Hiring a Deaf Employee

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