Special HR: hiring people with disabilities at SAP

The experience at SAP, the European software company, proves that hiring people with disabilities is easier than it seems, and the company has created a system that others can utilize. The Digital Inclusion project started in 2019 as an experiment for internships, but it has since grown into a robust HR vector and it's inspiring the business community.

SAP's HR director for the CIS, Vera Solomatina, shared a checklist for the implementation of such a program and told us how challenges can be solved with new technology - specifically, video interviews and tools for remote work.

When Vera offered to hire people with disabilities for internships not everyone approved of the idea. There were the usual arguments against: people with special needs are less productive, they require many benefits, and other employees won't be able to cooperate with them. If you needed to hire a person with a disability, then only for senior level management positions, which are currently in high demand on the labor market.

Then the team took a bold step - to bypass the hiring managers and deal with this issue themselves. A separate division was created in the company to hire people with disabilities. Several problems disappeared immediately: the managers didn't have to invest their time and effort in the project and worry about the trainees' performance; yet, they were able to hire people from the new department for projects inside the company. Demand for their skills arose and entrenched prejudices were dispelled.

For the program to work successfully you need people who are ready and eager to learn. Vera's team was looking for the most motivated: university students interested in internships and applied projects. SAP used all resources to search for candidates: social networks, funds, and employment centers.

A disability is a very personal and emotional topic. SAP employees from different departments offered to help when they learned about plans to hire interns with special needs. Each employee contributed to help form a common culture and to train the new employees: they conducted lectures and trainings, helped with onboarding and acted as true friends. It's especially important to find hiring managers who are ready to promote the idea of inclusiveness within the company.

Positive discrimination is a complex and multifaceted topic that's easy to get wrapped up in. Vera's team decided to anticipate possible complaints from HR and to apply a new type of recruitment style. They didn't announce vacancies and didn't try to transform the hiring structure. At first, they found candidates who were encouraged to pursue a job and then introduced them to the hiring manager. Multi-stage selection for people with disabilities can be a challenge, so the tools and interview format had to be changed.

VCV was one of the first to respond to Vera's announcement about the project - this is how Digital Inclusion started using video interviews.

100% of the candidates who recorded the video interview got a job at SAP. The video was shown to all managers - 15 to 20 people watched the interviews. The HR department selected those who fit best, and interviewed them further.

Most of the people hired via a video interview worked from home and later would go to the office for several hours a week. It does not mean that they are less motivated - interns work on an equal footing with the others; some work for international offices and with international projects. They can be offered a permanent job at SAP or in partner organizations. Vera said that since the launch of Digital Inclusion, eight other companies have approached her about hiring people with disabilities and have begun to adopt SAP's approach.

VCV is always happy to hear from you - drop us an email at hey@vcv.ai. We'll tell you how we can help if you're inspired by SAP's success story.