Creating a truly inclusive interview process (2026 edition)

TL;DR

• An inclusive interview process reduces barriers, not standards, so more candidates can show their skills fairly.
• Start earlier than the interview itself: inclusive job adverts and a clear job description shape who applies.
• Use structured interviews with the same questions, in the same order, mapped to the role and person specification.
• Design for accessibility and reasonable adjustments (not just on request), including options for neurodivergent candidates.
• Reduce unconscious bias by removing irrelevant signals and using consistent scoring to compare candidates.
• Text-based, asynchronous interviews can widen the playing field by reducing reliance on visual cues and social cues.
• Candidate feedback and clear expectations improve candidate experience and trust in the recruitment process.

Creating a truly inclusive interview process

A job interview can be intimidating, and that’s true whether it’s a traditional interview process or an AI-supported one. But it doesn’t have to feel like a test of confidence, eye contact, or who can perform best on a video call. A genuinely inclusive interview process is designed to help candidates show job-relevant skills, while helping hiring managers make fair, consistent hiring decisions.

The goal is simple: create an interview process where candidates from diverse backgrounds have a fair chance, and where your hiring process is structured enough to ensure fairness at scale.

Start before the interview: inclusion begins with the job advert

A lot of “interview bias” is locked in well before an interview panel meets a candidate. If job adverts use gendered language, unclear requirements, or vague expectations, you will attract fewer diverse candidates and you’ll see more drop-off in the application process.

A quick checklist for creating an inclusive start to the recruitment process:

• Write job ads in inclusive language and avoid unnecessary jargon
• Make the job description match the actual job roles and working hours
• Separate essential criteria from “nice to have” items in the person specification
• Set clear expectations about stages, timelines, and what candidates need to prepare
• Include a simple line explaining how to request reasonable adjustments

These changes don’t lower the bar. They make the bar visible.

Use structured interviews so you can compare candidates fairly

Unstructured interviews often reward confidence and familiarity with social cues, not capability. A structured interview process gives every candidate the same opportunity to show relevant skills and problem-solving.

Practical principles:

• Ask the same questions to every candidate, in the same order
• Keep questions job-relevant and mapped to the role
• Prefer open-ended prompts over direct questions designed as “gotchas”
• Use a simple scoring guide so you can compare candidates consistently
• Keep notes focused on evidence, not impressions like “good vibe”

Structured interviews also make it easier for a diverse interview panel to align on what “good” looks like, especially for senior roles where bias can creep in through informal judgments.

Design for accessibility and reasonable adjustments

Inclusive practices mean planning for accessibility upfront, not waiting until a candidate has to ask. Reasonable adjustments can be small, low-effort changes that make a big difference to candidate experience.

Examples that can apply across the hiring process:

• Offer remote interviews where possible, or provide an accessible car parking space and wheelchair accessible entry for in-person interviews
• Avoid penalising candidates for background noise or lack of a quiet space
• Provide assistive technology compatibility and screen-reader-friendly materials
• Offer alternatives to video applications assistance, such as text responses or audio-only options
• Where needed, provide a British Sign Language interpreter or support worker

For neurodivergent candidates, consider adjustments like sending interview questions in advance, allowing extra processing time, or reducing multi-part questions. These changes help you evaluate candidates more accurately.

Our research shows that designing for inclusion can improve participation rates and enhance inclusion 

Reduce unconscious bias by removing non-job signals

Bias often shows up through visual or behavioural expectations: body language, eye contact, accent, appearance, or “polish”. These cues can disadvantage underrepresented candidates and distort hiring decisions.

To reduce unconscious bias:

• Focus scoring on evidence of skills and communication skills that relate to the job
• Avoid using “culture fit” as a catch-all without defined criteria
• Keep interviewer notes aligned to the rubric rather than personal impressions
• Ensure the recruitment process includes a consistent way to review and challenge decisions

A diverse panel can help, but it’s not a substitute for structure. A diverse interview panel works best when everyone is using the same framework.

Where text-based interviews can help

It is difficult to keep candidates anonymous in a live video call, and video interviews can amplify bias through visual cues. Text-based interviews, especially when asynchronous, can reduce reliance on social cues and give candidates time to think.

Text chat is familiar, works well for many candidates, and can support a more inclusive interview when paired with structured interviews and clear scoring. It also helps when candidates don’t have ideal conditions for remote interviews, such as stable internet, a quiet space, or comfort on camera.

Sapia.ai supports this approach by using structured, text-based interviews early in the hiring process. Candidates respond in their own words, and hiring managers receive consistent information to help evaluate candidates fairly. Sapia.ai also supports candidate feedback at scale, which improves trust and keeps the experience respectful even for unsuccessful candidates.

Conclusion

A truly inclusive interview process is not one big initiative. It is a series of practical choices that remove friction, reduce unconscious bias, and help you compare candidates consistently.

Start with inclusive job adverts, move to structured interviews, build in reasonable adjustments, and use methods that reduce bias rather than amplify it. When you do, you widen your candidate pool, improve candidate experience, and make better hiring decisions.

We cover this and so much more in our report: Hiring for Equality. Download the report here.

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Laura Belfield

Head of Marketing