Key Takeaways
- The language and look of your job posts either invite people in or keep them out.
- Shift where and how you search for candidates to attract different backgrounds.
- Use tools and regular checks to keep bias out of screening, interviews, and decision-making.
- Don’t forget to make your interviews more flexible and assessments task-based. They can actually help your candidates perform better, especially neurodiverse people.
- Track retention, promotions, and belonging to know if your inclusion efforts are working.
Hiring processes can sometimes develop blind spots or unintentional roadblocks that may keep great people out. If you’re wondering whether your current approach is truly inclusive, or if some hidden gaps are costing you valuable talent, you’re not alone. It’s 2026, and a lot of organizations are still asking the same old questions: how do you spot these gaps? What are the ways to fix them and ensure that your hiring process welcomes everyone who has what it takes to help your business thrive? Let’s find out.
Start with an Inclusive Hiring Audit: Your 2026 Checklist
Use this step-by-step checklist as your roadmap.
1. Rethink Your Job Descriptions
This is where many talented people take their very first step toward your company or get left out before they even apply.
- Choose neutral, inviting terms while writing the job description. For instance, words like “ninja,” “rockstar,” or even “dominate” may attract some candidates and turn off the others.
- Don’t Overdo the ‘Must-Haves.’ You don’t need a unicorn for every role. Be honest about your requirements, as asking a lot may make a lot of great folks self-select out.
- Make your job more accessible. Is your posting readable for people using screen-readers? Does it work well on all devices? Clear font and layout matter more than you think.
2. Broaden Where You Search for Candidates
If you always look in the same places, you’ll keep finding the same types of people.
- Don’t just rely on LinkedIn or word-of-mouth referrals. Seek out job boards, communities, and schools that can better connect you with underrepresented groups.
- Build relationships with organizations and universities that work with people from diverse backgrounds.
3. Take a Close Look at Screening
Screening is one of the biggest places where bias can creep in, even if you don’t mean it to. Here are some best practices to follow to avoid it from happening in your organization.
- Remove names, addresses, graduation dates, and photos from resumes. Involuntary bias drops a lot when you focus only on skills and experience.
- If you use artificial intelligence or software to screen candidates, double-check for (and fix!) any built-in bias. Sometimes, even the smartest tools inherit human flaws unless you keep a close eye.
4. Make Your Interviews More Welcoming
This is often where people get left behind, not because they’re not qualified, but because the process doesn’t fit their style. Here’s how to go about it:
- Use the same set of questions for every applicant for the same role. It keeps things fair.
- Mix up your interviewers. If every interviewer looks and thinks the same, it might discourage some candidates.
- Don’t wait for candidates to ask for extra time or captions. Let them know upfront what’s available and what’s not.
The Best Tools for Removing Bias from Job Ads
There are now great tools that help keep your job descriptions welcoming and bias-free. Here are a few of them:
- Gender Language Checkers: These platforms flag words that unintentionally appeal more to one gender.
- Age Bias Detectors: Pay attention to phrases like “digital native” or “energetic,” as they can put off experienced workers.
- Reading Level Scanners: If your job ad sounds like a PhD thesis, you might lose candidates for whom English isn’t a first language or who are neurodiverse.
- Competency Over Credentials: Many platforms guide you to describe what you want someone to “do,” instead of where they went to school. That opens the door for more people with the right skills, regardless of pedigree.
Welcoming Neurodiverse Talent: How to Build Friendly Interviews
Neurodiversity comes in many forms, for instance, autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. Sometimes, typical interviews may make it hard for neurodiverse people to shine, even when they’re totally capable of doing the job perfectly.
Here’s how you can help everyone show their best:
- Don’t reject a software developer for not making eye contact or a graphic designer for being nervous during small talk. Unless public speaking or constant teamwork is truly part of the job, focus on the skills that count.
- Share the interview format and questions in advance whenever possible. Let people know if the environment is busy, quiet, bright, or loud. Reduce surprises, and you’ll reduce anxiety.
- Remind candidates they’re welcome to request quiet rooms, different lighting, or breaks.
Structured Interview Questions: Keeping It Fair
When you ask every candidate the same job-relevant questions and judge answers against a clear rubric, you get more accurate, fair results. For instance, here are some questions suitable for different roles:
- Project Manager (Conflict Resolution): Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a stakeholder about a project timeline. What was the disagreement? How did you resolve it? What happened next?
Score for: Listening, respectful conversation, and focusing on solutions.
- Customer Success Specialist (Empathy / Problem Solving): Describe a time when your client was upset due to a product feature you couldn’t change. How did you handle it?
Score for: Validating feelings, clear communication, creative solutions.
- Software Engineer (Learning Agility): Share an example of when you quickly had to pick up a new tech skill or programming language to get something done. How did you approach it?
Score for: Curiosity, initiative, and hands-on action.
Beyond Headcounts: How to Measure Inclusion in 2026
It’s not enough to hire diverse people. The real test of your hiring decision remains whether they stay, thrive, and rise in your organization or not. You may need to look for certain metrics like:
- Retention by group
- Promotional speed of the hired candidates
- Their engagement score by segment
Wrapping Up: How to Move Forward With Inclusive Hiring
Creating an inclusive hiring process is an ongoing journey, not a box to tick once and move on. The companies that lead in 2026 will be those that constantly look for new ways to remove hidden barriers and genuinely care about bringing out the best in every person.
Start with an honest audit. Try the new tech. Ask your team where they see gaps. Welcome feedback from every applicant (even those you don’t hire). Measure what matters—not just how many different faces you’ve hired, but how those people feel, grow, and lead with you.
When you truly believe talent can come from anywhere, incredible things start to happen.
FAQs
Q: What’s the biggest stumbling block for companies trying to implement inclusive hiring?
Focusing too much on bringing in a diverse “pipeline” instead of fixing the screening and interview steps.
Q: How can I convince my leadership to support an inclusion audit?
A: Point to the bottom line: diverse teams are proven to solve problems better and drive growth. You can also ask to conduct an audit inside the organization itself.
Q: Are hiring algorithms always unbiased?
A: No. Algorithms can also inherit biases from past decisions.
