The foundation of inclusive recruitment: Are we answering the right questions?

Achieving effective inclusive recruitment

For any organisation, recruitment is a key area that offers the opportunity to showcase its values and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion to candidates and prospective employees. In an ideal scenario, these values inform the candidate's journey from attraction to recruitment and beyond.

Organisations thrive on robust processes, and inclusive recruitment is no exception. Having a well-structured process in place helps the organisation not only meet its legal obligations but also to establish itself as an employer of choice. A sound process also ensures that all potential candidates are given the same opportunity throughout their recruitment journey and beyond. This begins well before the candidate selection and interview stages: with fully trained staff, an inclusive company culture, connection with a network of inclusive organisations, awareness of the right questions, and the opportunities to provide satisfactory answers for each individual.

But many organisations are simply not answering the right questions. They are missing the starting point, which is to look at individuals and the questions they may have about joining an organisation from an ED&I perspective. These questions include:

• Will I belong and be treated as an individual?

• Will I be represented?

• Will my qualities, knowledge and experience be valued?

• Will it fit in with my wider needs? What about life-work balance?

• Can I progress?

• Will I respect what the company does and feel engaged around this?

• Will I have the opportunity to be at my best, and will I be developed?

• Will people understand barriers from my perspective and have empathy?

• Are adjustments in place that will support my needs?

• Can I bring my whole, authentic self to work?

We believe this is where much of the work needs to be done from a cultural and behavioural perspective to engage talent from the widest possible pool. We must target inclusion for all to create equity, treat people as individuals and create that sense of belonging. It has to be about us, and every participant must understand what they can achieve to drive the agenda forward. It takes self-awareness to find answers to the questions and confidence to take these individual needs to the job interview, asking for them to be met.

This is where the opportunity lies. For the changes that are needed to drive effective inclusion and more diverse and inclusive workplaces, everyone – in our view – needs to have a foundational understanding and be able to define what equity, diversity, and inclusion mean and what good looks like within their role and organisation. By developing each person within the organisation to identify individual needs in themselves and others, to gain knowledge around inclusion and to recognise the importance of leading by example, we create the opportunity to turn inclusion from a question into a statement.

Delsion are award-winning specialists in Inclusion, Learning & Development, and all things that help individuals and organisations reach their true potential. Delsion was founded to support organisations in making equity, diversity and inclusion a key driver within their business. We do this through development, people and culture change.

Delsion utilises over 20 years of HR and L&D experience encompassing world-class achievements in leading organisations. Through our lived experiences, we have extensive insight into inclusion and diversity methodology using our own unique models, products and services.

Author: Julian John (Chief Executive Officer at Delsion)