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Inclusive Recruitment & Selection Training for EDI Champions

A practical course equipping EDI Champions with skills to challenge bias, ensure fair recruitment, apply equality law, and strengthen inclusive decision-making on interview panels.

Inclusive Recruitment & Selection Training for EDI Champions Training Course

Inclusive Recruitment & Selection Training for EDI Champions

This course equips EDI Champions with the confidence, knowledge and practical tools needed to promote fairness, inclusion and equity when sitting on recruitment and selection panels. Delegates learn how to recognise bias, apply equality law, challenge poor practice and strengthen decision‑making so that appointments are based on merit, evidence and equity.

In‑House vs Open Courses

In‑house courses are private sessions delivered exclusively for a group of people from your organisation, on a date that suits you, with the option to tailor the content to your staff and setting.

Open courses are public Equality and Diversity UK training dates that anyone can book onto, ideal when you only need training for one or two people.

Looking for an open training course?

Course Overview

Interviewing is a skill — not simply a matter of judgment. Interview panels must implement the equality and diversity requirements of the Equality Act 2010 throughout recruitment and selection.

This practical session helps panels get the most out of candidates and make fair, equitable and evidence‑based decisions. We also explore demographic change, flexible working patterns and outsourcing, all of which influence modern recruitment practice.

Course Aims

This course aims to show delegates how to:

  • Understand their role and responsibility in ensuring fair and inclusive recruitment
  • Develop confidence to challenge bias and poor practice appropriately during panel discussions
  • Apply an equity‑focused lens to shortlisting, interviewing and decision‑making
  • Ensure recruitment processes align with UK equality legislation and best practice
  • Act as constructive allies and advocates for under‑represented groups

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the legal and ethical framework underpinning fair recruitment in the UK
  • Identify how conscious and unconscious bias can influence recruitment decisions
  • Apply inclusive principles to job descriptions, shortlisting and interview questions
  • Use structured, evidence‑based approaches to scoring and decision‑making
  • Intervene confidently and appropriately when bias arises
  • Support fair outcomes without compromising professionalism or panel relationships
  • Reflect on positionality, privilege and influence as an EDI Champion

Course Content

The Role of the EDI Champion in Recruitment

  • What it means to sit on a panel as an EDI Champion
  • Balancing influence, challenge and collaboration
  • Equality vs equity in recruitment decisions
  • The impact of inclusive recruitment on organisational culture

Legal Context & Accountability

  • Overview of the Equality Act 2010:
    • Protected characteristics
    • Direct and indirect discrimination
    • Harassment and victimisation
  • Positive action vs positive discrimination
  • Reasonable adjustments in recruitment
  • Panel accountability and record‑keeping

Inclusive Interviewing in Practice

  • Structuring interviews for fairness
  • Inclusive questioning techniques
  • Avoiding “off‑script” bias
  • Supporting reasonable adjustments
  • Ensuring consistent assessment standards

Inclusive Shortlisting

  • Reviewing job descriptions through an equity lens
  • Essential vs desirable criteria — who gets excluded?
  • Avoiding credentialism and gatekeeping
  • Fair shortlisting practices
  • Challenging inconsistent criteria

Understanding Bias in Recruitment

  • Types of bias: conscious, unconscious, affinity, confirmation
  • Common recruitment myths:
    • “Best fit”
    • “Cultural fit”
    • “They just didn’t feel right”
  • How bias shows up: accents, names, education, appearance, neurodivergence, disability, age, race, gender
  • Micro‑inequities in questioning and scoring

Scoring, Decision‑Making & Challenge

  • Evidence‑based scoring vs “gut feeling”
  • Managing disagreement on panels
  • How to challenge bias safely and professionally
  • Useful challenge language:
    • “Can we evidence that against the criteria?”
    • “Are we holding all candidates to the same standard?”
  • When and how to escalate concerns

After the Interview – Reflection & Learning

  • Reviewing outcomes for patterns and disparities
  • Reflective practice for EDI Champions
  • Learning from recruitment data
  • Feeding back into organisational policy and practice

Interactive Elements (Recommended)

  • Bias reflection activity
  • Shortlisting scenario exercise
  • Interview panel role‑play
  • Case study discussion (realistic recruitment dilemmas)
  • “What would you say?” challenge practice

Who Is This Course Aimed At?

This course is primarily aimed at:

  • EDI Champions
  • Equality Leads
  • Staff representatives on interview panels
  • Managers supporting inclusive recruitment
  • Trade union equality reps

The course can be tailored for:

  • Local authorities
  • Education settings
  • NHS
  • Public sector
  • Voluntary & community sector
  • Businesses

Costs and Delegate Numbers

Course Costs
  • £595 for a half‑day session
  • £895 for a full‑day session
  • Two half‑day sessions delivered on the same day are charged at the full‑day rate
Delegate Numbers
  • Online sessions: maximum of 15 delegates
  • Face‑to‑face sessions: recommended maximum of 20 delegates

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