The Importance of Inclusive Recruitment

Since the Equality Act of 2010, we have seen a real rise in the implementation of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the workforce, and conjunctively, across society. The act safeguards nine characteristics which define a diverse society. These protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Inclusive measures should begin from the moment a job advert is published and promoted. However, inclusive recruitment is being executed by fewer organisations than people may believe, urging change from organisations nationwide.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (2024) carried out UK-based surveys which revealed that 55.2% of employers surveyed did not overtly state an interest in diverse candidates within their job adverts, with 44.2% of employers surveyed not incorporating inclusive wording within said adverts.

This purports less than half of employers in the UK are actively implementing inclusive recruitment strategies.

Inclusive recruitment processes and strategies

The best way to ensure you have a diverse range of staff is to make recruitment processes and strategies as inclusive and unbiased as possible. Blind recruitment is one of the best ways to do this. This is a simple adjustment where names and other protected characteristics are removed from application forms to eliminate any biases surrounding someone’s demographic.

Other inclusivity measures include running an advert’s copy through a gender decoder, combatting the idea that certain roles lend themselves to certain genders. Other methods include avoiding job-specific jargon and complex language for increased accessibility, clearly outlining the stages of the application process and shortlisting procedures (for example, CVs, Covering Letters, psychometric testing, and interviews). These practises ensure people feel included and can fully access the job advert, the application process and (if successful) the onboarding process and the job’s daily duties.

It is all about establishing inclusive habits from the very beginning. This will benefit the organisation and its employees whilst promoting and maintaining an organisation’s progressive ethos.

Manchester Met’s inclusive work culture

Here at Manchester Metropolitan University, we are proud to be part of the movement for more inclusive recruitment processes and a more diverse workspace. The university is so committed to the above inclusive strategies, that our Employer Partnerships team within the wider Careers and Employability Services have constructed an array of Recruitment Resources.

There are eight resources in total which are separated into three distinct categories: ‘Attract’, ‘Select’ and ‘Retain’.

Attract:

• Guide to Advertising on Career Hub,
  • Example Job Description Template
  • Inclusive Recruitment Checklist.

Select:

• Guide to Selecting Candidates
• Example Interview Questions Template
• Inclusive Selection Process Checklist.

Retain:

• Graduate Induction and Onboarding Guide
• Inclusive Organisation Checklist.

These guides, templates and checklists prompt employers targeting students and graduates for employment opportunities to implement such strategies into their recruitment and onboarding processes.

What is the aim of inclusive recruitment?

As a Manchester Met employee, I work with a diverse range of individuals. I have experienced this inclusive culture firsthand and can confirm that the university creates an inspiring, compassionate, and healthy working environment where people are accepted for their entire personhood.

It is not just the employees that benefit from inclusive recruitment and work practises. Studies suggest that organisations which enforce inclusive measures within their recruitment and hiring processes are likely to obtain more revenue and broader customer bases. This is due to the positive reputation the organisation receives and the increased staff innovation and productivity which stems from better working environments.

Inclusivity creates a beneficial relationship between employers and employees; it is a win-win for everyone within the workforce.

Links/references used:

• https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/news/press-releases/employers-losing-focus-inclusive-hiring-suggests-annual-survey-employers
• A mixture of UK-based reports which suggest that revenue and customer bases increase and broaden if inclusive strategies are implemented within an organisation