Recruitment – hiring without bias

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are not just buzzwords—they are essential for business success. Numerous studies have suggested that diversity and inclusion foster innovation, increase staff retention, lead to a happier workforce and even increase revenue.

Employers should focus on ensuring that recruitment processes are free from bias and accessible to all groups.

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against candidates on the basis of protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability, religion, and sexual orientation. However, true inclusion goes beyond legal compliance—it requires proactive efforts to eliminate unconscious bias and create a workplace that attracts a wide range of applicants. Reaching the widest possible pool of candidates also helps the employer find the best possible candidates for the job.

How can employers ensure they are reaching all groups and hiring without bias?

Getting applications from all groups

Widening the Talent Pool

Employers should consider whether their recruitment strategies are unintentionally excluding certain groups.

• If employers focus on internal recruitment rather than external advertisement, the talent pool will inevitably be narrower and any lack of diversity in the existing workplace is likely to be perpetuated. However it is not mandatory to advertise externally
• Use diverse recruitment channels: Relying on the same job boards and professional networks can limit the diversity of applicants. Employers should advertise roles through community groups, minority-focused recruitment agencies, and networks supporting underrepresented groups (e.g., Disability Jobsite, STEM Women, and Black Professionals UK).
• Build relationships with educational institutions: Partnering with colleges, universities, and apprenticeship schemes can help create a pipeline of diverse talent.
• Consider highlighting flexible working from the outset: Many potential applicants, especially women, carers, and disabled people, are deterred by rigid working hours. Clearly stating flexible working options in job adverts can widen the pool of candidates.

Writing Inclusive Job Descriptions

Language matters. Job descriptions should be carefully worded to avoid gendered, exclusionary, or overly complex phrasing. Employers should:

• Avoid terms that suggest a particular gender – “salesman” or “waiter”
• Avoid language which could suggest an age preference “recent graduate” or “highly experienced”, or words such as “dynamic” or “energetic” which could discourage older or disabled candidates.
• Focus on essential skills rather than arbitrary qualifications.
• Include a clear diversity and inclusion statement to reassure applicants that the company is committed to fair hiring.

Recruitment techniques and strategy

Blind recruitment involves removing identifiable information such as names, ages, and addresses from applications to reduce unconscious bias. Research has shown that candidates with ethnic minority names receive significantly fewer callbacks than those with traditionally “British” names, even when their qualifications are identical.  Studies suggest that ethnic minority candidates may have to make 60-70% more applications to get the same number of positive response.

By implementing anonymous CV screening, employers can ensure candidates are judged solely on their skills and experience.

Even after attracting a diverse range of applicants, and selecting candidates for interview anonymously, unconscious bias can still creep in during the selection process.

Employers should use structured interviews, asking all candidates the same set of questions.  Panels should be appropriately trained in carrying out interviews and should be given guidance on how the candidates’ answers to questions should be assessed and scored.   Full records should be retained.  Interview panels themselves should ideally be diverse and reflect a variety of backgrounds.

Take particular care if using Artificial Intelligence to screen candidates.  AI can reflect the biases of the data it is trained on.  See our earlier blog HERE.    Employers must ensure any recruitment algorithms they use have been tested for fairness and do not discriminate against particular groups.

Employers must remember however, that while it is important to encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates, appointment must be based on merit alone.  “Positive discrimination” in decision making is unlawful in the UK.

Maintaining an inclusive workplace

Recruiting a diverse workforce is only the first step—employers must also ensure that the workplace environment is genuinely inclusive.  Without an inclusive and supportive culture, employers face the risks of demotivated staff, high turnover rates and reputational damage.  While the move in the US may be away from “Diversity Equality and Inclusion” policies (as discussed in our most recent blog), employers in the UK should still prioritise achieving a truly diverse and inclusive workplace.  Commitment to diversity should be an ongoing process embedded into company policies.

Creating employee-led networks (such as LGBTQ+ groups, women’s forums, or disability support groups) can make underrepresented staff feel valued and supported.

Employers may find it helpful to carry out regular diversity audits to assess whether their workforce reflects the diversity of the wider population and if not, to consider why that may be.  Gender pay gap reporting is mandatory for organisations with 250+ staff, but smaller organisations can report voluntarily.   Ethnicity pay reporting is voluntary for all employers.

Summary

Hiring without bias is about more than ticking boxes—it’s about ensuring fair access to opportunities and benefiting from the innovation and productivity that a diverse workforce brings, along with ensuring the best possible candidates are able to apply. Employers who take proactive steps to eliminate bias and widen their talent pools will not only comply with legal requirements but may gain a competitive edge.

By taking the right steps, businesses can ensure that recruitment decisions are based on skills and potential rather than background, creating a workplace that is truly diverse and inclusive.

If your organisation wants to review its recruitment our team of employment law experts can help. Get in touch to discuss how we can support your diversity and inclusion strategy.