Building diverse and inclusive teams isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a business imperative. We’ve seen how a thoughtful approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) in recruitment can unlock new talent and drive innovation. In fact, diverse teams are 35% more likely to outperform competitors according to recent McKinsey research. Yet we notice that Talent Acquisition (TA) leaders and hiring managers struggle with how to make their hiring process more inclusive while still selecting top talent.
This guide offers practical, solutions-focused advice for HR and hiring professionals across the UK, US, and Europe. We focus on actionable steps, from sourcing diverse candidates to reducing bias in interviews, all tailored to both permanent and contractor hiring in technical and industrial fields.
Attracting a More Diverse Candidate Pool
Hiring starts with sourcing. To hire a diverse team, you need a diverse pipeline of candidates. Here are concrete ways to attract more applicants from underrepresented groups, whether you’re filling permanent positions or short-term contracts:
- Broaden Your Sourcing Channels: Don’t rely solely on the same old job boards. Consider partnering with diversity-focused job boards and networks that reach underrepresented talent. These platforms (for example, sites dedicated to LGBTQ+ job seekers, women in tech, Black or ethnic minority professionals, veterans, or people with disabilities) allow you to tap into communities you might otherwise miss. Recruiters often struggle to find diverse talent through traditional channels, and diversity job boards can be a “game-changing solution” to connect with underrepresented candidates effectively. By posting on niche platforms (e.g. Proud Employers for LGBTQ+ talent or Ethnic Jobsite in the UK), you signal your commitment to inclusivity and access a broader pool. This holds true for contract roles as well, when engaging staffing agencies for contractors, insist they include diverse candidates and consider agencies with expertise in diversity recruiting.
- Connect with Underrepresented Communities: Go beyond job postings. Build relationships with professional associations, educational institutions, and community groups focused on underrepresented talent in engineering and tech. For example, you might collaborate with organisations like Women Who Code, the Society of Women Engineers, or the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) to sponsor events or mentorship programs. These partnerships can pay off. Consider attending diversity career fairs, hosting info sessions at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the US or working with local organisations that support people with disabilities in STEM. Engaging directly with these communities, both for permanent hiring and when sourcing contractors, helps build trust and casts your net wider for talent.
- Rethink Your Job Descriptions: An often overlooked barrier to diverse hiring is the wording of job ads. Audit your job descriptions for biased or exclusionary language. Seemingly innocuous phrases can dissuade qualified people from applying. For instance, saying “we seek a “rockstar” engineer for a “competitive, high-octane” environment” might signal a male-dominated culture and deter some candidates. Instead, use neutral, inclusive language (e.g. “skilled engineer who can help our team succeed”.) Focus on the skills and competencies needed rather than an unrealistic list of qualifications. Research shows that women, for example, may refrain from applying unless they meet 100% of listed requirements, so ensure you’re not inadvertently turning away talent with a long wish list of “nice-to-haves.” Also highlight what makes your workplace welcoming, e.g. flexible hours, growth opportunities, family-friendly policies, since 80% of candidates value these aspects and they can particularly attract those who might have felt excluded before.
In contractor-heavy fields like manufacturing, also be mindful of physical requirements wording; for example, saying “moves equipment up to 50 pounds” (task-focused) rather than “must be able to lift 50 pounds” can welcome those with disabilities who have alternative ways to meet the requirement.
- Showcase Your Inclusive Culture: Lastly, make sure diverse candidates see themselves at your company. This goes beyond the job description, think about your employer branding. Feature diverse team members on your careers page, highlight ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) or mentorship programs, and share authentic stories of inclusion. Candidates from underrepresented groups often research whether a workplace will truly value them. By publicly sharing your DE&I initiatives and success stories, you’ll attract more applicants who care about inclusion. For instance, sharing that you have a mentorship program for women engineers or celebrating that your manufacturing unit reached a new milestone in hiring tradeswomen can signal that diversity isn’t just talk. This matters for contract hiring too: inclusive workplaces tend to get referrals and repeat engagements from contractors of varied backgrounds, because people know they will be treated fairly.
Expanding your reach to new communities and crafting inclusive job ads will fill your talent pipeline with a broader mix of candidates. This is especially crucial in engineering and manufacturing, where talent shortages are common and whole demographics (like women, ethnic minorities, or people with disabilities) have been historically underrepresented. By taking these steps, you’re not lowering any standards, you’re raising your recruiting game to uncover skilled people you might have missed. In fact, companies that prioritise diversity in hiring often see benefits like improved innovation and a stronger workplace culture as a result.
