Striking a balance between prioritising equity, fostering diversity and pursuing excellence in the hiring process poses a complex question for organisations. Should the focus of recruitment be on ensuring fairness and inclusion, or on securing the highest level of individual talent and achievement – and is there a way to hire for both?

Hiring for excellence, in its simplest definition, refers to the ability to consistently identify, attract and hire top talent. When done well, this approach can lead to the acquisition of high-performing employees who align with an organisation’s goals and values and contribute meaningfully to the success and growth of the organisation.

When done poorly, it risks focusing on only a narrow set of characteristics that may inadvertently exclude candidates of certain cultural or educational backgrounds, experiences or abilities.

When we discuss hiring for excellence, it’s therefore imperative to question whether we’re adhering to a set of criteria that might unintentionally marginalise or undervalue certain candidates.

The reality is that certain groups face systemic barriers that hinder their access to opportunities, making it difficult for them to showcase traditional merits or demonstrate achieved ‘excellence’. Taking too narrow a view of excellence means employers risk overlooking this entire cohort.

In contrast, the concept of hiring for equity is rooted in the belief that every individual should have an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances.

One approach requires employers to focus on uncovering individuals who bring new and valuable perspectives to the table.

It requires organisations to actively seek out and remove biases from their hiring processes, ensuring that candidates are evaluated based on their skills, necessary qualifications and potential, rather than screened out because they don’t look, sound or behave the same way as previous, successful hires.

Hiring for equity offers many benefits for organisations, but perhaps most significant is its contribution to workplace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) – an increasingly important consideration for employers today.