*Image by AT&T- Nasser with his family.*
As a manager it may sometimes be easier to take the less challenging route, but is it the best decision for the team?
Jason McGonigle, the manager at an AT&T warehouse in Hillard, Ohio, was looking to fill a position on his team, when he interviewed Kamal Nasser, who seemed to be the most skilled candidate for the position.
Nasser also happened to be deaf but that did not stop McGonigle from hiring him. In fact, the entire team that worked with Nasser learned sign language to communicate with him and teach him
DIVERGE spoke to Jason McGonigle to find out more:
When you met Kamal, what made you decide to hire him?
At first I was very intrigued by his resume, he worked with 3000 year old artifacts at a museum in Jordan and I thought that this was very impressive. Clearly I could trust him to handle a DVR in our warehouse. As the interview continued it was his personality that really stood out. By the end of the interview I felt like I knew what he was saying just by the facial expressions he was making while communicating. We really seemed to connect from the very beginning.
Were you afraid that it would you and your team would have a hard time communicating with him?
Absolutely! I knew that all of us had never worked with anyone like Kamal. It was going to be a challenge. However I felt that it was my responsibility to prepare us all for that challenge. Before his first day we got a white board and created some story boards to help Kamal and the rest of the staff communicate.
What was your teams reaction when you told them they were learning sign language?
At first they didn’t believe they could learn the safety creed in sign language when they couldn’t even recite it speaking. However, we worked as a team to identify each word in sign and quickly realized it was making the whole process easier. By the end of the day we all had it memorized.
How does this truly reflect AT&T’s commitment to inclusion?
Here at AT&T we are all about bringing the most talented people together, regardless of which path of life they come from. Once you are here you are part of the family. Coming together as a team to learn the safety creed in sign language just shows we all have something amazing we can learn from each other. By opening ourselves to diversity we allow ourselves to grow in ways we never thought possible.
DIVERGE also asked Kamal Nasser to share his thoughts:
What did you think of Jason when you met him?
When I met him for the first time, I felt he was welcoming and respectful of my hearing disability. I was impressed by the way he communicated with me and I was more impressed that he was learning ASL.
Were you surprised to hear you got the job?
I was very, very happy to learn that I was able to get the job. In fact, I had a feeling that I would get it and our job interview went well, especially that Jason did a fine job communicating with me. Once I got the job, he earned much more deeper respect from me. Everybody here did.
How has your time at work been?
Things are going well. There is a lot of work to do and it’s challenging. Sure, I get along well with others and the atmosphere is positive. Warehouse there isn’t an issue, we just work on it in the most positive way possible. We focus on work and sure we get to laugh and exchange jokes and have fun! Even so, they are eager to learn some ASL signs!
Why should other companies follow AT&T’s lead?
AT&T is doing their job at best to respect workers with disabilities and ensure that workplaces are adjusted to meet their special needs. It is the case here and other companies should follow suit because workers with disabilities are part of their team and that they have a role to play in serving the interests of their companies and customers.
