Tips for Employment for People with Disabilities!

Nice to meet you, my name is Kishino.
I have a Grade 2 Disability Certificate for mental health, suffering from conditions such as depression, adjustment disorder, and anxiety-induced insomnia.
I had been working as a non-regular contract employee for people with disabilities since May 2023, but in January 2025, I was suddenly notified of non-renewal of my contract, and I am in a position where I will be leaving the company due to company circumstances at the end of March 2025.

I applied to over 300 companies for full-time positions for able-bodied individuals (closed hiring), but I couldn't find a good match. However, when I changed my direction and aimed for employment for people with disabilities, I was easily able to receive job offers from five companies known as major corporations.

My skills are no different from when I was applying for full-time positions for able-bodied individuals. In other words, I realized that it is clear that the hiring criteria differ between full-time positions for able-bodied individuals and employment for people with disabilities.

Here, I would like to share some hints for those who are aiming to find employment for people with disabilities from now on.

Until reaching employment for people with disabilities
First, I will explain the process until I found employment for people with disabilities.
Before I considered employment for people with disabilities, I was aiming for so-called closed employment (hiding the fact that I have a disability). While I think my age as part of the ice-age generation had a lot to do with it, I applied to over 300 companies and finally managed to get one job offer. However, closed hiring means being treated the same as an able-bodied person, so there was a lot of overtime, it became difficult to manage my physical condition, and it led to my resignation.
At that time, I learned about the existence of recruitment targeting people with disabilities, so-called "employment for people with disabilities," and decided that working there would make it easier to manage my physical condition and would be a better fit for me.

How do you find employment for people with disabilities?

In my case, I first thought of three ways to find employment for people with disabilities.

1 Hello Work

When you think of employment for people with disabilities, isn't Hello Work the first thing that comes to mind?
Hello Work collaborates with support organizations related to finding jobs and employment for people with disabilities, and also provides follow-up such as employment support and workplace retention support after employment. Various consultations at the counter are also possible. Of course, the usage fee is free!
This is something to be grateful for, isn't it?
But there are also disadvantages.
From a company's perspective:
- Because they can post job openings for free, there are many low-quality job openings.
- There is variation in the ability of employment counselors.
- They are posting job openings out of necessity to meet the statutory employment rate for people with disabilities.
- The Hello Work website is difficult to use.
These are also mentioned. In any case, since companies can post job openings for free, I think there are few cases that lead to a good match.

2 Applying through job sites (Indeed, etc.)

Regarding this, although there are fewer job openings than Hello Work, it may still be effective in the sense that you can efficiently search for job openings in various regions. Also, since the expected annual income is presented, it is possible to easily compare with other companies on the spot. Also, since the application is completed with a single click, there is an aspect that it is easier than Hello Work.
As a disadvantage, since there is no person in charge assigned to you, you need to create your resume and job history completely on your own. For better or worse, since there is no one to proofread it, you need to act entirely at your own risk.

3 Agencies specializing in employment for people with disabilities

You may have heard of famous ones such as Randstad, Recruit Agent, doda, atGP, DI Agent, and Litalico Shigoto Navi.
I myself met my current company through an agent.
Unlike Hello Work and job sites, because companies are spending a large amount of advertising expenses (personnel costs) for the employment of people with disabilities, I think the probability of encountering high-quality job openings is the highest.

Including my own feelings, I have the perception that Randstad is for those seeking annual income, doda is for those seeking a large number of job openings, DI Agent is for specialized professions, and Litalico Shigoto Navi is for those who have a gap in their employment history because it is limited to regions and has cooperation with employment support centers.
However, to register with Randstad, you need a work history of the previous two years. That is quite a high wall for people with disabilities, isn't it?
Since there is no cost burden on the applicant to use an agent, I think it is good to register with multiple ones. However, since agents are also a business, there are cases where you won't even be able to register, so you need to be prepared to be turned away depending on your background.
However, if your registration is accepted, an agent in charge will be assigned to you, so they will take care of everything from proofreading your resume and job history to interview preparation.
Also, if you register on the site, they will introduce you to job openings that suit you from time to time, so unless it is a job opening you really don't like, I think it is good to try applying first. This is because, even in the current Reiwa era, employment for people with disabilities is a buyer's market. The competition is high, and it has become a fierce battle.

4 The reality of employment for people with disabilities

In employment for people with disabilities, your rivals are naturally people who have disabilities just like you. Therefore, competition is unavoidable.
The competition rate is said to be 10% for passing document screening, and when it comes to interviews, it is as severe as a few people out of that 10%.
According to a story I am convinced of at my current workplace, over 300 people applied for 3 openings. Even this depends on age, but because white-collar companies are a buyer's market, it is a world where the competition rate is unbelievable. Conversely, if you lower the rank you are looking for a little, there are many cases where the job competition rate becomes much easier.
Many employment opportunities for people with disabilities start as non-regular. It is said that the ideal form is to aim for promotion to a full-time employee from a non-regular position, but in reality, promotion to a full-time employee is quite a difficult hurdle, so I think it is better to settle for a good non-regular position for the time being.
In terms of annual income, I felt that there are walls of 2 million yen, 3 million yen, and 3.5 million yen. If you exceed 3 million yen in non-regular employment for people with disabilities, it is quite a good offer.

