New recruitment toolkit supports more inclusive hiring

Somerset employers are being encouraged to explore a new recruitment toolkit we’ve designed to help build more accessible recruitment processes, shaped by the insights of people with lived experience. Produced through work linked to Somerset Health Determinants Research Collaboration and the Breaking Barriers project, the toolkit offers practical guidance to help make hiring fairer, more inclusive and more welcoming.

The resource highlights simple steps employers can take at every stage of recruitment, from writing inclusive job adverts and offering different ways to apply, to making it easier for candidates to request reasonable adjustments and preparing for more supportive interviews. It also encourages employers to recognise transferable skills, value non-traditional career pathways and create a more positive experience for applicants throughout the process.

For businesses looking to widen their talent pool and improve accessibility, the toolkit provides a useful starting point grounded in real experience. It supports employers to think differently about recruitment and take practical action that can open up opportunities to more people across Somerset.

This reflects a growing national conversation about how outdated recruitment practices can cause employers to overlook talented people – as highlighted in FE Week’s article, “We’re training brilliant digital talent only for employers to overlook them”.