Inclusive Hiring in 2025 How can we build diverse workforces?

Hello and welcome back to my newsletter! I write about the future of work, flexible working, startups, and DEI. If you've been forwarded this newsletter, join over 30,000 people and?

This week, I'm excited to share key insights from our recent Evolution of Work Summit webinar on inclusive hiring practices. While many organisations recognise the importance of building diverse teams, translating this awareness into effective hiring practices can be a challenge. The gap between intention and impact is still wide – it's not just about wanting to hire inclusively, but knowing how to do it effectively and sustainably.

That's why we brought together three industry leaders who are actively revolutionising inclusive hiring practices in their organisations. Our expert panel included:

• Kate Parkinson, Talent Acquisition Lead at Microsoft EMEA, bringing extensive experience in transforming hiring practices at a global scale
• Raj Gill, Talent Acquisition Lead at BT Business, offering practical insights on implementing inclusive hiring in a large corporate environment
• Reena Anand, ?award-winning global speaker and consultant on Neurodiversity, Race & Ethnicity, sharing specialist knowledge in neurodiversity and creating truly inclusive workplace cultures

Together, they explored how organisations can move beyond tick-box exercises to create hiring practices that genuinely embrace and celebrate diversity. Whether you're working to reduce hiring bias, trying to attract more diverse talent, or aiming to create more inclusive interview processes, this discussion offered valuable insights for anyone committed to building the workplaces of tomorrow.

This week, I'll be covering:

?? Graph of the week: Salary, flexibility and benefits are the most common preferences amongst underrepresented candidates

??? How to move beyond compliance to conviction

?? Expert insights: key takeaways from our speakers

?? Spotlight on: Inclusive hiring at Mott MacDonald

?? The future of inclusive hiring & transforming organisational culture

?? The future of work - have your say!?

Salary, flexibility and benefits are the most common preferences amongst underrepresented candidates?

Across all groups, competitive pay and flexible working are at the top of the list. This will come as no surprise to anyone who has recently been in the market for a new job. But for underrepresented candidates in particular, fair compensation and adaptable work arrangements are an absolute necessity. In the UK in 2022, the disability pay gap was 17.2%, with non-disabled employees earning ￡2.35 more per hour on average. Black, African, Caribbean, or Black British employees earned ￡13.53 median gross hourly pay compared to ￡14.35 for White employees—a disparity unchanged since 2012.?

Benefits are also a high priority, especially for those with disabilities (44%) and neurodivergent individuals (42%). This highlights the need for strong support systems in the workplace, like healthcare, wellness programs, and mental health resources. A positive, welcoming culture is also important for many, including Asian, Mixed Ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disabled, and neurodivergent groups. Creating a respectful, open environment can make a big impact.

How to move beyond compliance to conviction?

One of the most compelling insights from our discussion came from Kate Parkinson at Microsoft, who shared how their approach to diversity has evolved from a compliance-focused exercise to a conviction-driven mission. "We're moving from a place of compliance to a point of conviction," Kate explained, emphasising how this shift has transformed their entire approach to hiring. This evolution means ensuring that everyone in the organisation understands not just the 'what' but the 'why' of inclusive hiring practices.

Microsoft's journey demonstrates that successful inclusive hiring isn't about meeting quotas – it's about creating a culture where diversity is valued and actively sought out. They've achieved this through comprehensive hiring manager training, expanding their talent sourcing strategies, and consistently measuring the impact of their initiatives.

Reimagining recruitment requirements

BT's approach to inclusive hiring has involved a fundamental rethink of how they view candidate requirements. Raj shared how they're challenging traditional hiring assumptions by distinguishing between essential and desirable skills, and focusing more on transferable capabilities rather than specific qualifications.

This shift has led to significant changes in how they write job descriptions and evaluate candidates. Instead of lengthy lists of requirements that might deter diverse candidates, they focus on core competencies and potential. They've also moved away from requiring specific degrees for many roles, recognising that valuable skills can be developed through various paths and experiences.

Measuring impact and success

Our panel shared various approaches to measuring the success of inclusive hiring initiatives, moving beyond simple diversity statistics to more meaningful metrics. Successful measurement includes tracking retention rates of diverse talent, monitoring career progression, and regularly gathering employee feedback through surveys and pulse checks.

Importantly, they emphasised that measurement should lead to action. When organisations identify areas for improvement, they need to create concrete plans to address them, whether that's through additional training, process changes, or new support systems.

Expert insights: key takeaways from our speakers

Our expert panel shared valuable, actionable insights that you can implement in your organisation. Here's a breakdown of the key learnings from each speaker:

Kate Parkinson, Microsoft EMEA: Moving from Compliance to Culture

Kate shared how Microsoft has transformed their approach to inclusive hiring:

"We're focusing on building capability within our talent acquisition teams because they are our culture carriers - at every interaction with a hiring manager, they have a chance to influence behavior and culture."

