LAS VEGAS, Oct. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phenom People , the global leader in Talent Experience Management (TXM), today announced the findings of its study analyzing Fortune 100 career sites based on six common Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). According to the study, 89 companies failed at least one of the six examined WCAG standards. The findings will be further discussed at the 2019 HR Tech Las Vegas conference, taking place October 1–4 at the Venetian.

Employers are possibly excluding over one billion people with disabilities due to inaccessible career site practices. Companies often prioritize aesthetics and branding initiatives at the expense of accessibility in their web designs. People with visual, auditory, speech, mobility, cognitive and neurological impairments are better enabled when websites take digital accessibility into account.

Common accessibility issues affecting navigation, site structure, text, images, hyperlinks, multimedia and forms on company career sites may impede candidates’ ability to successfully search and apply for jobs. Failing to meet these standards means the website potentially restricts the support of assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnification and alternative input devices.

Accessibility study of the Fortune 100

Phenom People reviewed the Fortune 100 career sites based on criteria established by the World Wide Web Consortium, which outlines how websites and content should be created for people with disabilities. Examining six common WCAG accessibility standards—color contrasting, use of tables, alternative text, resize text, focus indicators and keyboard navigation—the Phenom People study discovered that among the Fortune 100:

89 companies failed at least one standard

46 companies failed three or more standards

11 companies met all six standards

Reviewing each WCAG criteria, findings reveal that:

65 companies did not meet color contrast standards (WCAG 1.4.3)

55 companies did not meet table standards (WCAG 1.3.1)

39 companies did not meet alternative text standards (WCAG 1.1.1)

33 companies did not meet resize text standards (WCAG 1.4.4)

27 companies did not meet focus indicator standards (WCAG 2.4.7)

4 companies did not meet keyboard navigation standards (WCAG 2.1.1)

“Buyers of talent acquisition technology often prioritize ease of use and the look and feel of the product to create better user experiences,” said Ben Eubanks, principal analyst at Lighthouse Research & Advisory. “However, failing to meet critical accessibility standards creates a troubling problem: individuals with disabilities cannot navigate, find jobs or apply on career sites. Research shows there is a higher rate of unemployment among this group compared to the general population. This means employers are missing out on otherwise qualified talent at a time with critically low levels of unemployment.”

Increased accessibility lawsuits for career sites and websites

Companies that do not proactively implement WCAG standards create barriers that impact the livelihood of people with impairments. According to Seyfarth Shaw, website accessibility lawsuits under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) increased by 177% from 2017 to 2018, with the number of legal proceedings jumping from 814 to 2,258.

Introducing Phenom Access for out-of-the-Box WCAG 2.0 AA compliance

Phenom Access is a set of features to help HR, HRIS and compliance teams more easily support assistive technologies and WCAG 2.0 standards on their corporate career sites.

Phenom Access includes :



WCAG 2.0 compliant canvases

WCAG 2.0 compliant widgets

CMS warnings of non-compliant site changes (coming soon)

Phenom Access enables corporate career sites to be WCAG 2.0 AA compliant out-of-the-box with pre-approved canvases and widgets. Any changes made within the Phenom CMS are automatically reviewed in real-time prior to publication, and flagged for compliance issues. Users are then notified with steps on how to meet the standards. This ensures assistive technology can better aid candidates in their job search.

“Accessibility isn’t about disabilities—it’s about people, just like HR. We have to think about how we can be more human in a technological world,” said Mahe Bayireddi, CEO and co-founder at Phenom People. “From the beginning, our mission has been to help a billion people find the right job. To reach people you’ve never been able to reach, the user doesn’t have to change—your product does.”

Phenom People delivers the Talent Experience Management platform, providing companies with a unified solution for: Candidate Experience (Career Site, CMS, University Recruiting, Chatbot), Recruiter Experience (CRM, Campaigns, SMS, AI Insights), Employee Experience (Internal Mobility, Diversity, Chatbot, Referrals), and Management Experience (Talent Analytics, Succession, Reporting, Forecasting). The Phenom Talent Experience Management platform is built on artificial intelligence (AI), driving personalization, automation and accuracy for candidates, recruiters, employees and management. It eliminates multiple-point solutions, connects with quality candidates and employees through personalized experiences, and delivers top talent while driving ROI.

Phenom People will make a monetary donation to Dreamscape Foundation at HR Tech Las Vegas in visitors’ names at booth #2028.

Access Phenom People’s Fortune 100 career site accessibility study infographic .

Read the blog to learn more about the Phenom People study and how meeting WCAG standards help all job seekers better engaged with your employer brand.

Please visit https://www.phenompeople.com/ for more information on Talent Experience Management.

About Phenom People

Phenom People is a global HR technology company with a mission to help a billion people find the right job. We do this through an AI-based SaaS platform called Talent Experience Management.

For more information, please visit www.phenompeople.com .