Inclusion in working life: Employers hold the key

A webinar held in March 2026 presented recent Nordic research that explores work inclusion from an employer perspective. The focus was on how inclusion is understood and practised at the workplace level, and how policies and initiatives aimed at promoting inclusion may both enable and constrain employment opportunities.

Drawing on empirical research from Norway and Denmark, as well as practical and advocacy perspectives, the discussion highlighted persistent barriers, underlying norms and opportunities for more inclusive labour markets.

Applying for twice as many jobs to get an interview

In Norway, the HIRE project has examined discrimination through field experiments and employer interviews. The results show clear disparities: a wheelchair user received roughly half as many interview callbacks as an equally qualified non-disabled applicant, while candidates disclosing mental health challenges also faced disadvantages.

Kaja Larsen Østerud, PhD and researcher at OsloMet, explains that the study sent pairs of matched job applications, differing only by whether the applicant disclosed a disability. A wheelchair user received call-backs for 11% of applications, compared to 22% for an equally qualified non‑disabled applicant.

– In other words, a wheelchair user must apply for twice as many jobs to get the same number of call-backs as an equally qualified non-disabled job seeker, says Kaja Larsen Østerud.

A candidate disclosing a history of mental health challenges needed to apply for 1.4 times as many jobs to receive the same number of interview invitations.

Discrimination is rarely explicit

Østerud’s qualitative interviews revealed that discrimination is rarely explicit but rooted in implicit assumptions. Employers tend to evaluate candidates against the norm of the “ideal worker” – a person who is fully productive, flexible, socially integrated and requires no adjustments.

For candidates with mental health histories, stigma played a central role. Openness about mental health was often interpreted as poor judgement or lack of social competence, and stereotypes – such as instability or unreliability – shaped hiring decisions.

Kaja Larsen Østerud stresses the importance of dialogue, and that the employer is the one who should initiate it. For the job seeker, too much can be at stake.

– Openness has a real penalty, as we saw in the field experiment, says Kaja Larsen Østerud.

An open dialogue weakens stigma and supports sustainable work participation.

Passive employers are an opportunity for change

In Denmark, the BEVICA project has examined employers’ attitudes and practices regarding recruitment of people with mobility disabilities. The project reached out to 5 000 workplaces and collected extensive data. Julia Salado-Rasmussen, PhD and Senior Associate Professor at University College Copenhagen says that a key finding was the gap between attitudes and action.

Around 74% of employers believe they have a social responsibility to hire persons with disabilities. However, only about 25% have actually done so.

– There is quite a difference between whether they think it could be their responsibility and whether they do actually hire, says Julia Salado-Rasmussen.

About half of the workplaces answered that they lack job functions or are inaccessible to persons with mobility impairments.

Personal stories motivate hiring decisions

In the qualitative part of the study, interviews with 20 workplaces revealed different motivations for hiring persons with disabilities. These were for example personal stories about experiences with disability, and a feel of social responsibility.

The study identifies four types of employers:

• Committed employers: believe in responsibility and act on it
• Passive employers: believe in responsibility but do not act
• Dismissive employers: neither believe nor act
• Sceptical employers: act without expressing a sense of responsibility

The passive employers are the largest group, around 54%. They have a positive attitude towards hiring persons with disabilities, and Salado‑Rasmussen says that this group represents the biggest opportunity for change.

– Successful employment and retention depend on knowledge, flexibility, openness and agency among both job centres, employers and employees.

A more proactive outreach from job centres could substantially improve inclusion.

– There are effective methods out there that can support work inclusion, for example supported employment or integral placement support, or in general, doing more job development and reaching out to employers, says Julia Salado-Rasmussen.  

Competences are overlooked

Representing InClue, a recruitment and competence centre founded by the Norwegian Association of the Disabled, Tor Andreas Bremnes linked the research findings to practical realities.

He emphasised that discrimination is rarely intentional:

– We don’t think that anybody gets up in the morning and says “Well, how can I discriminate today?”

Bremnes argued that discussions about disability often frame inclusion as “giving something back,” overlooking the skills and competences disabled employees bring, like experiences of lifelong problem‑solving, navigating inaccessible environments, creative adaptation and unique perspectives beneficial for business.

– I really appreciate the research because that helps us talk to employers as well, says Tor Andreas Bremnes.

Describing your strengths instead of weaknesses

William Korte, representing the Danish Association of Youth with Disabilities (SUMH), focused on the experiences of young disabled people navigating a labour market with rising unemployment in their age group.

He highlighted how prejudice and stigma persist despite Denmark’s high employment rates:

– We can see that there are a lot of prejudices, there are a lot of stigma and taboos that create a non-inclusive workplace society, says William Korte.

Korte also emphasises that so-called inner barriers can make it harder to get employed. Young persons with disabilities spend years explaining their needs and limitations to schools, municipalities and service providers. They must express these needs clearly to get accommodations and support. However, when it comes to applying for a job, you need to express yourself in the complete opposite way and highlight your strengths and competences.

SUMH works to train young disabled people in reframing their communication so they can convey their potential.

– We’re trying to do our best to get young people ready for these interviews. It could be a way of communicating your disability without creating stigma and taboos. It’s very important that we help young people to facilitate this dialogue with employers, says William Korte.