NEARLY HALF of UK companies do not express a desire to hear from candidates from underrepresented groups in their job advertisements according to new figures.

A survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), the professional body for the recruitment industry, asked 167 employers about the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) measures they take when hiring staff.

The survey showed that many businesses are not taking the most basic steps to ensure an inclusive recruitment process.

Nearly half (49%) of the survey’s respondents expressed no desire to receive applications from candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, a figure that was only slightly higher than the 48% who answered the same question in last year’s REC survey.  

It also found that 56% of companies do not require a diverse interview panel to be employed (the figure was 63% in 2022) and 67% do not use name-blind CVs (compared to 63% last year).

However, the figures also highlighted signs of change with 60 % of respondents saying they had changed the language of their job postings to make them more inclusive, a figure that is up from 54 percent in 2022.

Neil Carberry, REC chief executive, said: “Given the profile of equality, diversity and inclusion issues, it is disappointing to see so little action being taken by firms. While a slim majority of employers have reviewed the wording of their adverts, the overall picture suggests there is a lot still to do.

“Many employers remain either unconvinced about the importance of changing their approach or are relying on old adverts and approaches that will not serve them well. In doing so they also miss out on the business benefits of a diverse workforce, which are only enhanced by the tightness of our labour market now.”

Carberry added: “Pressure to change must come from Boards and executives, as well as government and sector and trade bodies. We urge employers to turn to professional recruitment businesses who can advise them on how to devise and implement a strategy that gives them access to the widest possible talent pool.

“Candidates are increasingly looking to work for organisations that have a positive impact on society – and effective diverse hiring policies are a key part of that.”