MAKING INCLUSIVE HIRING WORK: WHAT SINGAPORE SMES HAVE LEARNT
22 Oct 2026 09:11AM
With support from SG Enable and its partners, two local F&B businesses share how practical support and workplace adjustments can help employees with disabilities thrive in their roles.
When 23-year-old Ian Lim returned to work as a kitchen assistant at Rich and Good Cake Shop’s central kitchen after a family holiday overseas, his co-workers were delighted to see him again.
“While he was away, they kept asking when he would come back,” recalled Ms Jeanne Liu, CEO of Rich and Good, which she co-founded with her mother, Madam Lily Liu. “The staff realised how much they appreciate his help with various tasks and errands, which frees them to do other things.”
Mr Lim, who has autism, has worked at Rich and Good for four years, performing tasks such as folding boxes, flipping cakes and cleaning. His job coach at APSN Delta Senior School connected him with the role after spotting Rich and Good’s job posting on the SG Enable Inclusive Job Portal.
As Singapore’s national agency for disability, SG Enable aims to create equitable opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in society, including in the workplace. Together with its partners, SG Enable supports PWDs seeking employment and employers looking to adopt disability-inclusive hiring.
CHARTING GREATER INCLUSIVITY IN THE WORKFORCE
- The employment rate of PWDs aged 15 to 64 rose to 34.7 per cent in 2025, from 33.6 per cent in 2024, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s Labour Force in Singapore 2025 report.
- Under the Enabling Masterplan 2030, Singapore aims to raise the employment rate of PWDs to 40 per cent by 2030.
- In this year’s National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the government would continue to expand employment opportunities and make the transition from school to work smoother for PWDs.
- The 2026 Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities has also recommended strengthening support to help PWDs prepare for work, enter and remain in employment, while helping employers create more job opportunities.
PUTTING THE RIGHT SUPPORT IN PLACE
At the start of Mr Lim’s work trial, his echolalia – which led him to repeat his co-workers’ instructions back to them – and tendency to wander around the kitchen caused some confusion, according to Ms Liu.
To help his co-workers understand him better, his job coach briefed them on his capabilities and communication needs. Mr Lim was also assigned a buddy at work, who taught him how to carry out his tasks and, with help from the job coach, guided him when he became distracted or needed additional support.
Mr Lim soon settled into his role. Over time, he took on more challenging duties, such as preparing different-coloured paper bags and getting the correct boxes ready for each cake flavour before they arrived at the packaging station. His expanded responsibilities earned him a pay raise, an achievement he takes pride in.
He said having clear instructions and a dependable routine from the start made it easier for him to work confidently.
“A FRIENDLY WORKPLACE WHERE CO-WORKERS ARE PATIENT AND KIND MAKES WORKERS LIKE ME FEEL WELCOME AND HELPS US DO A GREAT JOB.”
– MR IAN LIM, KITCHEN ASSISTANT, RICH AND GOOD CAKE SHOP
Ms Liu said patience, commitment and willingness to put in effort are key to making inclusive hiring work. Rich and Good currently employs two PWDs and has attained the Enabling Mark accreditation, recognising its commitment to its disability-inclusive employment practices.
“Start small, and remember it’s a collaboration between the employer, job coach and employee,” she said. “When they are matched with the right job, you’ll find that PWDs can really contribute.”
From June 2027, employer support will be progressively enhanced, including through a new Enabling Employment Grant that consolidates existing funding with simpler processes and greater flexibility. (Sources: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore; SG Enable)
ADAPTING THE WORKPLACE TO DIFFERENT NEEDS
Inclusive hiring can also involve simple workplace adjustments that support employees with different needs.
At cafe and salad bar Smol, senior finance and administration executive Noorliza Mat Latip, who is deaf, has a flashing and vibrating alert system at her desk that lets her know when someone is knocking on the office door.
Similar systems have been installed at Smol’s kitchen, pick-up and cashier points to alert deaf frontline staff when they are needed.
For Ms Noorliza, 44, the setup has helped her settle into her role and work comfortably with the team. As she can speak, most communication with her colleagues is verbal. When something is unclear, they use gestures or type messages on their phones.
“Most of the time, my colleagues even forget that I’m deaf, which says a lot about how naturally we communicate and work together,” she said.
Ms Noorliza first joined Smol in 2022 through disability services organisation SPD, taking on a six-month maternity cover role after a career break to care for her son. She later moved to another administrative job before returning to Smol full-time in 2024 at the invitation of founder Charmaine Low.
Today, as a senior finance and administration executive, she supports the business across administration, human resources, finance and operations.
For Ms Low, workplace accommodation is about giving employees the support they need to succeed at work. “Accommodation is not about lowering standards,” she said. “We are still running a business after all. But we try to pave a more equitable path towards success for all our employees.”
Inclusive hiring has been part of Smol’s operations since its early years. “Our first PWD hire was in 2020 and her positive energy and determination gave us the confidence to learn more about inclusive hiring,” Ms Low recalled.
As the employee was deaf and used sign language as her primary form of communication, Ms Low worked with SG Enable to access funding through the Job Redesign Grant for sign language lessons for hearing employees. Smol also introduced pictorial food menus so customers could point to their orders instead of saying their orders aloud.
Smol now employs four PWDs, three of whom are deaf and one who has a mild intellectual disability.
Ms Low added that inclusive hiring has benefited the business. “A growing number of multinational corporations understand the value of having suppliers that are inclusive and driven by social impact, and they choose to buy from us,” she said.
For employers considering hiring PWDs, being willing to adapt is critical. “While deaf people can’t hear, it doesn’t mean we’re unable to work,” said Ms Noorliza. “With today’s technology, there are always ways to communicate.”
She added that employees with disabilities also deserve fair pay, recognition and opportunities for career progression.
“BEING DEAF HAS NOT STOPPED ME FROM CONTRIBUTING CONFIDENTLY. I’M PROUD TO BE JUDGED BY MY WORK AND CONTRIBUTION, NOT MY DISABILITY.”
– MS NOORLIZA MAT LATIP, SENIOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE, SMOL
Published: 22 Oct 2026 Text: Brand Studio Photos: Mediacorp Studio 3