Three ways to deliver accessible, inclusive recruitment

Freya Robinson | 02 Oct 2023

In today's increasingly competitive marketplace, it's more important than ever for organisations to attract and retain the best talent. That means creating a recruitment process that is accessible and inclusive to all candidates.

AbilityNet will be attending the In House Recruitment Expo Summit on 17 October to share key tips on how to make your recruitment process more accessible. 

Read on to find out three ways every organisation can deliver accessible, inclusive recruitment:

Graphic of a woman sitting at a laptop. Behind her are 3 oversized application examples

Make your job postings and supporting materials accessible

By making your materials accessible, you can encourage applications from a wider talent pool, and also promote inclusivity and diversity within your organisation. Consider the following when creating your job posting and application materials:

  • using accessible fonts and colors
  • providing captions for videos
  • avoiding jargon and acronyms 

You can also use assistive tools such as the Microsoft Accessibility Checker to ensure that your documents are accessible.

Join us at the In House Recruitment Expo Summit

Tailored for In House Recruitment Leaders and team, IHRE23 Summit will feature seminars, masterclass sessions with time to network with colleagues and peers, including a session with AbilityNet's Lizi Green on Accessible and Inclusive Recruitment!

Find out more about the conference 

Register your free place today!
Graphic with red background and picture of people watching a talk in the corner. Text: IHRE Summit. Coventry Arena. 17 October 2023. Ensure you get your share of this huge buisness & networking opportunity. Free Entry.

Review your essential job criteria

It's important to consider whether any of these requirements could unintentionally hinder the inclusion of certain candidates. For instance, insisting on a valid driver's license may inadvertently exclude disabled candidates, and the journey may be possible by public transport. If a particular criterion isn't integral to the role, it might be a good idea to reconsider its necessity.

Graphic of two woman on laptops, exemplifying an online call Be flexible with your interview process

Recognise that candidates may have diverse communication needs and interaction preferences. Consider options like conducting online interviews with cameras off or blurred backgrounds to provide candidates with a comfortable setting. Additionally, offering candidates the choice to pre-record a presentation, if needed, can further enhance the inclusivity of your interview process.

Useful resources

AbilityNet have a range of resources to help you build accessibility into your recruitment process. 

Training 

Our affordable high-quality online training courses to help you build skills in accessibility.

Discover more training courses

Graphic of a pile of paper documents Factsheets 

AbilityNet’s Factsheets are free to download and provide advice and information about how computers and other digital technologies can help people with a range of conditions and impairments.

Explore our full range of factsheets

eLearning 

AbilityNet's online eLearning modules provide a cost-effective way to teach your staff about accessibility and inclusion.

Find out more about eLearning

Further resources