A soap company in east London is encouraging employers to steal their staff, in a bid to encourage other employers to hire people with disabilities.
The campaign by Beco, launched this week, puts a twist on traditional recruitment ads by showing off their employees on their soap packaging with an appeal for other companies to headhunt them.
At Beco, 80% of employees are disabled, and they are encouraging other companies to #StealOurStaff to help more people get into work.
A spokesman for Beco and founding charity Clarity said: “We think we’ve got some of the best soap-makers on the planet, but we’re not naive enough to think they always dreamed of making soap.”
Disability charity Scope estimates that more than a million people with disabilities in the UK are unable to find work, with an unemployment gap of 30%.
The campaign highlights staff like Stephen, who joined in 1985 and works as a receptionist. A sci-fi fanatic, Stephen said: “My dream job would be to work for Big Finish Productions as a producer, making podcasts.”
Another staff member waiting to be stolen is Michael, who works with his guide dog Hermes as a team leader at Beco.
Michael said: “Some people might think I should be satisfied because I’ve got a job, but I’ve got ambitions like everyone else. I reckon I could give the board at a certain Claret and Blue football club a run for their money.”
Co-founder of Beco, Camilla Marcus-Dew, told the PA news agency: “It’s a transformative campaign. We are trying to tell a really strong story.
