There is a belief in many HR teams that the recruitment interview is the main obstacle to achieving a more diverse organisation particularly at middle and senior management level. Which is why HR teams have championed diverse interview panels and training to increase awareness of the risk of unconscious bias. Whilst both these initiatives are to be applauded in creating the right culture there is little evidence that they are effective.

I have extensive experience of the recruitment interview in a number of large organisations and the confidence of those conducting the interviews was rarely matched by the skill and awareness on display. The qualification for being on the interview panel was either it was ,”your” post or you were available and experienced. Few organisations had a requirement for interviewers to have attended a course on recruitment and interviewing.

Even where such a requirement was in place it was often wavered for senior managers and board members. Ironically this was the group most likely to ignore the procedures and good practise guidelines draw up by HR. Some organisations require a member of the HR team to be present to advise the panel. This can be effective in ensuring good practise guideline are followed but they will be understandably reluctant to challenge the chief executive or board member.

Interview panels routinely agree a scoring system for candidates answers but in my experience they often fail to agree in advance what would be a good answer. This comes to light when there is a significant difference within the panel in how a candidate has been scored. An HR advisor can be helpful in a debate about the relative merits of candidates by keeping a record of candidates answers. These notes are particularly useful in giving helpful feedback to unsuccessful candidates.

Far more effective in countering structural discrimination is what happens outside the interview process. A lot of emphases in the short listing process is on experience and perhaps not enough on potential. When I look back on my own career I was given acting up experience, secondment opportunities and encouraged to get involved in corporate working groups and projects.

This is the type of quality of experience and an indication of potential that interviewers are looking for. So what is your organisation doing to ensure that employees from underrepresented groups are able to exploit these opportunities.

Once an organisation establishes a reputation for providing opportunities to gain experience , skills and knowledge and a willingness to recruit on potential then a broader range of candidates will be attracted.