Minority ethnic recruitment toolkit

Developing and embedding capability and capacity

If you are carrying out recruitment activity, including application sifting and interviewing, try to ensure that you and interview panel members are from diverse backgrounds (including in terms of ethnicity). It is good practice for those involved in the selection process to have undertaken training in the following areas:

• Recruitment techniques, including sifting and interviewing
• Unconscious bias
• Diversity/race equality awareness

Interactive training settings will give staff the opportunity to reflect and share with colleagues and promote dialogue about race and cultural diversity. 

Ensure that learning from race equality or diversity training is implemented throughout the organisation. Consider how its application and subsequent impact/effectiveness will be evaluated.

If using a scoring system when sifting or interviewing, ensure that all those involved in the process are applying the scoring system consistently and allow room in the process to question any inconsistencies. Agree how you will ensure fairness, for example to examine if any low scores might be as a result of conscious or unconscious bias or prejudice. Inconsistencies might be easier to identify in large scale campaigns, so consider how to apply a set standard for smaller recruitment exercises.