Inclusive Recruitment & Decision Making
Who is promoted, what is prioritised, and why the direction changes is where bias, exclusion, and inconsistency tend to show up.
This programme explores why this is a risk for culture, and how to build trust and credibility while making choices that stand up to scrutiny.
Learning outcomes
- Recognise when pressure impacts fairness and outcomes
- Understand common conscious and unconscious biases in decision making
- Gain frameworks and tools to promote fairness
- Experiment with behavioural shifts to create inclusive impact
- Explore decision points relevant to your context, uncovering and mitigating potential bias traps
How this works
- Realistic, bias-rich recruitment scenarios, from shortlisting to final decision. Working in small groups, participants make rapid decisions under time pressure.
- Before any theory is introduced, participants reflect on what influenced their choices, uncovering common bias and assumption traps (affinity bias, halo effect, confidence bias, cultural fit shortcuts).
- Participants are introduced to clear, practical frameworks that can be applied to recruitment and beyond, put into practice immediately to re-work the same recruitment decision.
- Through game-based decision making and “what if” scenarios, groups see how small shifts in process, language, and environment change outcomes.
- We map the learning to decision points relevant to your context (e.g., promotion, performance, funding, disciplinary processes, allocation of opportunity) showing how the same risks and protections apply.
- Participants leave with a clear, bias-aware recruitment checklist or decision guide, agreed principles for inclusive decision-making, and actions they can implement immediately.
Who it’s for
Leaders, managers, panel members and HR professionals involved in people, funding or strategic decisions.
Delivery
Half-day workshops, delivered in person or virtually and shaped around real decisions and processes.
Optional Extras
Decision-making framework toolkit
A practical set of templates and prompts to support consistent, defensible decisions. Includes bias-aware checklists, evidence vs interpretation prompts, and proportionate decision-rationale templates.
Decision clinics
Short, facilitated sessions where leaders or panels bring live or upcoming decisions to sense-check fairness, consistency and risk before outcomes are finalised.
Decision audit or pulse check
A light-touch audit or pulse diagnostic to assess confidence, consistency and perceived fairness in decision-making following the session.
Coaching or leadership intensives
Time-bound coaching support for leaders or panel chairs navigating complex, high-risk decisions or challenge.
Frequently asked questions
Is this about inclusion or governance?
It is both. The programme strengthens decision-making so it is fair, consistent and defensible, reducing risk while building trust in outcomes.
Does this focus on recruitment only?
No. Recruitment is often used as a practical example, but the frameworks apply equally to promotion, performance, funding, disciplinary and strategic decisions.
How practical is the session?
Very practical. Participants work through real decisions, decision simulations and structured frameworks, and leave with clear actions they can apply immediately.
Will participants be expected to share sensitive decisions?
No. Participants are not required to disclose confidential information. Scenarios can be anonymised or representative of real situations.
Is this relevant if we already have decision frameworks or policies?
Yes. The programme helps leaders apply existing frameworks consistently in practice, identifying where informal judgement or discretion introduces risk.
Does this slow down decision-making?
No. In most cases it increases clarity and confidence, reducing rework, challenge and hesitation.
Is this suitable for panels or mixed-role groups?
Yes. It works particularly well for panels and groups involved in shared decision-making. Facilitation is adapted to manage power dynamics.
Can the content be tailored to our organisation?
Yes. Examples, scenarios and emphasis are shaped around your decision processes, risk profile and operating context.
What outcomes should we expect?
Greater consistency, clearer rationale, reduced challenge and increased confidence among decision-makers.