Practical Steps to Reduce Bias in Hiring
Attracting diverse applicants is only half the battle. The next challenge is ensuring your selection process is fair so that all candidates get an equal chance to shine. Unconscious biases, from gravitating toward people with similar backgrounds to stereotypes about who “looks” competent, can creep into screening and interviews, even with the best intentions. Here are concrete methods to reduce bias in hiring decisions, and why they matter:
- Implement Structured Interviews: One of the most powerful ways to level the playing field is to use structured interviews. This means developing a set of predefined questions based on the job requirements and asking every candidate the same questions in the same order. By standardising what you ask and focusing on job-related scenarios or competencies, you make it easier to compare candidates objectively. Structured interviews standardise questioning around job competencies so that all candidates, regardless of background, are evaluated equitably on relevant skills. In contrast, unstructured interviews (the typical free-flowing chat) can let biases run wild, interviewers might unconsciously give easier questions to people they instinctively like or go on tangents with one candidate but not another. Research in hiring backs this up: structured interviews reduce bias, increase diversity of hires, and result in better employee performance compared to ad-hoc interviews. For example, Google famously uses structured interview techniques with clear scoring rubrics; a case study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that this contributed to a 40% reduction in hiring bias at Google and improved the objectivity of their decisions. The lesson is clear, if you want fair, merit-based hiring, structure your interviews. This approach works for all levels, from entry-level technicians to contract project engineers. Create a question bank tied to core competencies within your industry and organisation (for instance, problem-solving, safety compliance, teamwork), train your hiring team to stick to it, and use a consistent rating scale.
- Use Standardised Scorecards for Evaluation: Alongside structured questioning, use a standard interviewer scorecard or evaluation form to rate candidates’ answers against defined criteria. This is essentially a checklist or rubric of what good answers look like, which each interviewer fills out during/after the interview. Standardised review forms “ensure that every candidate is evaluated consistently against the same criteria, regardless of personal biases”. By scoring each response (e.g. on a 1–5 scale for each competency) and taking notes on evidence from the interview, you anchor the assessment in job-relevant facts rather than gut feeling. This method forces interviewers to justify their decisions with concrete observations, which reduces the influence of subtle biases or the infamous “halo effect” (when one good trait sways the whole impression). It also allows multiple interviewers to compare notes more systematically. Companies that have adopted structured scorecards see the benefits, organisations can make hiring decisions based on merit rather than subjective impressions, which both fosters fairness and boosts the credibility of the process with candidates. Deloitte, for instance, pairs blind résumé screening with standardised assessment tools to evaluate candidates objectively and credits these practices with significantly increasing the diversity of their hires. For a practical tip, design your scorecard around key skills and values (technical knowledge, communication, problem-solving, etc.), provide descriptors for what strong vs. weak answers include, and require interviewers to give a rating and written justification. This creates accountability and a record to review if a decision is challenged or if you’re reflecting on how bias-free your process really is.
- Try Anonymised CV Reviews: The biases can start as early as the CV or application review stage. To counteract prejudices (often unconscious) about a candidate’s name, age, gender, ethnicity, or background, many teams have turned to anonymised resumes (aka “blind” screening of CV’s). This involves removing personally identifying information from applications before hiring managers review them, for example, redacting the name, address, graduation dates, even school names. Why go to this length? Because studies have repeatedly shown that identical applications can get wildly different outcomes based on irrelevant details like a candidate’s name. One famous study found that CV’s with “white-sounding” names received 50% more callbacks than identical résumés with “Black-sounding” names. Another experiment in Canada showed candidates with Chinese or Indian-sounding names were 28% less likely to be invited for interview than those with English-sounding names, despite equal qualifications. This kind of bias is often unintentional, but it skews who even gets a foot in the door. Anonymising CVs forces reviewers to focus on what matters, skills, experience, accomplishments, without the haze of stereotype. The UK office of Deloitte saw remarkable results from adopting blind recruitment: in two years, they achieved a 33% increase in female hires and 20% increase in ethnically diverse hires, simply by removing names and other identifiers at the screening stage. This doesn’t mean you hire “by quota”; it means you see the talent that was already there without filtering it out unconsciously. For practical implementation, you don’t necessarily need fancy software, even a simple template where applicants fill in a form (and instructing HR to omit personal details when forwarding profiles) can work. If you use recruiting software or an ATS, check if it has a blind recruiting feature. One note of caution: while blind screening is great for initial selection, you will eventually meet the candidates, so combine this method with the other bias-reduction techniques (structured interviews, diverse panels, etc.) to maintain fairness throughout. And be transparent with candidates that you use blind screening, it shows your commitment to equity in hiring.
