“Hannah’s recruitment went exactly the same as for our other candidates. As our vacancies are permanently open, we don’t have to compare candidates against each other. For us, it is important to make selections without bias. We always start with an introductory interview. If that goes well, a second talent interview follows, where we delve deeper into the candidate’s potential. That’s exactly what we did with Hannah.”

‘We pay a lot of attention to welcoming new employees. In this case, it was Hannah. A week before she started, we sent her a welcome message on WhatsApp. On her first day, a mobile phone, laptop and keys were ready and waiting for her. We started the day by having breakfast together. Her mentor and manager joined us for breakfast, as did I.”

“It is extremely important to us that new employees feel welcome and at ease. The first week is entirely dedicated to them. During the second week, we introduce them to the full range of tasks. Like any other employee, Hannah has a personal development plan with clear objectives, which we discuss in detail. It is important to us to discover and develop her potential. Due to the tight labour market, it is challenging not only to find people, but also to keep them. We want Hannah to stay with us.”

‘Her disability has never been an issue for our company or her colleagues. We were informed about employment support measures for disabled employees, such as Hannah. We do not need them. She is not the first disabled colleague. Moreover, we are happy to say that we have a very diverse group of employees. We hardly need to make any additional adjustments, not even for Hannah. For example, she moves around in an electric wheelchair, and our building is equipped for that. Like all our other employees, she has a height-adjustable table. She can easily adjust it to her needs.

‘Hannah cannot participate in every team activity. However, the party committee discusses this every time. I can see that she is an integral part of our group.”