How Recruiters Can Help Dismantle Unconscious Bias

Originally written by Amanda Ciske, Policy Advisor

Improving the diversity of the UK workforce is not just the right thing for our society but critical for business and economic growth. Employers are recognising the growing body of evidence that shows how teams perform better when they can draw upon a range of experiences and expertise, but many businesses remain unclear about how to implement change.

This issue was explored at the REC’s recent Diversity and Inclusion Forum, which included panelists from academia, government, recruitment and the REC policy team.

Commitment to diversity must start at the top

Delegates heard from Dr Robert Livingston, director for the Centre for Leadership, Ethics and Diversity at University of Sussex, who outlined how a commitment from the top of an organisation to improve their diversity profile is the first critical step. The challenge is to then understand what is meant by ‘diversity’ and how to achieve this.  

The majority of employers have no idea that they are discriminating.

Dr Livingston discussed how ‘unconscious bias’ is often an unseen barrier in the recruitment process that should be mitigated by measuring objective standards based on competencies rather than subjective opinion.

Recruiters as advocates for inclusion

Sarah Gordon, associate director of Sammons Group and chair of REC's Diversity and Inclusion Forum, said that we are starting to see a positive change in business culture and that recruiters should seek to help clients broaden their perspective and consider candidates from the widest talent pool. For example, can the required skillset only be met by a graduate? Can this role be performed on a part-time or flexible basis? Would an older worker bring additional value to the organisation?   

Catherine Finney, part of the fuller working lives team at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said that stereotypes are particularly problematic for older workers who are sometimes seen as ‘over-qualified’, ‘too expensive’ or ‘less energetic’ than a younger candidate.

New research from PRIME found that there are 3.3 million 55-64 year olds who are not in employment, and 1 million of those have been made workless due to redundancy, ill health or early retirement. At a time when the UK is experiencing a severe skills shortage, businesses are missing out on a vast talent pool by ignoring this contingent. 

As our world economy becomes ever more connected and populations more multi-cultural, businesses  need to recruit talent that reflects their customer base. The UK has seen significant progress for women in business and our report ‘Room at the top – women leaders and the role of executive search’ found that while head-hunters are already implementing best practice, there is a long way to go to create a more representative business community.

Practical tips for recruiters to encourage diversity

1. Be mindful of the language used in job adverts, which could constitute indirect discrimination. Words like ‘energetic’ or ‘vibrant’ can imply the desire for a younger worker and can often discourage older jobseekers from applying.

2. Seek to use a range of platforms and methods to advertise jobs in order to reach a wider talent pool of different ages and backgrounds.

3. Advocate the business benefits of a diverse workforce and discuss the importance of good recruitment practice to challenge discrimination and unconscious bias in the hiring process.

4. Help candidates think through practical working arrangements and negotiate better terms, and facilitate discussions between the client and candidate as a detached third party.

5. Create networks with schools, third sector organisations, welfare-to-work providers and Jobcentre Plus to demonstrate expertise and commitment in seeking a broader candidate pool. Many jobseekers are unaware that specialist recruiters exist in their sectors and this represents a well of untapped talent.

6. Build your knowledge about diversity and inclusion from resources such as the REC’s legal guide and policy and campaigns page and helpful organisations such as Business in the Community (BITC), the Social Mobility Foundation, AgeUK and ACAS.