How to hire an agency that will recruit inclusively

These questions will enable access to a diverse candidate pool

Finding a consultancy that understands your company’s values and desire for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) will give you access to the candidates your business deserves. Pick the wrong one and you run the risk of undermining your culture and limiting the quality of your workforce.

Only 28% of UK employers train all interviewers on their legal obligations and on objective interview practice, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Less than a fifth try to remove bias by testing job adverts’ content or checking that interview tests are valid and objective.

So, a good recruitment consultant – who has a strong DEI policy and knows how to access that wider candidate pool – can be a valuable extension to your HR team.

Here’s a checklist to identify best practice in a recruitment agency.

Look for inclusion policy on agency website

A transparent and intelligent policy that aligns with your own is a sensible starting point to ensure an agency is attracting diverse candidates. The best policies could even be used to inspire your own as well.

Consider agencies that demonstrate a dedication to and passion for DEI, both internally and as part of the services they provide to clients. Do they also share the same values as your business? If they do, that’s a good sign of a complementary approach.

An inclusive workplace policy should include a mission statement on the recruitment firm’s commitment to guarantee an employee’s or candidate’s dignity, confidentiality, independence, integration and equitable opportunity to progress.

It should also explain how the agency ensures an equitable approach to identifying candidates, and examples of reasonable adjustments and support available during the application, interview and hiring process. Look for references to:

• accessibility training
• an inclusive interview process
• clear feedback procedures embedded in the firm’s positioning statement.

Assess recruiter strategies to attract diverse candidates

Do your research to discover how far your potential partner casts the net for diverse talent on less traditional recruitment sites. Actively request information about its strategies for reaching out to underrepresented groups, and look for testimonials from people who have been hired this way.

Oyster Partnership senior consultant Annelies Kruidenier says: ‘We use the LinkedIn Recruiter tool to access people from different parts of the country or universities, allowing us to bring the client the best candidates the market has to offer. We might have to tailor the shortlist depending on their existing workforce, but generally an inclusive shortlist tends to happen quite organically.’

Recruitment consultants that promote their partnerships with diversity-focused job boards and are active on social media, in communities and at events are demonstrably living their values and represent a good choice.

It’s also a good idea to check on a consultant’s presence in terms of DEI sourcing on LinkedIn, whether it attends themed career fairs and, importantly, whether it looks beyond traditional universities and education for the right recruit.

Check current job descriptions for biases

A critical first move towards developing a balanced and diverse workforce lies in making sure job descriptions avoid signs of bias.

Biased descriptions or non-inclusive wording will discourage capable and talented candidates from applying for a role they are perfect for. The right consultancy will have descriptions that negate any unconscious bias due to gender, ethnicity, age or any other protected characteristics.

Look at your preferred agency’s job posts. Have they reframed traditional roles to be inclusive – for example, referring to chairperson rather than chairman – and do they use gender-neutral language? Or does the wording lean towards masculine traits such as ‘assertive’ and ‘competitive’? The latter would certainly be a red flag.

Interview process should be inclusive

Without an inclusive screening or vetting process, fair evaluation is impossible. Ask about what measures the consultancy takes to ensure inclusivity ahead of the first interview.

That might mean finding out whether they train consultants, ensure a broad demographic of panel members, or make reasonable adjustments for candidates with differing needs, such as remote interviews.

Don’t be afraid to ask about a consultant’s processes relating to inclusive recruitment, and how rigidly all its staff follow them. If you feel unsure that the approach aligns with your DEI objectives then ask about this or look elsewhere.

‘A commitment to inclusivity should be evident at every stage of the hiring process,’ says Annelies. ‘The benefits of hiring the right recruitment consultant that will provide a more diverse candidate pool have never been clearer than they are today.’

Find out how data and metrics are used

As with every successful business, key performance indicators are just that – a measure of how well you are performing against what you want to achieve.

It’s vital that you understand your chosen recruiter’s success in terms of the data on candidate demographics, hiring outcomes and, where their clients share it, employee retention.

Why not ask your recruitment agency how they use their own and previous clients’ data to inform and refine future recruitment strategy? Their findings may give you a clearer picture of whether they are the right partner – and enable your business to refine future recruitment strategies and advance inclusivity.

This will in turn help you develop your reputation as a proactive, inclusive employer, and attract an even wider range of applicants for future vacancies.