Embracing Diversity In The Workplace: How Nestlé Supports Deaf Employees With Innovative Practices

Building a truly inclusive workplace means embracing diversity and creating opportunities for everyone to thrive. This, from Founder and CEO of WeCare Deaf Support Network and Nestlé's internal Sign Language Specialist, Qushiba La Fleur. Speaking during a webinar hosted by the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus’s Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies on Tuesday, she said at Nestlé, the vision of embracing those with disabilities has been brought to life by the company's innovative approach to hiring and integrating deaf employees. "The deaf persons who we have working within Nestlé, they feel a sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment because this is an international company, and it's like the first for many of them working in a factory setting or in an industrial setting. And we have deaf young persons when they were employed, they were employed based on their skills and their qualifications, and now they're placed in positions within the company that matches their skills and their qualifications." To support their deaf employees, the company hired Ms. La Fleur as a Sign Language Interpreter and Specialist to guide the process, conduct awareness training, and teach sign language classes to staff. "Sensitisation is key. Some people believe that, which is another misconception, that the HR team is the one who drives hiring and drives training so they should be responsible for onboarding and they, because everyone they're open to DEI, we're going to hire some people with disabilities, but they do not engage or involve the top management. It's key for top management to be on board in decisions like these andto be involved in it as well." She said many are of the opinion that hiring someone with a disability will decrease their productivity. "Some people do not believe, you know, I'm going to hire some people with disabilities. They are just going to put a strain on our, in our internal population and from the observations and working with Nestlé, and if you hear some of our management or even the colleagues speak, you'd understand that that is not the case. And for all of us who work with people with disabilities, we will know for a fact that persons with disabilities are very committed. They're dedicated and they're loyal to their jobs." The UWI webinar focussed on promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities, especially in employment contexts in commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.