International Women’s Day (8 March, 2025) is almost upon us and the theme this year is ‘accelerating action for gender equality.’ This is a call to action for all of us to think about how we can ensure gender parity in all aspects of life, including both personal and professional contexts.
We are proud to be ambassadors for diversity and gender equality, through ensuring an inclusive hiring process and choosing to work with clients who uphold the same values.
It is well documented that diverse companies ultimately perform better. Therefore, gender quality isn’t just about fairness, it also makes perfect business sense.
Here are some of our top tips for ensuring a gender-inclusive hiring process.
1. Eliminate Bias from Job Descriptions
The language used in job postings can unintentionally discourage candidates of a particular gender. Avoid gender-coded words such as "dominant," "competitive," or "nurturing" that may implicitly signal a preference. Use gender-neutral and inclusive language that focuses on skills, qualifications, and responsibilities rather than traits that are typically associated with specific genders.
2. Standardise Interview Processes
Unstructured interviews can lead to subjective decision-making, often influenced by biases. Implementing a standardised interview format with predefined questions ensures that all candidates are assessed fairly based on the same criteria. Structured evaluation rubrics can also help mitigate bias.
3. Encourage Diverse Hiring Panels
A diverse hiring panel can help balance perspectives and reduce individual biases. Ensure that your interview and hiring teams represent different genders and backgrounds to create a more inclusive and fair evaluation process.
4. Expand Candidate Pools
Traditional recruitment channels may not always attract a diverse talent pool. Actively source candidates from underrepresented groups by engaging with women’s professional networks, diversity job boards, and mentorship programmes. Consider implementing ‘returnship’ programmes for those re-entering the workforce after a career break.
5. Offer Equal Pay and Transparency
Gender pay gaps persist in many industries. Conduct regular pay audits to ensure equal pay for equal work. Be transparent about salary ranges in job postings to prevent disparities and provide all candidates with fair compensation opportunities.
6. Support Work-Life Balance and Family-Friendly Policies
Offering flexible work arrangements, parental leave, and family-friendly policies can help create a more inclusive workplace. These benefits attract a wider range of candidates and support gender equality in career advancement.
7. Provide Bias Training for Hiring Managers
Unconscious bias training can help hiring managers recognize and address their own biases. Regular training sessions and workshops on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can create awareness and foster more inclusive hiring practices.
8. Set and Track Gender Diversity Goals
Organizations should set clear, measurable gender diversity goals and track progress regularly. Data-driven approaches help identify gaps, measure success, and hold leadership accountable for fostering an equitable hiring environment.
9. Create an Inclusive Workplace Culture
Hiring diverse talent is just the first step—retention is equally important. Foster a culture of inclusion by promoting mentorship programs, providing leadership opportunities for women, and encouraging open discussions about gender equity in the workplace.
10. Work with a specialist search firm
A search firm will proactively reach out to ‘passive candidates’ who may not be actively looking for a new role. This enables the recruiter to select a strong balance of candidates and ensure that a diverse shortlist can be presented. Furthermore, at Leonid, we conduct short video interviews which we present alongside shortlisted CVs (see our LeonidLive page for more info) – this ensures that every candidate can present their personality and soft skills alongside their experience, and enables hiring companies to assess applications on a complete picture, not just a CV. This helps mitigate any unconscious bias from the outset.
For more information on International Women's Day and the #AccelerateAction campaign, please visit the IWD website.