Changing Faces have developed a set of resources which provide information and advice so best practice can be developed in recruiting, retaining, promoting and serving people with disfigurements.

1. Recruiting someone who looks different
As an employer you may be unaware of the broad benefits that you could reap from actively recruiting and employing people with disfigurements:

• Deeper understanding of disfigurement – which will improve selection processes and demonstrate a true commitment to equality and diversity. This will in turn enhance your organisation’s corporate image/ reputation, and staff morale will be higher as they realise that difference is valued.

• Developing positive attitudes and behaviours towards disfigurement enables existing staff to better manage other diversity and inclusion issues.

2. Supporting an employee who looks different
Acquiring a disfigurement, especially to the face and/or body, is a traumatic experience. The individual’s own assumptions and perceptions about disfigurement may influence their attitudes and behaviours. They may question their own identity and need to re-define who they are, as well as coping with the physical effects of an accident or illness. They may think they are no longer employable, especially if they are in a customer-facing role. Psychological healing can take longer than physical healing. The psychological healing process needs to be recognised, understood and managed in the work environment.

Human Resources Staff and Line Managers can offer appropriate support to enable a valuable employee to function effectively and professionally. Occupational Health Therapists can also be very helpful if they are aware and appropriately trained.

3. Ensuring top quality service
It is in your interests as an employer to equip your staff to be able to interact with a customer with a disfigurement in a confident way. A person with a disfigurement could enter your workplace or wish to use your services at any time. A member of staff’s uncertainty in dealing with them could translate into a lesser quality of service and discontented customers, and even result in a discrimination case.

Generic customer service training may not prepare employees for the potential discomfort of a face-to-face conversation with someone with a disfigurement. It is important that customer service staff in particular know how to handle their own reactions when serving a person with a disfigurement, as they may:

• feel awkward and uncomfortable if they are seeing someone with a disfigurement for the first time
• be so curious that they either do not listen to the customer or they hurry through the transaction making a mistake
• feel they want to avoid the situation altogether, hoping someone else will serve him or her
• make incorrect assumptions about the needs of the customer based on appearance
• patronise the customer or show feelings of sympathy.

Members of the Face Equality at Work Membership Scheme automatically have access to these resources via the on-line forum, whilst non-members can buy them by downloading and completing the Face Equality at Work Resources Catalogue and order form, you can then place your order.

If you would like more information on which resource would best suit your needs contact the Employment Team on 0845 4500 275 or email employment@changingfaces.org.uk

Download the employment resource catalogue and order form.