Build a diverse team. Take the ‘Inclusive recruitment and selection’ course
The 2025 staff transfer round will start soon, and selection interviews will take place in October. If you’re on a selection committee, it’s a good idea for you and your team to do the Inclusive recruitment and selection course before these interviews start. Steven Sutton, Head of Recruitment and Selection at the Human Resources Department (HDPO), did the course together with the HDPO management team (MT) last March. Below, Steven explains why you should take the course too.
Why should teams take this course?
The course is tailor-made for your team and teaches you how to assess candidates as objectively as possible and to design an inclusive recruitment and selection process. ‘Humans are social creatures and we’re all prejudiced to some degree,’ Steven says. ‘The question is how you deal with those prejudices, especially in recruitment procedures. An objective recruitment process ensures that all candidates have equal opportunities.
The basic principle is that you only assess candidates on criteria that are relevant to the job in question. This will equip you to choose the best candidate for the job. That is why, as MT, we wanted to explore this concept more deeply. Moreover, diversity and inclusion are real priorities for us. Objective selection follows on from that.’
Government-wide measures for broad recruitment and objective selection
So, aren’t the current job interviews objective? According to Steven, some interviews at BZ are and some aren’t. Some selection procedures are as objective as possible, but in other cases there is room for improvement. HDPO is taking steps to improve their procedures, and having the whole MT take the course is one step being taken. HDPO is also working on the BZ-wide implementation of the recently adopted government-wide measures for broad recruitment and objective selection, starting with the procedure for staff advancement. More information will follow shortly.
Eye-opener
‘It was a real eye-opener for me to see how many job requirements are sometimes packed into a recruitment profile. But I also found out that it’s actually possible to write a recruitment profile with no more than about six job requirements. Employers sometimes ask the impossible, with a recruitment profile that hardly any human being can fit. This can put off some very good candidates. What’s more, the longer the list of requirements, the more complex it is to assess candidates. Limiting yourself to a handful of requirements also forces you to first think carefully about who you’re really looking for: who really is your ideal candidate. It requires a bit more thinking at the beginning of the process, but it pays itself back later on.’
Scorecard
Has Steven put any of the things he learned into practice yet? He’s held a number of selection interviews using a scorecard, he says. A scorecard offers cues, structuring interviews while also leaving room for a personal conversation with the candidate. It was nice using the scorecard, but Steven also admits there is still room for streamlining and improvement. ‘In the future, for instance, I want to work with a limited number of job requirements.’
Objective selection results in a better match
The course is tailor-made for your team, so you can focus on topics that are important to you, such as: identifying blind spots, working on building a diverse team, writing inclusive job descriptions or conducting structured interviews that are conducive to high-quality choices. Why does Steven recommend this training? ‘Objective selection results in a better match and it contributes to equal opportunities for all. So, in my opinion, this makes it essential for every BZ colleague who is part of a selection committee!’
Sign up for the team course
Start building a diverse team by signing up for the ‘Inclusive recruitment and selection’ course. To apply, contact the Leeuwendaal project office by sending an email to: Ontwikkelen@leeuwendaal.nl. They will contact you within 24 hours (on weekdays) to schedule an intake interview. After this interview, your department/division will receive an order confirmation based on centrally agreed arrangements and rates. For more information, visit the learning portal.