Does Inclusive Recruitment Matter?

Hiring inclusively isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s a strategic business advantage. Organisations that prioritise diversity in their recruitment processes benefit from:

• A wider talent pool with different perspectives and unique skills;
• A stronger employer brand that will appeal to socially conscious candidates;
• Higher engagement and retention;
• Improved performance as diverse teams make better decisions and foster innovation;
• Better connection with customers, as teams that reflect the community they serve build stronger relationships.

Rethink Job Requirements and Job Descriptions

The first barrier to job entry can be as early as the job ad posting. The language used and the criteria listed will shape who feels comfortable and motivated to apply. Next time you’re creating a job ad, consider these three points:

Focus on Capabilities, Not Credentials

Requiring formal qualifications can unintentionally exclude brilliant candidates with transferable skills, community knowledge, or lived experience. Capabilities drive high performance.

By prioritising capabilities over credentials, you will expand the talent pool, reduce bias, and build high-performing, diverse teams, while strengthening your employer brand and community connections.

1. Rewrite job ads to focus on core skills and behaviours, not specific degrees
2. Use structured, competency-based interviews and skills assessments to evaluate what matters
3. Value lived and community experience by recognising the depth it brings to meaningful work
4. Offer alternative pathways-such as apprenticeships or micro-credentials-to attract non-traditional candidates by not letting a formal degree stand in the way of hiring a qualified candidate

For example, if you’re hiring for a role in community engagement, a candidate with deep, lived experience and strong relationships within the community may offer far greater value than someone who holds a formal qualification but lacks the required local insight. Understanding the community’s needs, dynamics, and culture is often what drives trust and meaningful engagement, and that can’t always be taught in a classroom.

Use accessible and inclusive language

The value of plain language in recruitment can’t be overstated. Overly complex job ads filled with corporate jargon can alienate prospective talent, particularly individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds or those who are neurodivergent. Clear, inclusive language helps ensure your message is accessible, understandable, and welcoming. Keep it simple, be direct, and make it clear that candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Screen In, Not Out

Traditional screening methods often exclude candidates who don’t fit a conventional framework, overlooking valuable and diverse talent. In our experience, shifting to a more inclusive screening approach starts with rethinking what you’re looking for and how you assess it.

Here are practical ways to make your screening process more equitable, targeted, and inclusive:

• Screen for potential and values alignment, looking for indicators of capability, motivation, and cultural fit
• Blind screening techniques, removing names and key identifiers during the initial assessments to reduce unconscious bias
• Standardise interview questions, creating structured, scenario-based questions to create a consistent experience for candidates
• Involve a diverse interview panel, reducing bias with a mix of gender, cultural, and professional perspectives
• Allow for storytelling to capture the non-linear paths of candidates from marginalised groups and provide space for candidates to share in own words
• Use scoring frameworks instead of a “gut feeling” which often comes from bias.