequently piloted an integrated internship for students with disabilities, with Tab and Sarah supporting us at every stage from marketing of the scheme to application screening and selection processes, on-boarding, reasonable adjustment implementation and supporting candidates throughout the summer.

Eight candidates with disabilities joined established internship programmes across the firm in London as part of this inaugural programme.

The success of the scheme lead to the creation of the EmployAbility Internship Programme in 2007, extended to include our First Year Programmes.

Since 2006, 20 interns have joined the Firm through the efforts of Tab and Sarah, with 7 now working here full time.  Five EmployAbility Programme interns will be joining us this summer.

Barclays Bank Plc, October 2008

Barclays’ vision for Diversity and Inclusion is based on our model ‘Success Through Inclusion’. 

As part of this strategy Barclays recruits, develops and promotes people on merit, and rewards outstanding performance, regardless of background.

To this end, we have engaged EmployAbility to work with us in a number of different ways. They have over the past few years and are currently working to attract successful disabled undergraduates/ graduates for both our Summer Internship and Graduate programmes, both of which are fully integrated into our own programmes. EmployAbility have supported us in the following ways on this and other projects:

• marketing Barclays as a 'disability inclusive employer';
  
• using their expertise to select high calibre disabled undergraduates/ graduates suitable to our business;
  
• educating our staff through Disability Awareness and other briefing sessions;
  
• advising us on adjustments required during the recruitment processes and once a disabled person is in the workplace
  
• providing tailored consultancy advice and being on hand to answer any of our disability and employment related issues

This work has proved invaluable to the success of the project.

EmployAbility are also noteworthy for:

• the provision of a consistently high quality level of service;
  
• their innovative approach;
  
• their willingness to explore new ideas and new ways of working;
  
• their enthusiasm in working with the business, Human Resources professionals and the candidates;
  
• their speed and efficiency in execution;
  
• their positive attitude to problem solving;
  
• their integrity.

I would not hesitate to recommend them and their expert knowledge of the disability and employment market to any business seeking to become a more disability inclusive employer.

Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe
Group Head of Diversity, Barclays PLC

EmployAbility
PO Box 64655
London
NW3 9NF

Tel: 07852 764 684
Email: info@eability.org