More and more companies and organisations are putting diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) at the heart of their operations. Being inclusive is not just an ethical imperative; it also has numerous direct benefits for businesses, from boosting morale and creating an inclusive company culture to improving productivity and solving problems more creatively.
However, even the most inclusivity-conscious companies often fall down when it comes to their hiring processes. In this post, we will share our simple six-step guide to help you ensure that your hiring practices are truly inclusive.
1. Understand diversity and inclusion
Before you can create a truly inclusive hiring process, it is vital to ensure that you have a good understanding of what diversity and inclusion are. These are complicated issues, and there is no shame in not knowing everything.
Take the time to educate yourself and your team, investing in training if necessary. Only when you have a robust understanding of the whats, whys, and hows of DEI can you put them into practice effectively.
2. Remove unnecessary requirements
Before you advertise a job, take a close and critical look at your job description and person specification, paying particular attention to your “Essential” and “Nice to Have” criteria. Making these criteria too arduous can put off or exclude many applicants who would otherwise be a great fit.
Consider if having a university degree is truly necessary. Insisting all applicants must have a degree can exclude many applicants from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds who may not have had the same educational opportunities as their more privileged counterparts.
Requiring a driving licence or a certain level of physical fitness unnecessarily can exclude those with certain disabilities. Insisting that candidates must be “native English speakers” can discriminate based on race or background.
Removing unnecessary requirements removes barriers and opens up your jobs to a far more diverse applicant pool.
3. Use inclusive language
Very few people intentionally choose to be exclusionary. However, some of the common language that we all use every day can inadvertently have this effect. Take a close look at your job description, person specification, and other recruitment materials to ensure that you have used inclusive language. We have included a few examples for you below.
| Instead of… | Use… | Because… |
| He/she | They, the post holder | Using gendered language can show a subtle gender bias (which tends to favour men) and may also exclude trans and non-binary applicants |
| Young | Entry level, no experience necessary | Specifying an age can be exclusionary to people who might not be young but still looking for an entry level role, and may fall foul of age discrimination laws |
| Digital native | Knowledge of [specific IT systems or software packages] | “Digital native” implies an age bias |
| Native English speaker | Good spoken and written communication skills | Asking for a “native English speaker” excludes those from other cultural backgrounds and may be considered discrimination on grounds of race or national origin |
| Physically active | Specific information about the physical requirements for the job | Requiring candidates to be physically active or not being specific about the physical requirements can lead those with disabilities to self-select out when they may be perfectly qualified for the role |
Due to societal norms and unconscious biases, many words are also considered to have subtle gender coding. For example, words such as competitive, challenging, champion, and driven are coded masculine, while words such as collaborative, interpersonal, and enthusiastic are coded feminine. The Gender Decoder is a great tool to help you to reduce gender-coded language in your job ads.
What about playful/fun language?
It is now popular to use terms such as “IT Wizard” in order to stand out, appeal to younger applicants, and make a workplace seem more fun. This can be fine in some circumstances, but be careful that you are not inadvertently using terms that are culturally insensitive. “Guru” and “ninja” are two common examples that should be avoided.
4. Offer flexible interview and assessment formats
Not everyone excels in the same way, and all candidates should have an equal opportunity to shine. Therefore, why not offer alternative interview and assessment formats? This can be more inclusive to those who have certain disabilities, are neurodivergent, struggle with anxiety, or process information differently.
This can be as simple as offering candidates a choice of an on-site or video interview (which has the added benefit of being more inclusive to those who may struggle to travel to your site for various reasons). You can also offer a range of assessment formats, including sample tasks, group interviews or assessment days, or written questions for the candidate to complete and then return.
If you are going to offer a range of interview and assessment formats, ensure that you are not privileging candidates who choose one particular option. There is little point in offering video interviews if you already know you will choose someone who opts to attend in person.
5. Broaden your talent search
Affinity bias is the unconscious tendency to gravitate towards and prefer people who are similar to yourself, and it can play a major role in exclusionary hiring practices. One mistake many companies make is searching for prospective employees in a very small pool. They might target leavers of a particular school, graduates of a particular university, or those who read a certain publication. Many people also seek out talent via referrals from their networks, which can compound this problem.
Instead, broaden your search. Advertise your job roles in as many different locations as possible, and consider specifically seeking out those frequented by underrepresented groups. Consider:
- Using a broader range of job boards
- Posting on social media
- Working with a broader range of schools, colleges, and universities
- Putting up prominent physical ads in busy public places (e.g. coffee shops)
- Working with charities and government agencies
- Working with local youth groups and other support groups
6. Build an inclusive culture
Ultimately, inclusivity in your hiring practices must align with inclusivity in your organisation as a whole. If you build an inclusive and diverse culture, then inclusive and diverse hiring will follow and the two will work seamlessly together.
Work with your team to eliminate biases and discrimination, educate about DEI issues, empower employees to raise problems when they see them, and embed the value of diversity and inclusion at every level of your organisation.
This will not only ensure that you are living up to your DEI values but also make your company the kind of place where a diverse array of candidates will want to work.
Get support and further resources with Youth Employment UK membership
If you found this piece helpful, then you might want to consider joining as a Youth Employment UK member. Members gain access to our extensive catalogue of additional resources, exclusive events, and our members-only newsletter. You will also be eligible for entry into the Good Youth Employment Awards and receive a badge to display on your site in recognition of your commitment to the Good Youth Employment Standards.