Key Actions from Microsoft's Journey:

• Implement mandatory inclusive hiring training for all hiring managers, tracked through completion rates
• Create "daily pulse" feedback systems for real-time insights on inclusion efforts
• Embed DEI as a core cultural attribute, with every employee having a DEI priority
• Focus on representation at all levels, not just entry-level positions
• Use data transparency to drive accountability

You can find out more about Microsoft’s inclusive benefits here.?

Raj, BT Group: Reimagining Traditional Hiring

Raj shared practical insights from BT's transformation of their hiring practices:

"We've really challenged managers on what is essential versus desirable and what is trainable versus non-trainable... what we have seen is a broad range of candidates coming forward that are fully capable of performing the duties of the roles."

BT's Success Strategies:

• Implement "passport to recruit" training for hiring managers
• Create easily accessible, on-demand training videos within the ATS system
• Use video content to showcase authentic employee stories (their "Her Campaign" increased female applications by 4%)
• Challenge traditional qualification requirements
• Focus on transferable skills rather than specific experience

You can find out more about BT’s inclusive benefits here.?

Reena Anand: Creating Neurodiversity-Friendly Practices

Reena emphasised the importance of creating truly inclusive environments for neurodivergent talent:

"Research shows that managers continue to be the number one source of support for neurodivergent employees, over and above HR, ERGs, and any other support mechanisms."

Key Recommendations for Neurodiversity Inclusion:

• Use clear, unambiguous language in job descriptions
• Offer alternative interview formats
• Provide interview questions in advance when requested
• Focus on strengths rather than deficits
• Create opportunities for workplace adjustments
• Build psychological safety before expecting disclosure

Spotlight on : Inclusive hiring at Mott MacDonald

We asked Mott Macdonald what strategies their organisation has implemented to make hiring practices more inclusive and attract a diverse talent pool.

?“At Mott MacDonald we believe that true inclusivity attracts the brightest talent and empowers people to perform at their absolute best. We believe all our candidates should have the opportunity to shine during recruitment, so we’ve made sure every stage of our process is inclusive, supportive and fair. Over the last twelve months, we have been implementing several strategies, including reviewing and realigning job descriptions, adverts, and recruitment materials to ensure they use inclusive language, accurately reflect the skills and qualifications required for roles, and appeal to candidates from all backgrounds. We clearly showcase the benefits we offer, such as flexible working arrangements, enhanced parental leave, employee resource groups, and a commitment to work-life balance. Hiring managers and Talent Acquisition (TA) teams have undergone training focused on unconscious bias, inclusive interviewing techniques, and best practices for equitable candidate evaluation.?

As we are a Disability Confident employer, our teams are also trained on how to support candidates through our process.? This training helps to build awareness and skills to foster fair treatment of applicants, providing transparency of our processes and thereby enabling a positive candidate experience. Furthermore, adopting tools for consistent and objective candidate assessment ensures that hiring decisions are based on merit and potential, minimising the impact of bias.? We have created and adopted new tools, such as structured interview guides and improved scoring criteria, to support fair and consistent selection processes.?

Finally, we have partnered with diverse professional organisations and communities to broaden our reach and connect with underrepresented talent. Recognising that engineering organisations often struggle to attract women to the sector, we also actively engage in STEM outreach programmes to inspire the next generation of female engineers.? Our proactive outreach includes participating in diversity focused job fairs and events, and leveraging platforms that connect us with diverse talent.? By promoting our culture of inclusion and emphasising the support we provide to employees, we aim to attract individuals who value equity and belonging, ensuring our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.”

The future of inclusive hiring & transforming organisational culture

Looking ahead, our experts identified several key trends that will shape the future of inclusive hiring. While AI and technology will play an increasingly important role, they emphasized the need to carefully implement these tools to avoid perpetuating existing biases. The future will likely see a continued shift toward skills-based hiring, with organisations focusing more on capabilities than credentials.

They also highlighted the importance of building diverse talent pipelines early, engaging with potential candidates well before they enter the job market. This includes partnering with educational institutions and community organisations to create pathways for underrepresented groups.

Perhaps the most crucial insight from our discussion was about changing organisational mindsets. Our experts emphasized that successful inclusive hiring requires a cultural transformation, not just policy changes. This transformation needs to be led with compassion and understanding, recognising that people may be at different stages of their inclusion journey.

Organisations can drive this change by sharing success stories, starting with small but meaningful changes, and embedding inclusion into their core values. As Kate noted, the ultimate goal is for inclusive hiring to become "just the way we do things."

The future of work - have your say!

Ever wondered what work will look like in 10, 20, or even 50 years? Well, we're on a mission to find out, and we need your help!

We're launching the world's largest study on the Evolution of Work, and we want you to be part of it. This isn't just another survey that'll gather dust – it's your chance to directly influence how work fits into our lives in the future.

Why should you care about this study?

?? Work is going through its biggest shift since the 2nd industrial revolution

?? Change comes from knowledge – and this study will provide unprecedented insights

?? It's a chance to create workplaces where we can not only survive but thrive

?? It will help us understand what work might look like in 10, 20, or even 50 years

??? Your voice matters in shaping this future

Complete our 4-minute survey and have your voice heard. This is your chance to redefine our understanding of work and drive meaningful change.