Audit the person specification
Review qualifications, years of experience, sector background and technical requirements. Ask whether each essential criterion predicts performance or is simply inherited from previous recruitment.
Where equivalent experience can demonstrate the same capability, say so explicitly.
Use accessible language
Short sentences, clear headings and ordinary language make adverts easier to understand. Avoid unexplained acronyms, cultural shorthand and phrases that describe personality rather than behaviour.
Candidates should be able to distinguish responsibilities, essentials, desirables and practical terms without decoding the advert.
Make adjustments easy to request
Provide a visible contact route for candidates who need reasonable adjustments and respond without requiring unnecessary disclosure. Consider the accessibility of online forms, interview platforms and physical venues.
Brief interviewers so agreed adjustments are delivered consistently.
Structure assessment
Unstructured interviews create more room for inconsistent judgement. Use agreed questions, evidence indicators and scoring. Give each candidate comparable opportunity to answer.
Where a criterion can be tested through work evidence rather than assumptions about background, prefer the evidence.
Review recruitment data
Where lawful and proportionate, monitor stages of the process to identify where particular groups disproportionately drop out or are rejected. Patterns can indicate barriers in attraction, forms or assessment.
Use data as a prompt for investigation rather than assuming a single cause.
Think about candidate experience
Long forms, repeated data entry, unpaid multi-hour tasks and unpredictable timetables can create barriers for people with caring responsibilities, disabilities or limited flexibility.
Design the process around what you genuinely need to know.
Frequently asked questions
Does inclusive recruitment mean positive discrimination?
No. The goal here is to remove unnecessary barriers and assess candidates consistently against genuine role requirements.
Should we remove all qualifications?
No. Keep qualifications that are legally, professionally or practically required; challenge those included only by habit.
Can we share interview questions in advance?
Some employers do. Whether you share questions or themes should be decided consistently and in line with the skills you are trying to assess.
Employment, equality, safeguarding and data-protection obligations can depend on the role and circumstances. Use appropriate professional or legal advice where required.