Five ways to make interviews more inclusive
posted 03 Jun 24
Attracting a varied talent pool is the cornerstone of inclusive recruitment. Companies that harness and celebrate diverse teams benefit from a 35% uplift in productivity and better decisions 87% of the time; despite this, many companies fail to attract and hire diverse talent, which poses the question, how can employers be more inclusive, particularly during the interview stage? Â
As an award-winning multi-specialist recruitment agency, we have in-depth experience in this area and work closely with our clients to ensure they follow fair and equitable recruitment practices. Our advice to employers is to refrain from going into the interview with a preconceived notion of how you think it will go or comparing the candidate in front of you to the previous one in your head. View and treat each interviewee individually and fairly, and remember, they’re assessing your panel and business to see if it is somewhere they want to work just as much as you’re evaluating whether they will be a good fit for the role. Demonstrating a lack of diversity or understanding of an inclusive workforce will damage an employer’s reputation and result in candidates pulling out of the process or rejecting a role. Â
Discover five actionable strategies to cultivate a more inclusive and supportive interview environment and improve your candidate experience for marginalised groups, including the LGBTQIA+ community. Â
1. Introduce pronouns
Whether it's within an email signature on the interview offer email or an agenda including the interviewer's names, introducing pronouns (she/her, he/his, they/them, she/they, etc.) as a standard part of your communications will contribute to a more inclusive and supportive workplace for all employees and prospective employees.  Â
2. Have a diverse interview panelÂ
When selecting an interview panel, look at the individuals within your business who could bring different perspectives to interviews. Think beyond the people you traditionally choose, such as HR or hiring managers. Conduct a survey and canvas which employees would like to be involved in interviews. Put them through interview and ED&I training so they feel confident when interviewing candidates. Go a step further and create an ED&I working group or committee. Bring together people from different backgrounds with different experiences who are passionate and committed to advancing and promoting your ED&I strategies. You could also bring in external ED&I consultants to sit in on interviews or conduct an audit of your selection and interview process.
3. Offer adequate ED&I training
Your interviewers are spokespeople for your business and must be well-versed in your company culture, values, and ED&I policies, and be confident in answering questions from interviewees. ED&I training must go beyond basic education - it should be practical advice on how to be mindful of unconscious biases (their own and other interviewers), how to call out inappropriate and harmful behaviour, and avoid mistakes like misgendering or deadnaming trans and/or nonbinary candidates.
4. Focus on skills Â
When you’re interviewing candidates, assess everyone’s ability to do the job they are applying for against the responsibilities of that role. By identifying and focusing on the skills each applicant has, it can eliminate any biases we may have. In addition to interviewing them, candidates could complete the same skills task or assessment to measure their capabilities fairly. A study found that three-quarters (74%) of candidates want the opportunity to display their skills, experience and knowledge during the recruitment process.Â
To address unconscious bias, make it conscious. Remove the unconscious element. Employers shouldn’t seek reflections of themselves in candidates based on age, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, or other factors. We must focus solely on candidates’ skills when building teams.
5. Use a scoring matrix Â
With an unstructured approach, interviewers will likely have a lengthy discussion afterwards about who they think is the best candidate, and bias and vested interests can come into play. Conformity bias could especially be a factor here. If more outspoken interviewers have strong opinions, others may not want to go against the grain. Implementing structured interviews creates a level playing field for all applicants. Ask candidates the same questions in the same order. Record their answers using uniform scoring criteria. Use the scoring data to determine your ideal candidate instead of making decisions based on thoughts and feelings.
When you are dealing with a high volume of candidates, it can seem like a tall order to create a personalised yet streamlined experience for everyone. However, candidates don’t expect you to bend over backwards to accommodate them, they just want to know that you respect their time and feel they are being treated fairly and as more than a number.Â
