When you apply for a job, it’s natural to focus on your qualifications and how you’ll stand out as a candidate. But what about the company’s side of the hiring process? How can you be sure they’re committed to conducting a fair and unbiased recruitment? Ensuring equity and inclusivity in hiring isn’t just a buzzword—it’s essential for both candidates and employers alike.
So, what exactly are companies doing to remove bias from their recruitment practices? How do they ensure that every candidate has an equal opportunity to succeed?
We asked five HR leaders to share how their companies work to guarantee a fair and transparent hiring process. Their insights will help you understand what to look for and how to approach your next application with confidence. Read on to learn more.
How does your company ensure a fair and unbiased recruitment process?
1. By centering process around company values
“Our company ensures a fair and unbiased recruitment process by conducting structured interviews, having diversity on the hiring panels, writing clear job descriptions that focus on the essential skills and qualifications of the job itself, and posting on inclusive job platforms. Our recruitment process and job postings, along with our company values, ensure equal opportunities for those who are applying and interviewing.” –Isabel Glantz, HR Generalist, Seven Seas Water Group
2. By maintaining a structured interview process
"At HOLT Group we have a structured interview process which allows for consistency to evaluate a candidate based on company values, skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, we have diverse interviewers from various departments who have different perspectives that can challenge assumptions, which leads to more equitable hiring decisions." –Cindy Stein, Vice President HR, Strategic Ventures, HOLT Group
3. By prioritizing diversity from the start
“We’re dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion and that begins with our recruitment process. Our recruiters are committed to presenting inclusive candidate slates. To enhance fairness and minimize bias, we implement clear and objective criteria for evaluating candidates, utilize structured interviews for consistent comparisons, and when possible, assemble diverse hiring panels to achieve a balanced assessment. Additionally we require unconscious bias training and adhere to EEO [Equal Employment Opportuntiy] and OFCCP [Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs] regulations.” –Valerie Rector, VP, Human Resources, Ping Identity Corporation
4. By keeping hiring managers and their interview teams on the same page
“To ensure a fair and unbiased recruitment process, our company implements structured interviews with a standardized scoring system, which helps reduce biases that can occur in unstructured or informal interviews. We also create clear, detailed job descriptions outlining specific qualifications and skills required for the role. Before starting the recruitment process, we hold kick-off meetings with the hiring manager and the interview team to align on these qualifications, ensuring that all candidates are evaluated based on their abilities rather than subjective criteria.” –Rachel Drake, Senior Manager, People Team, Gradient AI
5. By ensuring ‘gatekeepers’ are aware of barriers
“KinderCare is dedicated to honoring and constantly learning through diversity, equity, and inclusion. We prioritize respect and curiosity, noticing each other, caring for one another, and celebrating community. Many of our senior recruiters have completed certified diversity trainings and best practices to be able to advise and support our hiring managers and the candidates through the process to ensure a consistent, fair, and unbiased recruitment process.” –Angela Simmons, Senior Talent Acquisition Business Partner, KinderCare Learning Companies
