Stop Swiping, Start Hiring: Why Inclusive Recruitment Matters

I’m a big advocate for approaching DEI on moral grounds instead of business benefits, making decisions based on fairness, equity, and justice. Too often, companies want to only see the numbers—they want proof that diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (JEDI) help the bottom line. It’s worth noting that extensive research supports the business case: inclusive workplaces are shown to improve financial performance, boost employee engagement, enhance productivity, and attract top talent (see 3.2 in this report). But this isn’t just about profits or performance. It’s about people.

Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equally, simply because it’s the right thing to do. This is a human rights issue. We need to stop acting like fairness needs to be justified—we just have to do it, because it’s the right thing. As Oriane Georgeac and Aneeta Rattan put it in the Harvard Business Review:

“It may seem counterintuitive, but making a case for diversity inherently implies that valuing diversity is up for discussion. You don’t have to explain why you value innovation, resilience, or integrity. So why treat diversity any differently?”

Inclusive hiring isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. At a time when DEI initiatives are being rolled back globally, companies can—and should— integrate DEI into the way we already work. And hiring is the perfect place to start.

B Corps, DEI professionals, and anyone looking to embed JEDI values into their organization often face the same questions: Where do we begin? What really works? What challenges should we expect?

Over the past year, ten Dutch B Corps—including Triodos, Swapfiets, and Ace & Tate—came together in the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) B Corp Circle to explore what it really means to create more inclusive hiring practices.

Through surveys, expert interviews, and peer learning sessions, they identified some of the most common challenges companies face:

• How to embed inclusivity in hiring across different cultural contexts
• How to gain leadership buy-in for inclusive hiring
• How to remove barriers for underrepresented groups
• How to build hiring processes that are both inclusive and measurable

All these learnings were brought together in the JEDI Playbook for Business—a practical toolkit created by the JEDI Circle to support companies in embedding JEDI values into all areas of their work.

While the playbook addresses a wide range of topics, Chapter 2 dives deep into inclusive hiring, offering hands-on strategies and real-world examples for making hiring more fair, equitable, and accessible.

What’s inside?
✅ Strategies to reduce bias throughout the hiring process
✅ Ways to make roles and recruitment more accessible to diverse candidates
✅ Guidance for building long-term recruitment strategies that support an inclusive workforce

One of my favorite insights? The idea that diverse teams hire diverse teams. As B Corp African Clean Energy puts it in the toolkit:

“A team lacking diversity is more likely to hire colleagues who resemble them. A diverse team is more inclined to recruit individuals from varied backgrounds, fostering greater inclusivity and representation.”

This is the ripple effect we need. Let’s create the conditions for it to grow. → Explore the toolkit here

Not sure where to start? Here are three simple steps you can take right now:

• Review your job descriptions – Are you focusing on the skills needed for the role, or relying on personality traits like “enthusiastic” or “dynamic”? Centering skills over soft labels helps open the door to a wider range of candidates.
• Anonymize CVs during the first screening round – Can you remove names, photos, or other identity markers in the first round of screening? It’s a small change that helps reduce unconscious bias right from the start.
• Use interview scorecards –Do you have a structured way to evaluate candidates? Scorecards help keep interviews consistent and focused on what actually matters for the job.

These small changes add up. You don’t need to wait for a big initiative—just start. Want more? The JEDI Playbook for Business includes a full list of “Actions you can take today” to help teams move from good intentions to real impact.

The work doesn’t stop at hiring. The JEDI Circle is now turning its focus to the next chapter of the playbook: building inclusive workplace cultures—because inclusive hiring is only the beginning.

I’d love to see more people join this movement. Want to be part of shaping what comes next? Reach out to Danja and get involved.

Let’s move beyond swiping for cultural fit—and start hiring, building, and growing for true inclusion.