Inclusive recruitment research project

About the project

Anti-Discrimination NSW is working with the Department of Communities and Justice on a project to help make NSW public service recruitment processes more accessible and inclusive for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Through our community engagement, we hear many anecdotal reports from people in NSW experiencing race discrimination in recruitment and employment. We have also seen an increase in employers who want to designate jobs for people from CALD communities through the temporary exemption process under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).

The project aims to:

• identify obstacles people from CALD communities face when looking for a job, including in the application, interview, and assessment processes
• explore how public sector agencies can attract more culturally diverse job applicants.

In 2023 the project reviewed the available Australian and international research literature. It then gathered evidence from a range of job seekers, Department of Communities and Justice hiring managers and HR advisers, and inclusive employers in the private, not-for-profit and government sectors.

In 2024, the project developed new co-designed resources, a tip sheet and videos for public sector managers, to help make recruitment processes more accessible and inclusive for people from CALD backgrounds. 

Reports and resources

The project has produced a:

• Literature review: Inclusive Recruitment for Culturally and Racially Marginalised Groups
• Final research report: Barriers and enablers of recruitment for people from CALD backgrounds
• Videos for public sector hiring managers
• A tip sheet for public sector hiring managers