Making the Case for Diverse Hiring

For organisations considering how to attract diverse candidates, the recruitment process itself can influence whether people choose to apply. Hays’ What Workers Want: When Applying for Jobs 2024 research, based on almost 11,900 professionals, found that 72% would not consider applying to a company that failed to demonstrate a public commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

There is also evidence of a relationship between diversity and business performance. McKinsey’s Diversity Matters Even More report found that companies in the top quartile for board-gender diversity were 27% more likely to outperform financially than those in the bottom quartile.

Together, these findings make diverse hiring relevant to both candidate attraction and wider organisational performance.

Why Diverse Hiring Matters in the UK

Diverse teams can bring a wider range of perspectives, experiences and approaches to problem-solving. For organisations serving varied customers and communities, broader representation can also support a better understanding of different needs and viewpoints. The benefits of having a diverse workforce can extend to areas such as innovation, company culture and employer reputation.

However, attracting diverse candidates depends on more than stating an intention to improve representation. Employers need to examine where vacancies appear, how roles are described and how candidates are assessed throughout the recruitment process.

11 Strategies to Attract Diverse Candidates

1. Audit Your Job Adverts for Exclusionary Language

Review job adverts for unnecessary requirements, internal jargon and wording that could discourage potential applicants. Criteria should reflect what someone genuinely needs to perform the role rather than an idealised wish list. Inclusive language tools can support this review, although recruiters should still assess each advert in context.

2. Post to Specialist UK Diversity Job Boards

Finding diverse candidates often requires looking beyond the same generalist platforms used for every vacancy. Specialist platforms can help employers reach particular professional communities and candidates who actively seek inclusive employers. Using a broader mix of channels, including diversity-focused job boards, can help extend the reach of a vacancy beyond an organisation’s usual candidate pool.

3. Partner With Universities and Diversity-Focused Organisations

Partnerships can help employers develop relationships with candidates before a vacancy becomes available. Organisations such as The King’s Trust, Code First Girls and Career Ready connect employers with young people, women entering technology and candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. Code First Girls, for example, works directly with employers seeking diverse technology talent, while Career Ready connects young people from underrepresented backgrounds with workplace opportunities.

4. Use Structured, Anonymised Shortlisting

Shortlisting criteria should be agreed before applications are reviewed and applied consistently to each candidate. Removing information such as names, age indicators or photographs where appropriate can help recruiters concentrate on relevant experience and capabilities. Recording why candidates progress or are rejected also creates a clearer basis for reviewing outcomes.

5. Build Diverse Interview Panels

A panel containing different perspectives can reduce reliance on one interviewer’s interpretation of a candidate. It also allows hiring teams to compare assessments against agreed criteria. Panel members should understand their role and use the same evaluation framework.

6. Offer Flexible and Accessible Application Processes

Application processes can unintentionally narrow the talent pool when forms are difficult to navigate, interviews are rigidly scheduled or candidates cannot easily request reasonable adjustments. Employers should review accessibility across devices and explain how adjustments can be requested. Flexibility around interview formats or scheduling may also allow more candidates to participate.

7. Highlight DE&I Commitments in Your Employer Brand

Candidates increasingly look for evidence that an organisation’s stated values are reflected in its employment practices. Hays found that DE&I commitments influence whether many professionals will consider applying. Employers can provide relevant information through job adverts, careers pages and employee stories, supported by clear examples of existing policies or initiatives.

8. Use Programmatic Advertising to Widen Reach

Programmatic recruitment advertising can distribute vacancies across a broader selection of relevant channels and adjust campaigns according to performance. This can help recruiters move beyond habitual posting patterns when attracting diverse candidates. Campaign data can then show which sources are expanding reach and generating relevant applications.

9. Re-engage Passive Diverse Candidates From Your Talent Pool

Previous applicants, silver medallists and people who have expressed interest in the organisation can provide another source of talent. When a relevant vacancy opens, recruiters can revisit these relationships rather than beginning every search from zero. Candidate consent and data-retention requirements should remain part of this process.

10. Measure and Report on Diversity Hiring Metrics

Employers can examine representation across application, shortlist, interview, offer and appointment stages to identify where disparities emerge. Source data can also show whether particular channels are contributing to a broader applicant pool. Reviewing these patterns over time helps recruitment teams assess whether changes are producing the intended results.

11. Train Hiring Managers on Inclusive Interviewing

Inclusive recruitment can falter at the interview stage if candidates are evaluated inconsistently. Structured questions, defined scoring criteria and training on bias can help hiring managers concentrate on evidence related to the role. Hays reported in its 2024 DE&I research that 72% of organisations used structured interviews, while 54% provided unconscious bias training to hiring managers and interviewers.

UK Diversity Job Boards: A Directory

• BYP Network: Connects employers with Black professionals and supports career development across its professional community.
• Evenbreak: Specialises in connecting inclusive employers with disabled candidates.
• Inclusive Hires: Focuses on inclusive recruitment and opportunities for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Women in Tech UK: Provides technology and STEM opportunities for women, alongside career content and employer profiles.
• Stonewall Proud Employers: Helps candidates identify organisations committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion and provides participating employers with support around attracting and retaining LGBTQ+ talent.

Building an Inclusive Talent Pipeline

A diverse talent pipeline is easier to sustain when recruitment activity continues between immediate hiring campaigns. Employers can maintain relationships with previous applicants, community partners, universities and professional networks while monitoring which channels reach different candidate groups.

Recruitment data can then help teams identify where representation narrows and adjust sourcing activity accordingly. Broadbean’s job distribution and analytics capabilities support this approach by giving recruitment teams greater visibility across advertising channels and applicant sources.

Conclusion

Attracting diverse candidates requires attention throughout the recruitment process, from where vacancies are advertised to how applicants are shortlisted and interviewed. Combining inclusive job advertising, broader sourcing, structured assessment and ongoing measurement can help employers develop a more representative pipeline over time.

Organisations looking to broaden their recruitment reach can request a Broadbean demo to explore how job distribution and recruitment data can support their hiring strategy.