Sandi Wassmer
CEO, The Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (enei)
Getting recruitment right is one of the biggest challenges for any employer. This includes attracting, recruiting, onboarding and retaining diverse talent amid turnover difficulties.
Many organisations, particularly in the STEM sector, struggle to recruit employees from diverse backgrounds, whether this be those covered under the nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act or those who may be discriminated against for other reasons, such as gender identity, appearance, or socioeconomic background.
There are many reasons for this, which employers need to identify and address to improve their access to wider and more diverse talent pools.
Where to start for inclusive recruitment
Look at your recruitment processes; are they inclusive and accessible? This is more than just reassessing where you’re advertising your roles and what the application process looks like; although this is important too, look at the whole process from end to end.
A happy workforce is a
productive workforce.
Recruitment factors to consider
– Attraction: How do you reach the widest possible candidate pool? Think about where you are advertising, your use of language and how the organisation may be perceived externally.
– Application: Are your job descriptions and person specifications up-to-date and realistic? Is the language inclusive? Are people put off by the way the information is presented? Is the application process accessible and inclusive?
– Shortlist: How are candidates shortlisted for interview? Have you considered alternative methods which could minimise bias?
– Interview: Does the interview or assessment process reflect the key requirements of the role? Do you encourage applicants to share information about any adjustments they might need to help them demonstrate their capability? Is the interview panel diverse? Is there a standardised approach to questions and scoring? Do you have diverse interview panels? Are your interview questions and scoring standardised?
Diverse, inclusive, productive workforce
At The Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (enei), inclusive recruitment is one of our most commonly asked-about topics. We like to think that this is because employers are becoming increasingly aware that having a wide range of employees — from a variety of backgrounds — leads to a diversity of skills, thinking, views and experiences.
In an inclusive culture, where people feel psychologically safe and have a sense of belonging, creativity, collaboration and innovation flourish, employees are happier and have a greater sense of loyalty to their organisations, which is good for everyone. After all, a happy workforce is a productive workforce.
