Equality And Diversity Policy

Equality and Inclusion during the Recruitment Process

During the recruitment process, companies must ensure that they abide by The Equality Act 2010, to ensure that they do not discriminate against any applicants. Discrimination is the unfair treatment of an individual due to a protected characteristic.

There are three main types of discrimination these are:

  • Direct Discrimination – where someone is treated differently due to a certain trait
  • Indirect Discrimination – where policies are implemented that have a negative impact on someone due to a certain trait
  • Harassment – where a hostile environment is created for someone by targeting a certain trait.

The Equality Act 2010 made it unlawful for any employer to discriminate against job applicants due to a protected characteristic.

The Protected characteristics are:

How to ensure Equality and Inclusion in the Recruitment Process

It is vital that during the recruitment process employers apply fairness and do not discriminate against candidates or potential candidates.

When creating job adverts and job descriptions it is vital to ensure that:

  • Consideration is given to where the job will be advertised to ensure being mindful of different groups who may wish to apply for the role
  • Application Forms must be easy for candidates to complete having instructions clearly defined and not be over complicated to annoy candidates
  • When shortlisting candidates’ employers must use the skills required on the job advert and job description to assess the job applicants against to ensure fairness in the screening process
  • When interviewing candidates’ employers must check if candidates need any reasonable adjustments to be made to assist them during the interview