How can you address and prevent bias and discrimination in the graduate recruitment process?

1 Define your criteria

Before you start screening and interviewing candidates, you need to define the essential skills, qualifications, and attributes that you are looking for in your graduates. These criteria should be based on the requirements of the role, the goals of the organisation, and the values of the culture. Avoid using vague or subjective terms that can lead to different interpretations or preferences. Make sure that your criteria are consistent, measurable, and relevant, and that you communicate them clearly to your candidates and your hiring team.

2 Use structured methods

To reduce the influence of personal opinions, emotions, or stereotypes, you need to use structured methods for assessing and comparing candidates. This means that you should use the same tools, questions, and scoring systems for all candidates, and that you should base your decisions on evidence and data. For example, you can use psychometric tests, situational judgement tests, or work samples to evaluate candidates' abilities and potential. You can also use behavioural or competency-based questions to elicit specific examples of candidates' past performance and achievements.

3 Train your hiring team

Your hiring team plays a crucial role in ensuring that your graduate recruitment process is fair and inclusive. You need to train them on how to recognise and avoid bias and discrimination, and how to apply the criteria and methods consistently and objectively. You can also provide them with guidelines, checklists, or feedback forms to help them focus on the relevant factors and avoid distractions or assumptions. Additionally, you can encourage them to seek diverse perspectives, challenge their own views, and justify their choices with evidence.

4 Monitor and review your process

To ensure that your graduate recruitment process is effective and compliant, you need to monitor and review it regularly. You can collect and analyse data on the demographics, performance, and feedback of your candidates and your hires, and identify any gaps, trends, or issues. You can also solicit input from your candidates, your hiring team, and your stakeholders, and evaluate their satisfaction and engagement. Based on your findings, you can adjust or improve your process as needed, and celebrate your successes and best practices.

5 Promote your commitment

To attract and retain diverse and talented graduates, you need to promote your commitment to diversity and inclusion in your graduate recruitment process. You can do this by showcasing your policies, initiatives, and achievements in this area, and by highlighting the benefits and opportunities that you offer to your graduates. You can also use diverse and authentic images, stories, and testimonials from your current or former graduates, and demonstrate how they have contributed to your organisation and your culture.

6 Seek external support

If you need help or advice on how to address and prevent bias and discrimination in your graduate recruitment process, you can seek external support from experts or organisations that specialise in this field. They can provide you with tools, resources, training, or consultancy on how to design and implement a fair and inclusive process, and how to comply with the relevant laws and regulations. They can also help you benchmark your process against best practices and standards, and recognise your achievements and progress.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?