- Train and Educate Interviewers (Inclusive Interview Training): Technology and processes can only go so far if the people conducting interviews aren’t on board. Ensure everyone involved in hiring, from TA/HR screener to hiring managers and technical interviewers, receives training on inclusive interviewing and unconscious bias. The goal isn’t to shame anyone; it’s to raise awareness of common pitfalls and give practical tips to avoid them. For instance, training can illuminate biases like similarity bias (“we just clicked because we have a similar background”) or confirmation bias (interpreting everything a candidate says in a way that confirms your initial impression). An interviewer who’s aware of these tendencies is more likely to pause and evaluate more objectively. Inclusive interviewer training also covers how to ask questions and evaluate answers in a culturally responsive way, for example, understanding that eye contact or certain body language cues can vary by culture, so they shouldn’t be over-interpreted as signs of confidence or honesty. Many organisations have seen measurable improvements after rolling out bias training. Microsoft, for example, implemented comprehensive bias training for all employees involved in hiring (including workshops and e-learning on unconscious bias) and reports a “significant improvement in the inclusivity of its recruitment process,” with a notable uptick in hiring women and minorities as a result. Likewise, Salesforce ensures every interview panel includes people of different backgrounds and gives bias training to panel members, which has led to increased diversity in their leadership hires. For your teams, consider making an “inclusive interviewing 101” a required course or part of interviewer certification. Even short interventions (like a 1-hour unconscious bias module or structured interviewing workshop) can make interviewers more mindful. Pair this with clear guidelines: for instance, ensure each interview panel is diverse when possible (so that no single perspective dominates the evaluation) and instigate a rule that interviewers should focus on evidence from the interview and the scorecard, not on gut feel. By building a culture of accountability in hiring decisions, you send the message that fairness and meritocracy matter.
In summary, these bias-reduction practices are about creating a level playing field. They don’t negatively impact any group, in fact, they do the opposite: they strip away irrelevant factors so you can truly identify the best person for the job. When structured, objective methods are used, studies find interview outcomes better predict job performance and organisations end up with more successful hires. And remember, bias mitigation is just as relevant for contractor hiring even if a role is a 6-month contract, using a fair selection process (blind profiles, structured conversations, etc.) ensures you’re getting the most capable contractor, not just the most familiar profile. Consistency in these practices will build your reputation as an employer who genuinely values equity.
Diversity and Quality: Debunking the “Lowering the Bar” Myth
One concern we often hear from hiring managers is a fear that focusing on diversity means sacrificing quality or “lowering the bar.” It’s a reasonable question: how do we balance diversity goals with fair, high-quality hiring? The good news is that this isn’t an either/or scenario. In fact, when DE&I is done right, it reinforces meritocracy and leads to stronger hiring decisions, not weaker ones.
Let’s address the misconception head-on: inclusive hiring practices do not mean selecting unqualified people just to hit a diversity target. Every candidate still has to meet your requirements and pass the same evaluations of skill, experience, and fit. As one HR leader aptly put it, “Diversity hiring is not about lowering the bar. It’s about looking for highly qualified people in places you haven’t looked before.” By removing biases and casting a wider net, you’re raising the standard of your hiring process, making it more rigorous and fair, so that the best talent rises to the top from all backgrounds. If anything, ignoring diversity can lead to false meritocracy, where biases trick you into overlooking excellent candidates. For example, if a female engineer’s résumé is passed over because “she might not fit in a male-heavy team” (conscious or not, this happens), did we really hire the best person? Or consider that without outreach, you might not even see the CV of the brilliant minority candidate from a non-traditional school, because your usual pipeline didn’t reach them. DE&I expands the talent pool and removes barriers, so you can find the most capable people wherever they are, that is the essence of true meritocracy.
It’s also important to note that hiring for diversity is backed by a strong business case. Decades of research and real-world data show that diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones on many fronts. Diverse groups bring a wider range of perspectives, which improves problem-solving and innovation. An often cited Harvard Business Review study found that diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time compared to all-male or all-white teams (who are more prone to groupthink). Financial performance ties to diversity as well: companies with above-average diversity in their leadership are 36% more likely to financially outperform their peers, according to McKinsey. And a recent analysis noted firms with strong DE&I practices have 15% higher employee retention on average, likely due to a more inclusive culture. In manufacturing and engineering, where innovation and problem-solving are crucial (and where talent gaps are a serious issue), these advantages can be game-changing. A team that combines seasoned engineers with young diverse graduates, men and women, locals and internationals, etc., will have a broader viewpoint to tackle complex projects and avoid costly blind spots in design, safety, or marketing.
Crucially, embracing DE&I does not mean lowering your hiring standards – it means raising your expectations of the hiring process to ensure it finds the truly best people. Every candidate still goes through your rigorous selection; structured interviews, skill assessments, trials, so if someone is hired, it’s because they earned it. To any sceptics on the team, you can point out that suggesting diverse hires are less qualified actually questions the competence of your own hiring process and your team’s judgment. Organisations like Salesforce and Google continue to invest heavily in DE&I not for charity, but because they’ve “seen firsthand how it drives innovation, enhances employee engagement, and strengthens business outcomes”. Diversity efforts support high performance.
