Despite the backlash from so-called ‘woke’ culture wars, inclusive hiring is more popular among employers than ever, research has revealed.

The latest annual survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) of 233 employers shows that pro-EDI hiring practices have reached their highest levels since it began tracking data in 2022.

Neil Carberry, chief executive of the REC, said that many employers were adopting inclusive practices as they feared losing out on talent in the face of the UK’s persistent labour and skills shortage.

“Our findings show that the inclusion agenda is far stronger than the unhelpful and incorrect framing of it by some as ‘woke’ would suggest. This is about businesses doing what is best for them – tackling talent shortages and opening up opportunities,” he added.

Practical measures to improve diversity on the rise

Businesses are taking more concrete steps to reduce bias and attract a wider range of candidates, with the survey highlighting significant progress across several key areas.

Half of respondents (51 per cent) now use diverse interview panels – a sharp rise from 35 per cent last year. A third (34 per cent) have adopted name-blind CV screening – the practice of removing identifying details such as names to reduce unconscious bias – which is up from 22 per cent, while 48 per cent are working to increase the diversity of shortlists, compared with 40 per cent a year ago.

According to Martin Drake, CEO and founder of Higher People these findings aligned with wider market trends. “It doesn’t surprise me that inclusive hiring practices are holding strong,” he said. “Most applicant tracking systems now make it easy to collect and review EDI data, so I’d expect to see steady or even rising levels of monitoring.”

Drake added that while smaller businesses often lagged larger organisations in tracking EDI data, progress was being made through training. “Interviewer education is improving, but there’s still a long way to go in understanding how to adapt processes for candidates with ADHD or autism, or simply those who are more introverted,” he said.

Drake explained that rethinking interview design – from types of questions asked to sensory considerations – could significantly enhance fairness and overall candidate experience.

Use of inclusive language in job adverts has also risen slightly, to 52 per cent, though it remains below 2022 levels. Taken together, the findings suggested inclusion was becoming central to recruitment strategy rather than treated as an optional add-on.

“What these results suggest about the current state of UK employers is that many are genuinely taking EDI seriously as a strategic priority,” said ​Aggie Yemurai Mutuma, CEO of Mahogany Inclusion Partners.

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