Inclusive Interview Practices for Employers

As part of the recruiting process, interviewing a potential candidate can be a great way to get to know a little about the individual, their thought process, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills. While common interview practices may provide helpful information for those seeking positions that require on-the-spot communication skills, such as customer service or other public-facing roles, they can also be nerve-wracking for jobseekers not in those positions. This can lead to an inaccurate picture of who is the right fit for the job you are advertising. Let’s look at ways to make the interview process more inclusive and helpful for both employers and future employees.

Focus on Skills

Skills-based questions provide an opportunity for jobseekers to demonstrate the specific knowledge they will be applying to their daily work, along with sharing other valuable information, such as their thought process and time management. This can be especially helpful for neurodiverse candidates or those that speak multiple languages and may find it challenging to articulate their skills.

Pre-recorded Answers

Video interviews that give applicants the opportunity to pre-record their responses allow for the same information-sharing as in-person interviews, however they remove the need to provide on-the-spot answers, which can be overwhelming for neurodiverse and other equity-deserving groups. Reducing anxieties will allow candidates to better represent themselves and what they can bring to your team.

Choice

The goal of any interview is to establish a human connection with individuals and find the best person for the position. Meeting candidates where they are and allowing them to choose how they wish to represent themselves and their skills accomplishes this goal while providing the recruiter with a more accurate picture of applicants. You can encourage and draw in candidates that are the right fit for your role this way, by letting jobseekers know on the job description itself, or on your careers page. For example, you can find the following when you click to Join our Team, on Lutherwood’s website:

“We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If you don't have every single requirement and the exact level of experience listed in our description, but the skills and experience needed for the role still resonate with you, please consider applying. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and quality; therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions. Please let us know if you require any support submitting your application or during the interview process by contacting Human Resources.”