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Need advice for dealing with human resources and also for an upcoming phone interview

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 6:23 am
by scruffy
For the past few months, I have been working in a call center that appears to require just a little more speed and multitasking ability than I have. So, just to be on the safe side, I've been looking for other work and have a phone interview coming up. This afternoon, I was reviewing the job description and saw that though I have many of the skills and knowledge required for the job, it does require that other D word - dexterity, though the listed tasks don't appear to require that much dexterity. I want to be honest about my limitations, but I don't want to disqualify myself before knowing all the details, and I don't want to sound too picky. How would you handle this?

Also. I want to know how many people have brought up their dyspraxia with their employers? I have worked most of my adult life, but this current job is the first one I've had since my diagnosis. Have you ever had to ask for accomodations or protection as a disabled person? What types of accomodations have you found helpful? I was actually doing quite well last week until someone asked me to take a 10 key typing test and I know aI was as slow as molasses in January.

Re: Need advice for dealing with human resources and also for an upcoming phone interview

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 8:25 pm
by Tom fod
Hi Scruffy

Disclosure is always at least a theoretical minefield. I'm assuming the USA has some degree of legislation aimed at protecting those who might be discriminated against for various reasons including disability.

I note you feel you need to be open and honest with them but don't want to give them a reason to eliminate you from the running due to any lack of understanding on their part of what your dyspraxia label means. We might all be dyspraxic here but we're still very much individuals with a range of abilities and qualities that would be desirable to any employer willing to give us a chance and work with us to unlock our potential.

Is the telephone an interview only an intermediate step to enable them to sift and select applicants for in-person interviews? Could you ask them to further explain their requirement for dexterity in the context of their job description, so you can better determine whether they are the right employer for you? Do they have a mission statement about supporting and unlocking the potential of staff with diverse qualities? Do they live up to it?

Re: Need advice for dealing with human resources and also for an upcoming phone interview

Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:39 am
by scruffy
We do have the Americans With Disabilities Act which protects individuals with disabilities, though with the number of job ads seeking people who can work quickly and do several things at the same time, I do wonder sometimes how the ADA would apply to those dyspraxics that are not that good at moving quickly and multi-tasking, such as myself. I know that in most situations if I move too fast,something is going to go wrong.

I actually did ask the lady about what tasks might require dexterity, and it turns out that was left over from an old advertisement that did not apply to the current position. I do wish I had asked her in the beginning of the interview and not later, because I would have been less nervous.

Re: Need advice for dealing with human resources and also for an upcoming phone interview

Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:46 pm
by Tom fod
Always worth asking these things as it does demonstrate that you've read their role description thoroughly. When will you hear the result?

We have the Equality Act in the UK making it illegal for employers or service providers to discriminate against a person on the grounds of disability, gender, sexuality, race, age, if the employer/organisation cannot prove that they acted reasonably, they could be fined.

Unfortunately the cynic in me sees 'reasonable' as a bit of a loophole for lawyers to get rich arguing in court over if a case was even brought.