What is an interview for employment for people with disabilities like?

☆Key Points to Remember☆
Being asked for a self-promotion or your reasons for applying is the same as in hiring for able-bodied individuals. If you can explain yourself objectively and concisely, you will get full marks. Next, I will touch upon the "questions you will definitely be asked." Here, I will provide my own model answers for these "questions you will definitely be asked." I hope you find them helpful.

1. Please tell me your reason for changing jobs.
With this question, they are looking to see if you will change jobs for the same reason again in the future, or if you can work long-term. If you state negative reasons or mention interpersonal relationships, you will give the impression of being a complainer, and they may think you will change jobs for the same reason again. (Because conflicts in interpersonal relationships happen at every company.)

A1. I resigned from my previous job due to poor health. The cause of my poor health was [XXX], which caused me to lose my mental and physical balance. Moving forward, I hope to work at a company that understands my disability so that I can stabilize my health and aim for long-term employment.

Bad Answer
A1. For career advancement.
Honestly, companies are not looking for career advancement in employment for people with disabilities. What they are looking for is someone who has solid attendance and can do a decent job. They are not looking for a serious powerhouse. Therefore, mentioning career advancement without any specifics is a meaningless answer from the perspective of the HR interviewer.

A2. Because of interpersonal relationships.
If you state interpersonal relationships (including power harassment) as a reason for leaving, the language is extreme, and it is a vague expression that does not convey specifics. Also, it is often taken as a negative expression, so I think it is better to avoid it.

2. Please tell us about your disability status.
This will be asked 100% of the time in interviews for employment for people with disabilities. It also leads to questions about reasonable accommodations later, so be careful about consistency.

Since this varies from person to person, I will briefly note the content you should convey.
A1. Honestly convey the trigger for discovering your disability, the history of your illness, and your diagnosis.
A2. Logically convey things you are not good at or find stressful due to your disability characteristics based on your experience so far.
A3. Regarding medical visits, if the day of the week and time are fixed, convey them specifically (e.g., once a month, Saturday morning).
A4. Convey the accommodations you would like if you join the company (reasonable accommodations).
Example 1: I am not good at using the phone, so I would appreciate accommodations regarding phone handling for the time being.
Example 2: I heard that your company has staggered working hours and remote work, so once I get used to working on-site, I would like to utilize those systems to make it easier to control my physical condition.
A3. I am thinking of long-term employment if I join the company, but I think worries will arise, so I would appreciate it if I could have regular interviews with my supervisor.

3. Please tell us about your current physical condition.
This question is looking to see if you are prepared, including your physical condition, for your next job. If your physical condition is perfect, explain the basis for that as well. The interviewer is meeting you for the first time. They do not know your daily life. Convey that part specifically and clearly.
A1. My physical condition is good. I was attending a support center 5 days a week until [Month]. I had no tardiness, and although I took a few days off due to a cold, my attendance was perfect otherwise.
A2. When I consulted with my primary doctor about how to work, I received a diagnosis that in addition to full-time work, some overtime is also possible. My doctor told me to try training to see if I could ride a crowded train, so I trained a few times, and there were no particular problems.

Bad Answer
A1. My physical condition is good, so there is no problem -> Since there is no basis, the interviewer cannot feel the reality of those words.
A2. My physical condition is good, and my daily rhythm is also correct -> Since the specifics of the daily rhythm cannot be seen, the interviewer cannot recognize the stability of your daily rhythm.

4. Selection status of other companies (What is your preference for our company?)
In the past, I think most people have been told to always say it is their first choice when asked this question. Of course, you cannot say "your company is my second choice" here, so I think "I am considering your company as one of my top choices" is a safe answer.

5. Regarding the reverse question, the classic final question of the interview, "Do you have any questions at the end?"
☆Key Points to Remember☆
I assume they are checking your motivation for joining the company.
Therefore, specifically:
A1. If I am hired, what kind of work do you envision for me?
A2. What kind of work are the seniors who are already working in employment for people with disabilities doing?
A3. What is the atmosphere like in the office?
A4. If there is a connection, when would I be joining the company?

I think it would be good if you could ask about these things.

If you have made it this far to the interview, the rest is really a matter of luck. You have made it to the interview because you have passed the age, educational background, and work history filters. So, please face the interview with confidence.

I pray that everyone will be hired by their desired company.

Also, if there are requests from everyone, next time I would like to write about "Ideals and Reality of Employment for People with Disabilities,"
and the time after that, "Tips for Claiming Disability Pension."