Inclusive recruitment isn’t about recruiting a more diverse workforce. It’s about levelling the playing field and creating equality of opportunity. A more diverse workforce might well be an output of that but that’s not the over-arching perspective to hold for being more inclusive.
As we go into 2024, my wish and hope, is for everyone recruiting people into their teams, businesses or on behalf of a client, to take steps towards creating equality of opportunity. This is about positive action rather than positive discrimination, which is not legal in our country and something that can easily cause a backlash. We need to engage in positive action which is about recognising where you are under-represented and taking steps to create equality of opportunity for that group. At the Hobbs Consultancy we are passionate about supporting businesses in creating greater difference and belonging in their workplace. We recognise that creating and leading diverse workforces is not easy to do, so wanted to share some actions that can help you become a step closer to a more inclusive organisation.
Action One – Build robust data to demonstrate where certain groups are under-represented.
Action Two – Develop a robust and quantitative recruitment process so that you can objectively differentiate between your highest performing candidates. Avoid small talk to prevent any unconscious biases creeping in.
Action Three – Offer debriefs to everyone who has been for an interview in your organisation so you can get feedback on how the recruitment process worked for them, and understand the barriers that might be there.
Action Four – Ask ahead of the interview if there are any adjustments the candidate might need.
For more information about our work please visit thehobbsconsultancy.com
