Optos
Optos gained the Winner of the Recruitment Award in the Fife Business Diversity Awards 07. Optos is a company who provide retinal imaging equipment, and was nominated by its employees Craig Beveridge and Judith Adamson, plus Ann Wilson of Fife EmployAbility Team. Their nominations detailed how the company recruit with an open, fair and inclusive approach and always consider what adaptations or changes can be made to accommodate potential employees. Disabled applicants are given more time to complete a manual dexterity test and are paired with another trainee in a 'buddy' system in the first few months of work, for additional support. When asked what benefits the business has gained as a result of its recruitment practice, employee Craig stated "They employed a keen and dedicated member of staff...me! I'm an assembly technician - it's a good job, working with my brain. My skills have come back to me. I have ongoing training all the time and I get support from the Workstep programme. It's really important to me to be working. It's been good to meet people here too. Since day one I've been part of the team." Craig had been a plant engineer in South Africa when he got a virus which affected his brain, memory and body and put him in a coma for 3 months. He came back to Dunfermline in 2005 and with guidance from Fife EmployAbility Team and Momentum gained a job at Optos.
Human Resources Manager Judith Adamson stated "We've been so impressed with the results we've had - the more we've put in the more we've got out. We have a more open and flexible view of taking on anybody with disabilities because it's been so successful."
"Optos is open to all applicants and always review each applicant against the job criteria rather than against each other. We are aware of our obligations as an employer to recruit in an open, fair and inclusive approach and we will always consider what adaptations or changes we can make in order to accommodate potential employees. In Craig, we have recruited an excellent employee whose commitment and drive to learn has been inspirational for our team. It has proven to be an entirely positive and highly rewarding approach."