Hire the best

In times of skills shortage, it is more important than ever for organizations to reach and hire the “best” candidates. This recruitment and hiring process exemplifies how the ideals of DEI and meritocracy reinforce one another.

DEI efforts aim to cast a broad net for talent and ensure objective hiring decisions that avoid disadvantaging candidates based on identity. At the core of DEI is the fairness of opportunity. True meritocracy can only be achieved when we recognize and actively work to remove the barriers that have historically excluded talented individuals from certain backgrounds.

1. Widen the talent lens and broaden access to job opportunities

Broaden access to diverse talent to hire the best candidates: Companies often rely on recruitment strategies designed to replicate their existing employee pool, which may overlook promising talent (Campero & Kacperczyk, 2024). Personal connections to the existing employee base can help some get a foot in the door while leaving others out in the cold (Adler & Ayala-Hurtado, 2025). 

When assessing a candidate’s “merit” in hiring, the criteria often include educational credentials, professional test scores, and the type of extracurricular activities. However, a closer examination reveals that many of these measures can inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities tied to family background, socioeconomic status, and other demographic factors. For instance, applicants from less privileged educational or economic circumstances typically lack the financial resources, guidance, and support networks that enable their wealthier peers to prepare for and gain admission to eliteprofessional schools (Campero & Kacperczyk, 2024).

To attract the most qualified candidates, organizations must actively tap into a wide array of sourcing channels, including community networks and platforms serving underrepresented groups. An example of such a network is the Afro Diasporisches Akademisches Netzwerk (ADAN) , Papa–Jobs.ch, or Loopings.  

2. Debias your hiring assets, processes, and assessment tools to include all meritorious candidates 

Bring transparency and consistency into the hiring process: Implement structured interviews, standardized scoring rubrics, and diverse interview panels to reduce bias and enhance decision-making quality (Bertrand & Sendhil, 2004; Erlandsson, 2022). This implementation matters because organizations that assume meritocracy is inherent, and not something to be achieved, run the risk of increased bias.   

Hire for skills: Shifting to skills-first hiring is up to five times more predictive of future job performance than educational background and 2.5 times more predictive than work experience and five times more predictive than education (Sigelman et al., 2024; Hunter & Hunter, 1984). This practice attracts candidates from underrepresented groups by opening doors to non-traditional talent (Lischwe et al., 2024). After all, people with diverse talents often come from a variety of backgrounds, which are frequently overlooked by standard hiring criteria.  

Be precise about must-have qualifications: Limit yourself to qualifications that are absolutely necessary. Women tend to apply for roles only when they meet 100% of the listed criteria (Mohr, 2014). Since women are particularly hesitant to apply for roles perceived as traditionally male-dominated (especially technical, analytical, or leadership positions), many qualified women self-select out of applying for senior roles (Coffman et al., 2024).  

Let AI help, not hinder you: Apply human oversight to validate fairness and transparency when using AI in hiring. AI should serve as a support tool, not a decision-maker. It is essential to train recruiters to assess AI-generated recommendations and intervene when needed critically. Rather than replacing human judgment, AI should enhance and assist the recruitment process (Marabelli & Lirio, 2024). Find the most up-to-date research on the topic here.  

3. Apply gender inclusive language consistently across corporate and visual communications 

Use inclusive language in your job descriptions: Gender inclusive language goes beyond the use of pronouns and word endings (though this is crucial). It’s about communicating your company’s inclusion values and addressing a vast, diverse candidate pool. How the role and ideal candidate are described can communicate unconscious biases and inadvertently address only a small segment of the diverse candidate pool (Strom et al., 2023). Avoid focusing on phrases such as “ambitious leader,” “headstrong communicator,” “marketing rockstar,” and “coding ninja.” These adjectives carry masculine connotations and can discourage women from applying to roles.  

Be consistent in your (inclusive) language: Use inclusive language in all your role descriptions and employer branding materials – in fact, in all your corporate and visual communication.