with Caitlin Mulholland
As a recruitment practice, we are a gateway into the charity and for purpose sector for many people. It is our commitment to live up to the highest inclusivity standard we can.
Long listing criteria can be daunting, so we will work with our partners to ensure it can be as accessible as possible from the outset. Nevertheless, some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they meet 100% of those criteria. We will work with candidates to help encourage them to apply and build up their confidence to ensure we are levelling the playing field, creating equitable processes.
At every stage of our recruitment processes we seek to search for talented candidates from all backgrounds, irrespective of factors including, but not limited to, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, or disability and we are clear that applicants who meets objective criteria are welcome.
We seek in each of our processes to work with our partners to put together the most inclusive process possible. We can work with our partners through consultation to:
Work through the personal specification and JD to remove any barriers to qualified applicants coming forward
Analyse with our charity partner what flexibility they can offer to allow them access to talented candidates
Discuss with our charity partner what flexibility they can offer to allow them access to talented candidates
Anonymising CVs, removing education institutions and removing additional detail related to protected characteristics
Anonymised submissions that take out all characteristics
Monitoring and reporting on applicant diversity metrics
Bringing together a set of questions based on values and competencies that can be judged anonymously, with CVs only coming in after shortlisting for interview
Using standardised application forms rather than CVs
We are always seeking to improve our processes and our commitment to equity in the world of recruitment. If you would like to make any comments, put forward any suggestions or would like discuss how we design our processes then please get in touch on Hello@PercivalRecruitment.org
Equality, diversity and inclusion in times of economic crisis
The UK economy is struggling with the continued impact of the pandemic as well as the current cost-of-living crisis. We know that economic crises disproportionately impact some people more than others, particularly those who already experience barriers to employment. With that knowledge, we are continuously revising our processes to be as inclusive as possible when providing access to opportunities. Our website provides guidance on CV writing, interviews and application processes for those seeking new roles, and information on things such as salary banding in line with living costs for employers.
At a time like this, employers must be more cautious when making new hires. This can have the unintended consequence of increasing the impact of unconscious bias in the decision-making process. Therefore, applications coming through us will be anonymised which allows candidates to be chosen on merit rather than according to other metrics.
Furthermore, we will actively discuss essential criteria for roles with our charity partners and advise them on areas where flexibility may allow them access to a more varied group of candidates with added value from their diverse lived experience. During a time where the cost of living is impacting a lot of people, the recommendation we make to our partners is to take first stage interviews online. If progressing to an in-person interview, we recommend that our partners cover relevant expenses including travel, childcare, and other related costs to ensure they are not adversely impacted by or excluded from the interview process. This levels the playing field and actively includes candidates from a wider range of backgrounds.
EDI commitments are easy to make and difficult to keep, which is why we actively encourage feedback and advice from our network so that we can continuously improve our practice.
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