You are considering hiring a deaf or hard-of-hearing applicant, or suspect that one of your applicants may have a hearing loss. What are some tips for helping that employee succeed?
Before a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Employee Starts
- Ensure upper-level management support.
- Clarify job requirements and job descriptions.
- Provide organizational literature for review before the interview.
- Provide a written itinerary if more than one person is interviewing.
- Inform your receptionist or secretary that you are expecting a deaf applicant.
- Prepare co-workers by reviewing communication strategies.
- Discuss with managers and supervisors the best ways to facilitate integration.
- Ask deaf employees about their communication preferences (sign or voicing).
- Retain an interpreter, if necessary.
New Employee Orientation
- Provide name tags, including job titles, for everyone.
- Hire an interpreter for the first day, if necessary.
- Provide an organizational chart.
- Give deaf or hard-of-hearing employees information to read before the benefits meeting.
- Use captioned films or videotapes, if available, that explain benefits, or refer new hires to your company’s appropriate web page.
Source: National Technical Institute National Center on Employment at: http://www.ntid.rit.edu/nce
