Hire Me Please

Times are tough and jobs are scarce. What if there’s a candidate, who has full hearing, vying for the same position as me, a person challenged by hearing loss? Who would choose to hire me?

Having hearing loss is not a deficiency if I’ve got the right skills, right? Of course, I’m right! But do the majority of employers agree with me? The truth is, I don’t know the truth. This article is not about the law (you can look that up easily), it’s about how the situation might make you feel. It’s about ideas to help you in this situation.

So, let’s work with what we have. Be cognisant of the degree of your hearing loss so that you know what accommodations you might require to make your working environment a place where you can be most productive. I might know my needs, but how do I get a prospective employer to understand the accommodations I require.

Personally, I prefer a quieter place of work because when a lot of people are talking, I can’t always distinguish between voices and sometimes I lose important parts of a conversation. On the other hand, if I work in a team, I want to be close enough to be able to hear my colleagues and to lip read for better auditory processing.

My sending CV out– what should/shouldn’t I include?

South Africa has a strict policy against discrimination of any kind, but that doesn’t mean one can apply for a job one is not qualified for and then claim discrimination.

• Be realistic: there are certain positions that might place too much pressure on your auditory ability, like a job where you are required to take dictation
• Should you include hearing loss as part of your resume? It’s not essential, but if you’re worried about arriving for an interview and losing track of the interviewer’s questions within the first few minutes, this might be something you would want to include
• How and when to inform a prospective employer about your hearing loss is entirely up to you. Most people have little understanding about hearing loss. So, it may be better to exclude your disability and not allow prospective employers to give way to any preconceptions or misguided assumptions that will preclude you from even the chance of getting an interview.
• Legally, a potential employer is not permitted to ask a candidate about any existing medical conditions, unless this would preclude you, from being physically able to perform the job. This is a safeguard to your well-being and not a deliberate means for denying you an opportunity
• You are the one who determines how much or how little to reveal. Before you say anything, think about these things:
• Does your prospective employer conduct interviews by phone (it’s common these days?) If you have trouble hearing on the phone, you need to let the interviewer know in advance. You might ask the company (or the agent who sent you to them) to consider an alternate way to conduct the interview.
• If your hearing loss is more severe (e.g. you require a sign language interpreter), you have no choice but to disclose your hearing loss.
• Find out how many people will be attending the interview. Facing a single interviewer, without revealing your hearing loss, is far easier than if the interview takes place in a large room with several people sitting around a table. Add poor lighting to the scene (think load shedding!), and it will, no doubt, add to the stress of the situation. When an interviewer is prepared, they will understand when you ask to change seats or to raise the blinds.
• If you do decide to reveal your disability, make it brief and rather move on to discuss just how able you really are to do the job on offer. Show confidence. A prospective employer will see grit and determination. In an interview, there is usually at least one query related to overcoming a challenge in your life. Question answered.
• If you decide to hide your hearing loss, consider the possible consequences. If you pretend you can hear everything when you can’t, you risk giving a response which does not actually answer the question. The interviewer might think you are not taking the situation seriously or may assume you lack the requisite communication skills. Keep in mind that even a candidate with full hearing ability would ask an interviewer to repeat a question they did not hear correctly. So, if you ask your interviewer to speak a bit louder or repeat themselves, this won’t be considered out of the ordinary.
  

Seeing the other side of the story

Imagine you are the interview-er. You don’t know your next candidate has hearing loss. You want to hire the best person for the job, but suddenly your interviewee throws you a curve ball. Now, you’re the one that that’s nervous about what to say.

Back in the shoes of the candidate, put your potential employer at ease by keeping the discussion about your disability light. Move quickly to the reasons the company should hire you. Highlight your skills. You don’t want to be employed as the token “disabled” employee who will add credence to their HR policy.

The take-away?

Whether you have hearing difficulties or not, interviews are always nerve-wracking. There are certain guidelines every candidate should follow:

Present a positive attitude.

Refrain from exaggerating your abilities.

Learn interview skills. There is a mountain of information out there if you take the time to look for it. The nervousness won’t go away, but the way you answer certain questions (which will come up in slightly different ways in many interviews) will definitely get easier with time.

Apply for a job only where you have the required qualifications.

Don’t dwell on what you can’t do, but rather focus on your abilities.

If you don’t feel ready to face the job market, volunteer. The experience will boost your confidence and any prospective employer will look favourably at a person who has used their skills to help out without expecting remuneration.

Show confidence (even if you’re a bundle of nerves on the inside)

Plan for your interview (especially if you decide to talk about possible accommodations you might need). Practice with a friend or mentor and together you can judge just how much discussion about your disability is enough.

And never apologise for your hearing loss!

Go out there and sell yourself. Let them see that they need you more than you need them.

Good luck!

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