The best way to recruit candidates

1. If drafted well a job description will help attract the right candidates and discourage recruitment practices which might be considered discriminatory.

2. Avoid using words or phrases such as ‘male’ or ‘under 25 years old’ which are almost always discriminatory.

3. Take care before using phrases such as “willingness to work long hours”. This could indirectly discriminate against women who are more likely to have the primary child care roles.

4. Be aware that placing a single recruitment advert in a publication considered to be read almost exclusively by either men or women could suggest you have purposely limited your audience.

5. Ideally, all applications and candidates should be assessed by two people independently to ensure objectivity.

6. When drawing up a shortlist always remember to refer back to the selection criteria listed in the job description.

7. Before the interview process, ask all candidates if they need any special arrangements.

8. Make sure all interview questions only relate directly to the candidates’ ability to do the job.

9. Make sure that offer letters and employment contracts comply with Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act which sets out the minimum that is required in, for example, pay and working hours.

10. If you make an offer subject to satisfactory references, CRB checks or a work permit then this must be stated in the offer letter.