In today’s society, organisations have a responsibility to ensure that their recruitment practices are as inclusive and equitable as possible. As well as helping you to be compliant from a legal and moral perspective, and of benefit to the individual and society, inclusive recruitment also has strategic advantages for your organisation. This article will explore what equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) means, why inclusive recruitment matters and how it is advantageous, and some practical steps you can take to embed EDI principles into your hiring processes.
What is Equality, Diversity and Inclusion?
Before being able to implement EDI practices throughout your recruitment, it’s important to understand what this term means in practice, so that your organisation can apply them consistently and in a meaningful way – rather than seeing it as a ‘tick-box’ exercise.
Equality is the principle of ensuring that every individual, regardless of their background, has an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. In a workplace context, this means giving everyone access to the same resources and opportunities and not treating anyone differently or discriminating against them because of their personal characteristics. There are several characteristics that are considered ‘protected’, under the Equality Act of 2010, which means it is illegal to discriminate against people with these attributes. Protected characteristics include race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, and pregnancy and maternity.
Diversity refers to the presence of differences within a workplace setting, and recognising the value of considering employee’s differing backgrounds, knowledge, skills and experience.
Inclusion in the workplace is all about creating an environment where everyone feels respected and able to contribute fully, knowing that their ideas, perspectives and opinions are acknowledged and valued.
Why inclusive recruitment is important
Inclusive recruitment can be defined as implementing hiring processes that actively remove barriers and bias, are focused on transparency and fairness, and ensure equal access for candidates from all backgrounds.
When it is done right, inclusive recruitment has many advantages. Firstly, by removing bias and barriers, inclusive recruitment opens opportunities for candidates who might have not applied previously. This means you will have a broader and richer talent pool to choose from during the hiring process, and are more likely to end up with a diverse team.
Related to this, research has consistently shown that diverse teams are more likely to perform effectively, as a wider range of experiences and viewpoints are represented. This contributes to making these teams more innovative and adaptable to change – and will ultimately lead to stronger overall outcomes for your organisation.
Workplaces where inclusivity is high on the agenda are not only more attractive to job seekers, but also to clients and partners, which could help boost your profile and reputation in the industry, and potentially lead to more business.
Things to consider when hiring
When trying to embed inclusive recruitment practices, it’s a good idea to examine each stage of the hiring process to help you to determine if any bias or barriers exist at any point. Read on below for our top tips for ensuring inclusive recruitment.
Job adverts
When composing your job advert, consider the type of language you are using, as the words and phrases used here have the potential to significantly affect who and how many candidates will apply.
To ensure that you attract applications from all genders, it’s best to use neutral and inclusive language that focuses on skills and responsibilities rather than personality traits. Replacing words that are more traditionally associated with masculine characteristics, such as ‘competitive’ or ‘assertive’, with phrases such as ‘motivated’ or ‘proactive’ may encourage more female and non-binary candidates to apply.
Another thing to consider in terms of the language in the job advert is to make sure that it is plain and accessible – avoid overly complex phrases, industry jargon, or company specific acronyms that applicants might not necessarily understand or feel alienated by.
Lastly, it’s also a good idea to explicitly state your company’s commitment to EDI principles in the job advert, and actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups. As well as persuading a more diverse range of people to apply, this demonstrates transparency and shows that your organisation takes EDI seriously, which will boost your reputation in the market.
Encouraging applications from diverse candidates
There are also several additional steps you can take at the advertisement stage to encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. Expand your reach by posting roles on platforms that cater to specific groups, such as disability jobs boards, or women-in-tech networks. You could also reach out to organisations that support underrepresented communities, so that they might share your job opportunities via their channels. These are both great ways to widen your talent pool and showcase your commitment to inclusivity.
To attract candidates who might value flexibility in their role (such as those with caring responsibilities), make sure to be clear what flexible or alternative working arrangements you can potentially offer.
Avoiding bias
As human beings we all carry unconscious biases; however, it is crucial that these don’t creep into recruitment processes if you want to remain as inclusive as possible.
A first step to mitigate bias is to potentially use ‘blind recruitment’ during initial screening processes; this involves removing any parts which require identifying information about the individual from the application, such as age, location, years of work experience, or the names of educational institutions attended. You might even consider removing the need for ‘free form’ CVs and instead ask everyone the same application questions for a fairer comparison.
To avoid bias during the interview process, ensure to ask all candidates the same questions, and apply a consistent scoring rubric to evaluate responses. A diverse interview panel that represents a range of backgrounds and perspectives will also strengthen fairness and ensure balanced decision making.
Accessibility and reasonable adjustments
Ensure that your recruitment processes are accessible to all from the very first step, by using application platforms that are compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers. It’s also crucial to make sure that your online careers pages are easy to navigate and meet web accessibility standards – for example, proper colour contrast, and alternative text for images.
It’s also essential to offer reasonable adjustments for candidates who might need them. A reasonable adjustment is a change that you can put in place for an applicant who might otherwise be at a significant disadvantage, due to a disability or medical condition. Make sure to clearly state that reasonable adjustments are available for candidates with disabilities, and provide a simple way to request these.
Reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process might include:
• Allowing breaks during longer interviews
• Offering remote interviews for candidates who cannot travel easily
• Adjustments to the physical environment e.g. wheelchair accessible rooms, ergonomic seating
• Extra time for written or timed tests/exercises
• Sharing interview questions in advance (for candidates who are neurodiverse/have anxiety)
Conclusion
Inclusive recruitment is vital, and it shouldn’t be seen as a ‘tick-box exercise’ – it’s an approach that benefits not only your organisation, but individuals and society too. By understanding EDI and taking practical steps to embed inclusive practices during the hiring process, you will go a long way to building a fairer and more innovative work environment.
Recruiting for temporary and permanent positions across a number of sectors has been Unitemps’ specialty for more than 25 years. Find out more about Unitemps’ recruitment services or speak with one of our friendly consultants today.
This article was written by Amy Evan-Cook.
Last updated on 16 December 2025
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