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Highly-trained fair recruitment specialists for recruitment activity across UCL.
As part of UCL’s work on the Race Equality Charter, we have created a pool of highly-trained Fair Recruitment Specialists who will bring very valuable input into recruitment activity across UCL. The Specialists are volunteers drawn from UCL staff who identify as Black or Minority Ethnic (BME). This is in response to feedback from departments that it is often difficult to have sufficient ethnic diversity on panels, as BME staff are under-represented in certain roles and grades at UCL.
UCL’s recruitment policy is to seek to select the best candidates for our positions based solely on merit. Yet there is considerable research that shows aspects of a candidate’s identity, such as their gender or ethnicity, may differentially, but subtly, shape the expectations and behaviours of a recruitment panel and consequently the selection outcome. This is not necessarily the result of overt prejudice and can instead be caused by the implicit biases that everyone brings into the process of evaluating candidates, particularly in the relatively informal process of the interview, where subjective judgements are often made.
For these reasons, diverse recruitment panels are regarded as a significant element in fair and effective recruitment. It adds a variety of perspectives to decision-making, helps mitigate against ‘cloning’ and the perpetuation of current profiles, reduces the possibility of stereotyping, can improve candidate performance by reducing ‘stereotype threat’, and is a visible demonstration of UCL’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
If you are a Recruiting Manager and wish to utilise the scheme please contact equalities@ucl.ac.uk
If you identify as black and minority ethnic and wish to volunteer to become a Fair Recruitment Specialist, please complete the following Affirmation of interest Form and return to equalities@ucl.ac.uk. Please note we train new volunteers twice a year.
Frequently asked questions
- How will the process work?
Recruiting managers (RM) keen to address under-representation of black and minority ethnic staff or just wanting to ensure best practice will contact the EDI team by emailing equalities@ucl.ac.uk.
RM will be provided with an up-to-date list of Fair Recruitment Specialists. The RM will select an FRS from the list and contact the EDI Team, who will confirm the availability of the FRS and their willingness to participate in the recruitment exercise.
RM and FRS agree on the level of involvement between the two. RM are encouraged to involve the FRS at the earliest stage.
FRS becomes another member of the shortlisting panel and interview panel.
The chair of the panel will ensure FRS participates in the selection process according to the pre-agreed parameters.
- Is it tokenism to involve black and minority ethnic staff in recruitment panels in areas outside of their experience?
The intention is to bring more visible diversity to UCL’s recruitment panels. We hope this will help reduce the ‘stereotype threat’ that black and minority ethnic candidates may experience when faced with an all-white panel. It will also demonstrate UCL‘s commitment to inclusion to all interview candidates.
FRS are there to be far more than a face on a panel though. They have been trained in UCL recruitment policy, assessment skills, and unconscious bias. They will bring all these skills along to the selection process. Following best practices increases objectivity and should result in better recruitment decisions.
- Will the Fair Recruitment Specialist provide admin support to the recruitment process?
The Fair Recruitment Specialists have been trained in selection and assessment skills. They are there to add value to the process not relieve others of their responsibilities.
- What value will using a Fair Recruitment Specialist add to the recruitment and selection process?
UCL’s recruitment policy is to seek to select the best candidates for our positions based solely on merit. Yet there is considerable research that shows aspects of a candidate’s identity, such as their gender or ethnicity, may differentially, but subtly, shape the expectations and behaviours of a recruitment panel and consequently the selection outcome. This is not necessarily the result of overt prejudice and can instead be caused by the implicit biases that everyone brings into the process of evaluating candidates, particularly in the relatively informal process of the interview, where subjective judgements are often made.
For these reasons, diverse recruitment panels are regarded as a significant element in fair and effective recruitment. It adds a variety of perspectives to decision-making, helps mitigate against ‘cloning’ and the perpetuation of current profiles, reduces the possibility of stereotyping, can improve candidate performance by reducing ‘stereotype threat’, and is a visible demonstration of UCL’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Fair Recruitment Specialists can facilitate best practices by helping recruiting managers get the best candidate. Their use will support the increase the consistency in UCL recruitment practice as they will work across different departments.
- How can someone with limited or no knowledge of the job be an asset to the recruitment panel?
Fair Recruitment Specialists will act as ‘cross-functional interviewers’. Organisations such as Google have led the way in their use. As they have no connection with the job or the department they are able to remain objective and contribute to keeping the quality of hiring high.
- How were/are the Fair Recruitment Specialists recruited?
An open invitation went out asking staff who identify as black or minority ethnic to express an interest in becoming a Fair Recruitment Specialist. These staff went on to receive training to enable them to undertake this role.
- Why do we have the scheme?
The scheme has been initiated as part of UCL’s progress within the Race Equality Charter Mark. This is a national scheme aimed at improving the representation, progression, and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education.
At UCL there remains a striking disparity between the proportion of black and minority ethnic students and BME academic staff. Also, very low numbers of our most senior professional services staff are from a black or minority ethnic background, despite London being one of the most diverse cities in the world. Our Race Equality Charter Mark work aims to improve these profiles.
- What do Fair Recruitment Specialists get out of this scheme?
In return for giving their time and commitment Fair Recruitment Specialists benefit in the following ways:
- Playing an important role in decision-making at the University
- Receiving high-level training
- Building new relationships in other parts of UCL
- Demonstrating an ‘enabling’ activity that can be recognised in promotion
- Boosting their CV and profile at UCL
- Helping UCL meet its aspirations on equality, diversity, and inclusion- Will Fair Recruitment Specialists be policing local recruitment practices?
The Fair Recruitment Specialists' role is to offer advice and share best practices in addition to providing visible diversity on the recruitment panel.
