Diversity and inclusive recruitment
Good employers are committed to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace by taking proactive action and adopting inclusive recruitment processes.
London is one of the most diverse cities in the world and workforces should reflect this.
Good employers develop a strategy and action plan to promote equality and improve diversity and inclusion. As well as targeted initiatives, a coherent strategy will help ensure that working practices across the organisation support an inclusive culture which embraces difference and drives innovation.
It’s vital to take action to prevent harassment, discrimination and bullying at work to ensure compliance with the Equality Act (2010) and to promote an inclusive and safe workplace for all workers, enabling them to thrive and produce their best work.
What best practice looks like
Getting started: statutory requirements and basic practices
To become accredited, employers must first complete an online foundation assessment which covers the minimum legal requirements and basic practices every employer should have in place.
Employers must meet the foundation criteria to move to the next stage.
Steps are taken in the organisation to prevent unlawful discrimination and harassment.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
- There is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy for the organisation and a statement is provided in recruitment material.
- Steps are taken in the organisation to prevent unlawful discrimination and harassment.
- The organisation reports and publishes its gender pay gap each year by law, if the organisation has more than 250 employees.
- The organisation makes reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled workers (including physical and mental health conditions) are not disadvantaged in the workplace. This may include adjustments to the recruitment process.
Inclusive recruitment
- When recruiting, the organisation is aware of and follows laws on discrimination.
- The organisation is aware of responsibilities to check that job applicants are allowed to work in the UK and to inform the applicants that these checks will be carried out.
- The organisation is aware of its responsibilities to be accurate and fair when providing references and follows laws on discrimination.
- The organisation provides information about vacancies in alternative formats and accepts applications in alternative formats when requested and possible. For example, paper applications.
- Accurate personal records of new employees and workers are collected at recruitment stage.
Next steps: benchmarking your organisation's practices
Once employers have successfully completed the foundation stage, they can complete the full self-assessment which assesses organisations against different criteria across the four pillars.
Microbusinesses can only be awarded at ‘achievement’ level - as it does not contain any ‘excellence’ criteria. Small, medium and large businesses can instead be awarded at 'achievement' or 'excellence' level.
Microbusiness must meet all criteria to accredit. Small, medium, and large businesses must meet a threshold but do not need to meet all criteria.
Microbusinesses
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The organisation has a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discrimination, harassment, and bullying.
- Steps are taken to diversify candidate shortlists.
Small, medium and large businesses
Equality, diversity and inclusion
- The organisation has developed an action plan or approach with measurable objectives to tackle inequality and improve diversity and inclusion.
- Equality, diversity and inclusion training is offered to the workforce.
- The organisation has set a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of discrimination, harassment and bullying.
- The organisation has developed an approach and takes steps to diversify the leadership of the organisation.
- The organisation reports on their retention rates for pregnant women and people a year after they return to work following maternity or paternity leave.
- Data is gathered about the workforce to calculate pay gaps in relation to gender. The organisation includes outsourced workers in its gender pay gap reporting.
- Data is gathered about the workforce to calculate pay gaps in relation to ethnicity. The organisation annually reports and publishes its ethnicity pay gap and an action plan, if the organisation has more than 250 employees.
- Data is gathered about the workforce to calculate pay gaps in relation to disabled staff. The organisation annually reports and publishes its disability pay gap, if the organisation has more than 250 employees.
- Workforce data is recorded and analysed. Where appropriate the organisations benchmarks itself against others.
Inclusive recruitment
- A variety of channels are used for job advertisements, to attract a wide and diverse range of applicants for new roles in the organisation. For example, different websites, job boards, social media, events and job fairs.
- Job applications are proactively sought and encouraged from under-represented groups.
- Steps are taken to make interview panels as diverse as possible, both in terms of gender and ethnicity.
- Job adverts are accessible and inclusive. For example, checking for inclusive wording, using large and clear print and pictures.
- Jobs are advertised as flexible wherever possible.
- A diverse mix of people are represented in marketing materials and job advertisements. For example, print and digital advertising.
- Protected characteristics are sought and collected at recruitment stage.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
- The organisation has developed and actively participates in school and community outreach programmes.
- The organisation identifies diversity and inclusion champions or representatives. Organisation leaders demonstrate their sponsorship and commitment.
- The organisation provides English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learning opportunities to the workforce during paid work hours.
- The organisation has become a member of the Disability Confident Scheme and is actively improving practices to support disabled people as part of their commitment to the scheme.
- The organisation has adopted an anti-racism approach or strategy to address systemic racism and racial inequalities at work.
- The organisation publishes its equality, diversity and inclusion action plan on its website and its progress against actions.
Inclusive recruitment
- The organisation analyses and compares its workforce and recruitment data to the diversity of the local area in which it employs most of the workforce
- Feedback is provided to to unsuccessful job applicants where requested.
- Steps have been put in place to actively diversify candidate shortlists, both in terms of gender and ethnicity. For example, by expanding the pool of applicants and advertising widely. This could include engaging with community organisations working with underrepresented groups and other actions.
- Anonymous recruitment processes are used by the organisation. For example, removing names or schools from applications.
- Information on socio-economic background is sought and collected at recruitment stage, in addition to protected characteristics.
- Reasonable adjustments are regularly offered to job applicants and used to make interview processes more accessible
How to improve your practices
Explore guidance and resources
Explore our collection of resources, including employer guidance, toolkits and case studies all created to help you put good employment practices into action and achieve the Good Work Standard criteria in this pillar.
Below are some of the other London and UK-based programmes that help employers demonstrate their commitment to good work practices and employee wellbeing in the diversity and inclusive recruitment pillar.
Explore the other pillars
Engagement, voice and wellbeing
Workforce dialogue, positive relationships with trade unions and workplace wellbeing.
Learn more
Skills and progression
Management and leadership, skills and development and in-work progression.
Learn moreContact us
If you have questions or would like to find out more about becoming a Good Work Standard employer, contact the Economic Fairness Team.
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