Charity People: Inclusive Recruitment Practices for Innovative Businesses

– Moving away from standard to inclusive recruitment

Many senior leaders would recognise that there is still significant work to do to ensure that our workplaces are more representative of the communities they serve, where the workplace culture values diversity and promotes inclusion in all areas.  This is especially true within the charity sector where according to Action for Trustee Racial Diversity 92% of trustees are white, older and above average income and education.  Getting on Board’s 2017 report A Looming Crisis in Charity Trustee Recruitment found that outdated and unprofessional trustee recruitment practices are a serious threat to the effectiveness of UK charities  The CIPD report in breaking down barriers for racialised groups states that one in five non White employees (20%) said that discrimination had played a part in a lack of career progression to date. 

At Charity People we are committed to ensuring Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are at the heart of all that we do.  As a recruitment agency working exclusively in the not-for-profit sector, we recognise that we are gatekeepers and have a responsibility in ensuring that we are part of the much needed change in our field.  Part of the way we do this is to promote inclusive recruitment with our clients so that EDI considerations are embedded in every step of the process.  Here are some tips that we find work really well.

– Planning the process

Take time to plan your interviews so that each stage is clearly defined with realistic timeframes for both you and your candidates. This means taking time is especially important when interviewing candidates who may require additional time due to extra pressures e.g. childcare arrangements for lone parents. Once you have a process in place make sure to stick to it!  If you begin with the intention of having two interviews, don’t add on another informal lunch interview at the end of the second interview, this is inconsistent and unfair.

– A willingness to be flexible

Always check if any candidates require reasonable adjustments, this is a legal right in the UK which employers must abide by.  Although organisations doing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion well know that there is nothing unreasonable in being flexible to meet the need of a candidate might have e.g. you could offer an online interview as opposed to in person for someone with a hidden disability.

– Challenging Bias

When working with a vast array of organisations here at Charity People we always ask clients to think about ‘cultural add’ rather than ‘cultural fit’. If you commit to constantly challenging bias during each step of the process, you will attract talent which you may not currently have in terms of skills, sector knowledge or lived experience.  In addition, all members of the interview panel as well as HR officers should have fair and inclusive interviewing training and one that specifically addresses how to overcome their (un)conscious bias. Members of the panel should also be critical and ready to challenge any assumptions that may come up which would disadvantage minoritised groups.

For this reason, Charity People have developed and deliver an Online Inclusive Recruitment Course. 

– Widening understanding of differences

Organisations should be actively listening to and involving the people that they were set up to serve and they must be part of the work that they do.  Whether they are called Co-Production partners, experts by experience or expert leaders it is vital that work is always done ‘with’ people rather than ‘for’ people which has been far too common in the charity sector.  The former empowers people and treats them as equal partners whereas the latter approach is passive and regards people as recipients of help which can disempower people. Charities can ensure that Lived Experience leaders sit on interview panels as equal partners and make decisions on who gets the job.  Lived Experience Advisors sit on our EDI committee which meets every quarter.  Lived Experience Leaders help Charity People to; work with a variety of people in the spirit of partnership to find solutions and make positive changes to recruitment as well as work alongside differing networks to ensure that we reach out to more people. 

– Preparing candidates for the process

Prepare candidates properly by providing key pieces of information about the interview e.g. length of interview, formality, dress code, format and style of question etc.  When it comes to the interview questions, use the person specification to create competency-based questions that test skills and behaviours related directly to the day-to-day needs of the role. If you are asking candidates to prepare a task then ensure it is relevant to the role. Don’t ask candidates to prepare a presentation if this isn’t going to be part of their day-to-day role! On the day of the interview be warm and welcoming – this is an opportunity to showcase your organisation so think about how you can introduce team culture, benefits and flexible working to your new hire.

Finally, when it comes to making a decision, compare responses question by question, rather than candidate by candidate, helping to negate unconscious bias for the candidate you have built special rapport or synergy with (who is likely to be the one most like you!).  These are a few steps that organisations can take to ensure that they are opening up to ensure that they appeal to a wide range of people and do away with outdated recruitment processes.