The key to balancing diversity goals with quality is setting the same high bar for everyone, while providing equal opportunity for everyone to clear that bar. For example, if you aim to increase the number of women in your engineering firm, you don’t hire unqualified women, you examine where bias or outreach gaps are preventing qualified women from getting hired, and you fix those gaps. You might mentor junior female engineers to get them into the pipeline or ensure interview panels are mixed so candidates aren’t implicitly judged by their gender. You still hire based on ability, but you’ve levelled the field so ability can shine. DE&I is really about fairness: it’s about making sure no great candidate is unfairly overlooked due to factors unrelated to the job. When done correctly, the outcome is not just a more diverse team, but also a team composed of top talent chosen on merit.
It’s worth acknowledging that balancing short-term hiring needs with longer-term diversity goals can be challenging. Hiring managers often feel pressure to fill a role quickly and might default to familiar recruitment channels or candidates. However, investing a bit more effort to incorporate DE&I practices pays off. Think of it this way: diversity efforts and quality hiring are mutually reinforcing. By following structured, bias-free hiring practices, you naturally get higher-quality hires because you’re evaluating everyone more objectively. And by championing diversity, you avoid groupthink and stagnation, leading to better team performance and retention. Over time, as your workforce becomes more diverse and inclusive, you’ll likely attract even more high-calibre diverse talent, it becomes a virtuous cycle.
In contractor-heavy sectors, some managers worry that pushing for diversity among contractors could slow down filling urgent roles. But even with contractors, insisting on diverse candidate slates and fair selection doesn’t mean you’ll compromise on skills, you’re still going to pick the contractor who can do the job best. It just means you ask your recruitment partners to widen the search. Many manufacturers have started requiring their staffing vendors to present diverse candidates for each temp role. The result has been access to a broader range of skilled tradespeople at a time when labour is scarce. And anecdotal evidence from industry forums indicates that contractors from underrepresented groups often bring fresh ideas to improve processes (for instance, a contractor with a disability may suggest a more ergonomic workflow that benefits everyone, or a young engineer from a different background might spot a market need others overlooked). In short, quality and diversity are not at odds, when approached thoughtfully, they enhance each other.
Building a Meritocratic and Inclusive Hiring Future
Improving DE&I in recruitment is a journey, not a one-off task. It requires commitment and sometimes a shift in mindset, but the rewards are well worth it, a richer talent pool, more objective hiring decisions, and ultimately stronger teams. By attracting diverse candidates through community partnerships and inclusive job ads, you ensure you’re fishing from the biggest pond. By reducing bias in selection, with structured interviews, fair scorecards, anonymised CVs, and trained interviewers, you ensure every applicant gets a fair shot and the truly best candidates rise to the top. And by embracing diversity as compatible with excellence, you create a culture where hiring for inclusion supports high performance, rather than conflicting with it.
TA leaders and hiring managers in engineering, manufacturing, and tech have a huge opportunity to lead the way. These industries thrive on innovation and problem-solving; what better way to foster that than with diverse teams who bring different perspectives to the table? Plus, with acute skill shortages in many technical fields, casting a wider net is not just socially responsible, it’s practically necessary to meet hiring demands. When you remove barriers, you’ll find an abundance of talent that might have been overlooked, and your organisation will reap the benefits in performance, creativity, and reputation.
In implementing the steps outlined above, start small if you need to: maybe pilot blind CVs in one department, or train a handful of interviewers on structured techniques and see the difference. Gather feedback from candidates about their experience, do they feel the process was fair and inclusive? Use data (e.g. track diversity at each hiring stage) to spot where you’re improving or where bias might still creep in. DE&I in hiring is an evolving practice, and continuous improvement is part of the process. Celebrate the wins, like that first hire from a new partnership with a diversity forum, or when your interview panel calls out that a standardised question helped them evaluate fairly. These are signs of culture change taking root.
Finally, remember that inclusion is the glue that makes diversity stick. Once you hire a more diverse team, ensure your workplace culture allows everyone to thrive, so that your hard-won diverse hires stay and succeed. That might involve onboarding buddies, mentorship programs, or simply signalling that everyone’s input is valued. The more your organisation becomes known as a truly inclusive employer, the easier it will be to attract great people from all walks of life, creating a positive cycle of talent attraction and retention.
We hope NEUTRA’s perspective, and the strategies shared here help you and your teams in your journey to enhance DE&I in recruitment. By taking proactive, thoughtful steps, you can build hiring processes that are both equitable and effective, leading to teams that are diverse, high-performing, and ready to meet the challenges of the future.
