The Inclusive Hiring Checklist: 12 Ways to Reach and Fairly Assess More Great Candidates

Hiring Strategy

Reena Tagger-Saint Louis

8 min read

Most companies want to hire inclusively. Where they get stuck is turning good intentions into everyday habits. In my work as a headhunter, I see the same small gaps again and again: a job ad full of unnecessary requirements, a shortlist drawn from the same few networks, an interview where every candidate gets different questions.

None of these are hard to fix. This checklist covers the twelve habits that make the biggest difference, from the moment you write the job ad to the day you make your decision.

Why inclusive hiring is better business

Inclusive hiring is good for people, and the research shows it's good for business too. Three of the most widely cited studies point the same way.

Companies with the most gender-diverse executive teams are 39% more likely to financially outperform those with the least. The same is true for ethnic diversity.

Companies with above-average diversity on their management teams earned 45% of their revenue from new products and services, compared with 26% for less diverse companies. That's 19 points more from innovation.

Organizations with inclusive cultures are twice as likely to meet or beat their financial targets, and six times more likely to be innovative and agile.

These studies show a strong link between diversity and performance rather than proof that one directly causes the other. But the pattern is consistent: teams that bring in a wider range of people, and make them feel included, tend to spot more opportunities and make better decisions.

Before you post the role

You've separated the must-haves from the nice-to-haves

Look at every requirement on your list and ask: could someone do this job well on day one without it? If the answer is yes, it's a nice-to-have. Move it to a separate section or cut it.

Long lists of requirements quietly shut out capable people, especially candidates who tend to apply only when they meet every point. Degree requirements, years of experience and specific tool names are the usual culprits. Hire for the skills the work needs, and train for the rest.

Your job ad uses plain, welcoming language

Read your ad out loud. Jargon, acronyms and buzzwords like "rockstar", "ninja" or "work hard, play hard" tell some people this isn't a place for them. So do phrases like "native English speaker" or "digital native", which point to where someone is from or how old they are rather than what they can do.

Use gender-neutral language, describe the team and the work in everyday words, and add a line that genuinely invites people from all backgrounds to apply. Free tools can scan your ad for gendered wording, but a second pair of eyes works just as well.

Pay, flexibility and benefits are in the ad

Candidates from under-represented groups are often the least likely to negotiate, and the most likely to be underpaid when pay is hidden. Posting a clear range levels the field for everyone, and in Ontario it's now required for employers with 25 or more employees.

Include what matters to people's lives too: hybrid or remote options, flexible hours, parental leave, benefits and learning budgets. These details bring in candidates who might otherwise assume the role isn't for them.

You invite accommodation requests from the start

Add a simple line to every posting, such as: "Accommodations are available at every stage of the hiring process. Let us know what you need." In Ontario, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act already requires employers to let applicants know that accommodations for disabilities are available during recruitment.

Then make it easy to ask. Share a name and email address, and make sure whoever receives those requests knows how to respond quickly and discreetly.

Reaching more people

You're sourcing beyond your usual networks

If every hire comes from referrals and the same two job boards, your team will keep looking the same. Referrals are valuable, but they tend to bring in people who look and think like the people you already have.

Widen the net on purpose. Share roles with community organizations, professional associations, newcomer employment programs, disability employment networks, Indigenous job boards and university and college career centres. Better still, reach out directly to strong people who aren't applying anywhere.

Your application process is short and accessible

Every extra step in an application loses candidates, and the people who drop off are often the ones with the least time: parents, caregivers and people working more than one job. Ask only for what you need to make a first decision.

Make sure the form works on a phone, can be used with a screen reader, and accepts different file types. Consider dropping the cover letter unless it truly tells you something the resume can't.

Assessing fairly

Resumes are screened against written criteria

Before you open a single resume, write down what you're screening for and how you'll score it. Then score every resume against that list and set gut feelings aside.

Some teams go further and hide names, photos, addresses and graduation dates during the first review. That takes a little setup, but it removes some of the most common triggers for unconscious bias.

Every candidate gets the same structured interview

Ask every candidate the same core questions, in the same order, and score each answer against an agreed rating scale. Structured interviews are one of the most reliable ways to predict performance, and they give every candidate an equal chance to show what they can do.

Avoid brain teasers and questions about personal life. Focus on real situations from the job: how would you handle this, or tell me about a time you did something similar.

Your interview panel is diverse and prepared

A panel of interviewers with different backgrounds and perspectives is less likely to fall into groupthink, and it shows candidates what your team really looks like.

Brief every interviewer before they start. Walk through the scoring guide, remind them to score on their own before discussing, and cover what not to ask. Even a 20-minute prep session makes a real difference.

Candidates know what to expect

Send candidates a short note before each interview: who they'll meet, how long it will take, the format, and the topics you'll cover. Some teams share the questions in advance, which helps people who process information differently, or who are interviewing in their second language.

Remind them again that accommodations are available. Small touches like these tell candidates you want to see them at their best.

Deciding and following through

Decisions are made on evidence

"Culture fit" is one of the most common ways bias slips into hiring, because it often means "someone like us". Ask instead what each candidate would add to the team, and whether they share the values that matter for the work.

Make the final decision using the scores you collected, and ask anyone who disagrees to point to specific evidence. If you can't explain a decision without saying "I just had a feeling", take another look.

You track where candidates drop off

You can't improve what you don't measure. Keep a simple record of how many people apply, get screened, interview and receive offers, and, where candidates choose to share it, how that looks across different groups.

If qualified candidates from certain backgrounds keep dropping out at the same stage, that's where your process needs attention. Review it after every few hires and adjust as you go.

Want help putting this into practice?

Reading a checklist is one thing. Changing how a whole team hires is another. That's why we offer hands-on inclusive hiring training for hiring managers and HR teams, built around your real job ads, interview questions and hiring goals.

And when you need to fill a role now, we run every search the same way: wide outreach beyond the usual networks, and every candidate assessed against the same clear criteria.

Sources

This article is general information, not legal advice. For how Ontario's accessibility and job posting rules apply to your business, speak with an employment lawyer or visit the Government of Ontario's website.