Anti-discrimination authority offer simple strategies to improve recruitment efforts
The anti-discrimination authority of New South Wales has released new resources to promote inclusion during recruitment in the public sector.
The new resources include a tip sheet and videos for public sector managers to help make recruitment processes more accessible and inclusive for people from culturally diverse backgrounds, according to Anti-Discrimination NSW (ADNSW).
Helen McKenzie, president of ADNSW, said the new resources provide simple yet effective strategies to improve the recruitment process and find top talent.
"Simple things like ensuring your interview panel is culturally diverse, being aware of unconscious bias, and being welcoming and encouraging can go a long way towards making your recruitment process more inclusive and effective," McKenzie said in a statement.
What's in the new resources?
According to the ADNSW, the videos give hiring managers insights into barriers faced by culturally diverse candidates in the recruitment process, as well as offer strategies to attract, assess, and onboard diverse talent.
On the other hand, the tip sheet outlines the following inclusive steps for hiring managers:
- Meet with your Talent Acquisition Specialist at the initial stages of recruitment
- Consider using a specialist service provider to source talent
- Ensure that your interview panel is culturally diverse
- Be aware of unconscious bias
- Offer recruitment adjustments
- Provide the interview questions ahead of time
- Be welcoming and encouraging
- Be aware that some assessment tools like group assessments and timed tests might not be culturally appropriate
- Provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates
- Prepare for onboarding so your recruit feels valued and included from Day 1
McKenzie said the new resources were developed in collaboration with managers and culturally diverse job seekers and come amid reports of race discrimination in recruitment.
"While the NSW Public Service is committed to having a diverse workforce that represents the communities it serves, we do receive reports of race discrimination in recruitment, and we know that many workplaces still don't reflect the diversity of our state," the ADNSW president said.
Inclusive recruitment research project
The new resources are the latest step in the authority's inclusive recruitment research project, which aims to identify the barriers that culturally and linguistically diverse communities face when looking for a new job.
The project also explores how public sector agencies can attract more culturally diverse job applicants.
The initiative already saw the release of a literature review in December 2023 and the publication of a research report in March 2024 titled, "Barriers and enablers of recruitment for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds."
