Aug 4. 2026

Building a More Inclusive Recruitment Process

Our HR team, together with hiring managers from our institute, took part in an inclusive recruitment workshop held at Maxman Consultants in Bratislava on 10 June and 15 July 2026. During the two sessions, we examined the entire recruitment process from defining a role and reviewing applications to conducting interviews and evaluating candidates.

What DEI Means

DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In practice, it means ensuring that people from different backgrounds have a fair opportunity to succeed and feel genuinely included once they join an organisation. During the workshop, we approached DEI not only as an important principle, but also as a way to make better recruitment decisions. A fair and well-structured process gives every candidate a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate their skills while helping employers identify the person best suited to the role.

One of our key takeaways was that diverse teams often perform better, even if working together may initially feel less comfortable. Different perspectives encourage people to think more carefully, challenge assumptions and avoid simply agreeing with one another.

This also changed the way we think about “culture fit”. Feeling comfortable with a candidate tells us very little about how well they will perform in the role. Recruitment decisions should therefore be based primarily on relevant skills, behaviours and evidence.

Recognising Bias in Recruitment

Bias can influence every stage of the recruitment process, from how a job description is written and which CVs are shortlisted to the questions asked during interviews and the way answers are interpreted. We often use broad terms such as “flexibility” or “teamwork”, which different interviewers may understand in different ways. During the workshop, we practised translating these qualities into specific, observable behaviours and tasks that can be assessed more consistently.

These findings will help us create a recruitment process that is fairer, more consistent and better equipped to identify the right person for each role.