Advertising our jobs broadly in order to generate a diverse pool of applicants is a great first step in recruiting diverse talent.

What we do

UC Davis Talent Acquisition is diligent in our efforts to ensure all job applications are reviewed fairly and consistently with UC policy during the screening process. In order to generate screening guidelines that are inclusive, work with your Talent Acquisition Partner to confirm your minimum and preferred qualifications are essential to the position. Additionally, they should broad enough to not unintentionally exclude any groups of prospective employees.

What you can do

Recruitment Panels

There are many steps you can take to ensure your recruitment panel is prepared to conduct fair and inclusive interviews. Examples of best-practices are listed below:

• Ensure your panel is diverse, and that  the panel understands the needs of the position prior to interviewing
• Require your panel members to participate in the UC Implicit Bias Training Series Modules (1, 2, & 6 are especially relevant)
• Review the UCOP resources on Unconscious Bias in the selection process and during the resume review process
• Share common issues related to Implicit Bias that come up during job interviews. Consider using our email template (PDF)
• Collect interview feedback anonymously before deliberating as a group

Job Interview Questions

Job interview questions are an important way to learn more about candidates and the qualities they can bring to your department. Below are some best-practices regarding developing interview questions. Your Talent Acquisition Partner can also provide guidance on developing inclusive questions.

• Ask at least one question that gives the candidate an opportunity to share their perspective on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work setting
• You can find some great diversity questions here, and you can find a variety of additional potential interview questions here.
• Ask questions that allow candidates flexibility to share relevant experience, even if they do not have direct experience for a job requirement. For example, a candidate may have not worked with our internal financial management systems but may have experience working with similar types of programs in a different setting. While that candidate may take a little longer to train, they offer a different perspective that may lead to more efficiency and creative results down the road.
• Follow-up questions during the interview: Be sure to avoid questions about the following candidate characteristics, or questions that could pigeon-hole someone into sharing these items:
  • Ancestry, national origin, race, or color
  • Gender or sexual orientation
  • Marital status, information about the candidate’s children, child-care arrangements or pregnancy
  • Age, medical information or disabilities
  • Political, religious or union affiliations
  • Conviction or court records
  • Transportation resources available or not available to them (you may ask about a Driver’s License if listed as a minimum qualification and   necessity to perform work functions)
  • Financial status
  • Any other information not related to successful work performance
  • Candidate’s current or previous salary

Accommodations

You should ensure that you have offered, and are equipped to provide reasonable accommodations to applicants who may require additional resources in order to participate in the selection process. Examples include:

• Some candidates may have accessibility issues, so identifying an interview location that can accommodate individuals with mobility needs is essential
• Some candidates may need interview questions ahead of time in order to review the content and ensure they have time to process the information
• Some candidates may need documents provided in PDF format in order to use text-to-voice technology

Your Talent Acquisition Partner and HR Business Partner can help you work with Disability Management Services to provide assistance on all aspects of disability management, compliance, and reasonable accommodations both during and after the selection process.

Great resources can be found on the University of California Talent Acquisition Resource Page as well. 

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