What is Inclusive Hiring and Why Every Recruiter Needs It!
- Rohan Jain
- 6 พ.ย. 2568
- ยาว 6 นาที
Every recruiter in Bangkok knows the feeling. You create your job postings, and hundreds of job applications flood your inbox, but finding the truly great candidates feels like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The competition to attract top talent in Thailand is tougher than ever, and the old ways of hiring simply are not working anymore. Many companies find themselves stuck in a cycle of hiring the same types of people from the same universities, and then they wonder why their organizational culture feels stagnant and they lack innovation.
There is a much better way. It is called inclusive hiring. This is not just a new trend or a buzzword, it is a powerful strategy that can completely change your company's ability to hire and keep the best people. For modern hr departments and human resources professionals, understanding and using inclusive hiring is no longer optional. It is the key to building a winning team for the future.
What is Inclusive Hiring, Really?
In simple terms, inclusive hiring is the process of designing a recruitment system that is fair and open to everyone. The main goal is to remove any hidden barriers or unfair rules that might stop talented people from getting a chance to show what they can do.
Think of your hiring process like a race. A traditional process might have invisible hurdles on the track for some runners. For example, a job description that uses very corporate jargon might discourage a perfectly qualified person from applying because they do not understand it. Or, requiring a degree from one specific top university might exclude a brilliant, self-taught programmer who has all the right skills to solve a critical skills gap.
Inclusive hiring is all about removing those unfair hurdles. It ensures that every single candidate is judged only on their unique skill sets, their potential, and their ability to do the job. It is not about filling quotas. It is about finding the absolute best person, the ideal candidate, by looking in the widest possible talent pool. This approach helps create a positive first impression and builds an environment of fairness from the very first moment a person interacts with your company.
Why Every Recruiter in Thailand Needs This Now
Adopting an inclusive hiring process is not just a "nice thing to do." It has a direct and positive impact on your company's success and your bottom line.
1. You Discover a Much Wider and Deeper Talent Pool: When you stick to the old ways of hiring, you are fishing in a very small pond. You are only looking at candidates from a few specific backgrounds that you are comfortable with. Inclusive hiring throws a much wider net. By rewriting your job descriptions and using diverse sourcing channels, you attract a huge number of qualified people you would have otherwise missed. This gives you access to a wider talent pool and a massive competitive advantage.
2. You Reduce Unconscious Bias and Make Smarter Hiring Choices: We all have unconscious biases. These are mental shortcuts our brains use to make quick judgments about people. A recruiter might unconsciously favor a candidate who reminds them of a successful current team member, or one who shares a similar hobby.
These biases are dangerous in hiring because they cause us to overlook amazing talent. Inclusive hiring uses structured techniques to reduce their impact. By focusing on objective skills and a consistent process, you ensure you are making decisions based on facts, not just feelings. This leads to better, more effective hires whose employee performance is consistently at a high level.
3. You Build an Amazing and Attractive Employer Brand: In today's job market, talented people are interviewing you just as much as you are interviewing them. They want to work for companies that are fair, modern, and respectful.
When candidates go through an inclusive hiring process, they feel respected, even if they do not get the job. They will tell their friends and post online about their positive experience, and your company's reputation as a great place to work will grow. An inclusive process is one of the most powerful and authentic tools for talent attraction.
4. You Improve Employee Retention and Overall Satisfaction: Good employee retention starts before day one; it starts with the hiring process. When you hire someone through a process that is fair and respectful, they begin their new job feeling valued and with a strong sense of belonging. This has a huge impact on their long-term employee satisfaction and their loyalty to the company.
Companies that practice inclusive hiring often see higher levels of loyalty and have more engaged employees. This is because people feel respected from the very beginning of their career path, which sets a positive tone for their entire time at the company and helps to build trust from the start.
5. You Drive Innovation and Problem Solving: When you hire people from a wide variety of backgrounds, you bring diverse perspectives into your company. This is the magic ingredient for innovation and problem solving. A diverse team will come up with more creative ideas and solutions than a team where everyone thinks the same way (McKinsey & Company, 2020). They will challenge each other, see problems from different angles, and help your company create better products or services.
How to Put Inclusive Hiring into Action: A Recruiter's Guide
Making your hiring process more inclusive does not have to be complicated. Here are some practical steps you can take in your day to day work.
1. Rewrite Your Job Descriptions to Be Welcoming: Take a close look at your current job postings. Do they ask for unnecessary qualifications that are not really needed for the job? Do they use complicated language or internal jargon? Rewrite your job descriptions to focus only on the core skill sets needed, including crucial soft skills like communication and teamwork. This simple change can dramatically increase the number of diverse applicants you receive.
2. Use Technology to Your Advantage: Modern applicant tracking systems can be a great tool for inclusive hiring. Many can be set up to hide identifying information like names and photos from resumes during the first review stage. This helps to reduce initial bias and allows hiring managers to focus purely on a candidate's qualifications and experience.
3. Use Structured Interviews for Fairness: A structured interview is one where you ask every candidate for a role the exact same set of job-related questions, in the same order. Research from experts like Iris Bohnet has shown that structured interviews are one of the most effective ways to remove bias from the interview process (Bohnet, 2016). It allows you to compare candidates fairly based on their actual answers, not on how much you "liked" them personally.
4. Create Diverse Interview Panels: A single person should never make a hiring decision alone. Instead, use diverse interview panels made up of people from different backgrounds, departments, and levels of seniority. A diverse panel will make a more balanced and thoughtful decision. It also shows candidates that your company is truly committed to diversity.
5. Focus on an Excellent Candidate Experience: Every single person who applies to your company should be treated with respect. This means using effective communication to keep them updated on the status of their application.
Provide real time feedback where possible, or offer constructive feedback if they are not selected for the role. This helps create a positive experience that strengthens your employer brand. You should encourage employees on your hiring team to be champions of this positive experience.
Conclusion: The Future of Recruitment in Thailand
Creating a culture of inclusion must start with the hiring process. To achieve continuous improvement in your company, you need to embrace inclusive hiring. It is no longer just a trend; it is the new standard for modern, effective, and successful recruitment.
By making your hiring process fairer and more accessible, you will not only find better talent, but you will also build a stronger, more innovative, and more successful company. It is time for every recruiter in Thailand to foster a culture of inclusion, starting with the very first handshake.
Partnering with Hyperwork
Building an inclusive hiring process takes a smart plan. Hyperwork is the leading recruitment agency, that helps companies in Thailand and SEA design and implement HR strategies that attract the very best diverse talent. We can help you rewrite your job descriptions, train your interviewers, and create an environment where everyone has a fair chance to succeed. Partner with us to build a team that gives you a true competitive advantage. Click the button now to consult with our team for free.
References
Bohnet, I. (2016). What works: Gender equality by design. Harvard University Press.
McKinsey & Company. (2020). Diversity wins: How inclusion matters. McKinsey & Company.
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