May’s drop-in session was focused on how organisations can embed Inclusion into every step of the recruitment process. During this session we discussed each step of the recruitment process in detail, debating how to balance inclusion concerns with practical things such as recruitment timelines. Whilst we were unable to solve every issue we did manage to come up with some key pointers for recruitment in 2025 which you can read below.
Balance the pursuit of diversity aspirations against constraints on time and resources
Despite having different approaches to recruitment, organisations agree that there is a significant challenge in balancing speed with diversity goals. If organisations are not happy with the diversity of candidate pools at specific stages (such as the interview stage) then it is not always practical to open the process to new applications: this puts unwanted strain on existing resources.
Gain the trust of candidates by ensuring that diverse representation is honest, not performative
Diverse representation in the recruitment process gives candidates the impression that your organisation is diverse, however if this representation is tokenistic this can backfire (especially as candidates can often access diversity statistics, glassdoor reviews etc.). For example, enlisting a diverse employee on an interview panel who is far less senior than their colleagues can be off putting for candidates (and also overburdens the employee by adding to their existing workload). Organisations must demonstrate diversity by being honest about where they are on their inclusion journey, rather than being performative. Authentic representation of diverse voices can be done through storytelling (such as our mycareerjourney campaign); the sharing of diverse voices in this way will build trust with candidates by showing them people who look like them within your organisation.
Offer reasonable adjustments to all candidates to reduce stigma and overcome barriers which are compounded for Neurodiverse candidates of colour
There is significant societal stigma around neurodiversity and the impact of this on the recruitment process is that neurodiverse (‘ND’) candidates don’t always feel comfortable disclosing their condition to receive reasonable adjustments. This is worsened when candidates are both ND and ethnically diverse, therefore combining wider societal stigma with the stigma they face within ethnically diverse communities. To reduce stigma and level the playing field it is essential that organisations freely offer reasonable adjustments to all candidates.
Focus on internal recruitment and progression to resolve issues on experienced hires
The issue of experienced hires demonstrates a clear overlap between the ‘retain and develop’ stage of the Employee lifecycle and the recruitment process. Across the board organisations agreed that the tracking of high performing ethnic minority employees combined with progression programmes could help to resolve issues around experienced hires.
Organisations that have looked at lateral moves for underrepresented groups have boosted retention rates and helped colleagues gain additional experience.
Adjust diversity aspirations when you encounter a ‘faulty pipeline’
Diversity targets are important, however sometimes they are unrealistic due to pipeline issues. When it comes to highly specific roles, such as specific types of engineers, you can only hire from a specific subset of candidates. If there is little interest/access in this area of work from ethnically diverse people then the standard organisation-wide diversity targets may not be realistic.
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