There has been great progress in the world of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), but there are still challenges facing employers across almost every industry and the flames have been fanned by broader sociopolitical issues on both sides of the Atlantic.
These issues and the rhetoric associated is often conflated with foundational processes that need to be addressed to remove barriers that impact on an employer’s ability to attract and retain the best talent.
One of the greatest barriers for diversity can be found in recruitment processes; in fact, a CIPD report found that only 28% of UK employers provide formal training for all interviewers on legal obligations and objective interview practices. Just 18% also review job adverts for biased language, and only 17% validate the fairness of assessment tests. In other words, inclusive hiring is still being treated as an add-on, rather than a core competency, by most. And with digital transformation, talent shortages and shifting candidate expectations all in play, not to mention ongoing economic upheaval, HR teams are under pressure to deliver more, with less, which can push the subject of DEI down the priority list.
Outdated approaches
However, in the modern world of work, inclusive hiring is not only the right thing to do but it also helps employers to get the right people in the right jobs. It’s an evidenced-based approach which has clear and well-recognised benefits of being fairer too.
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It’s one thing talking about it, and another actually recruiting on a truly inclusive and balanced basis, and many organisations are unknowingly still relying on processes that only exacerbate inequality, such as informal networks or subjective assessments, to make decisions. In addition, aspects such as ‘cultural fit’ remain a common but often problematic benchmark, and can act as shorthand for familiarity, comfort or sameness, which can, unintentionally, exclude those from different backgrounds, or who possess alternative perspectives or working styles. Without clear, standardised processes in place, biases begin to fill the space, even when the broad intentions are positive.
Growing awareness
Equally, candidate expectations are rapidly evolving, and job seekers, particularly those in younger generations, are increasingly looking for real evidence of inclusion, not just a few messages tucked away in the back pages of a corporate handbook. And they want to see this in the hiring experience itself.
They will spot who is on the panel, how questions are framed and whether adjustments are offered without hesitation, for example, and a lack of action, transparency and empathy can erode trust before a contract is even offered. Couple this, along with the rise of social media, means that one false move can potentially have a critical impact on a business’s reputation too.
So, what can be done at a practical level to shift the dial and encourage fairer recruitment practices?
Embedded inclusion
The first and perhaps most important step is to move these conversations from policy to practice, and inclusive hiring must be embedded within the day-to-day activities of all managers and leaders, not just confined to HR-based initiatives. Equipping hiring managers with the right tools that they can use immediately, without adding extra complexity or workload, can be a powerful first move.
Structured interviews are another ideal option, and using consistent, role-specific questions that are tied to clearly defined competencies can allow for more fair and transparent assessments. This shift can reduce the influence of unconscious bias and ensure that all candidates are measured in the same way. Collated qualitative and quantitative data can then be leveraged and analysed using decision dashboards that allow for candidate scores to be gauged side by side, giving hiring teams greater visibility into patterns and enabling them to make more informed and fairer decisions.
Tech-powered tools
On a related note, it would be remiss not to touch on the role of technology; however, the broad rule to keep in mind when delivering an inclusive hiring approach is to handle tech with care. AI-backed platforms, for example, can manage huge volumes of applications, but must be monitored and audited to ensure biases aren’t inadvertently built into systems and tools and, increasingly, that they are not generating their own information.
Even if this is not the case, algorithms that have been built and trained on historical data can replicate these past biases and favour certain educational backgrounds, or punish unconventional career paths. All HR teams should demand real transparency into the development of these tools before investing, and the best approach balances using AI in helping design tasks and assessments – or checking if a process has bias in it and humans for decision-making which offers a combination of both efficiency and integrity.
Visible leaders
Outside of the mechanics of hiring, inclusion must also be lived across the employee journey to be truly effective, and leadership visibility is paramount. Senior figures who share their own experiences of bias, who sponsor diverse talent and celebrate inclusive hiring wins all send a clear message: that inclusion is more than a compliance exercise, or ticking a box, but something that truly matters.
Accountability is another critical aspect, and all hiring activities should be measured, gauged and reflected upon to find areas for improvement. This is most effective when delivered in partnership with departmental managers, and in the long run can lead to benefits including increased representation on shortlists, heightened retention within underrepresented groups, or reduced time-to-hire metrics. All these elements – and more – should be consistently monitored at the senior level, rather than being buried in the latter parts of quarterly reports. After all, when progress is visible, momentum builds.
All businesses must adopt inclusive hiring practices as ongoing and continuous activities, rather than a project or campaign to retrospectively balance recruitment statistics and, to be truly effective, it requires investing in the professionals who act as candidate touchpoints, on top of a clear commitment to translating policy into behaviour. When these individuals are equipped to act with confidence and clarity, employers will be able to attract a broader spectrum of talent, improve candidate experience and build stronger, more resilient teams.
It’s clear that the employers have made strides forward with DEI, but the journey is far from over. By levelling the playing field for all applicants, firms can source the skilled talent they need in a skills-short environment, and create truly inclusive cultures.
Kate Headley leads a leading culture, diversity and inclusion consultancy. Kate is also a sought-after speaker, Government advisor, and advocate for inclusivity. Throughout her career, she has helped brands create, nurture and lead inclusive cultures to create a foundation that is conducive to optimal performance for people and businesses alike.
