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The Bicycle Association (BA) has published the latest in its BA Guide series—the BA Guide to Inclusive Recruitment.
From using gender-neutral language in job ads, to being transparent on policies and benefits, the BA Guide includes a set of inclusive hiring practices to help cycling sector organisations to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce.
This guide is part of the BA’s diversity programme, which launched in March 2023.
Sally Middlemiss, BA associate director and inclusion lead, said: “We are incredibly proud to offer this new BA Guide to the cycling industry—and beyond.
“This guide introduces a set of actions that can be implemented by businesses of all sizes, to encourage more diverse applicants to apply for vacancies, and ensure the recruitment process is inclusive for everyone.”
Industry response so far has been strong, with more than 50 companies signing the BA’s Diversity Pledge.
The guide’s content was originally published as a BA news article, How to recruit more inclusively: quick wins for your business, featuring expert guidance from Gemma Lloyd, founder of global DEI advocate WORK180.com.
This guide has been supplemented with insights and ideas from BA Members and the Investors in Cycling community, including Isla Rowntree, founder of Islabikes, and Bianca Carlin, HR Director at WiggleCRC.
Some of the inclusive hiring tips include:
- How to structure your job advertisements, and where to promote them
- Using gender-neutral or feminine-coded language in job advertisements
- Making the interview process accessible for all
- Promoting your jobs to different audiences
Isla Rowntree, founder of Islabikes, said: “My advice for a company taking its first steps in this area is to tap into the work that the BA are doing and use that as a guide, so you don’t have to do all the upfront working out what to do – you can just follow the steps and then get on with the doing.
“The hard bit is actually working out what to do and I think that’s where the BA’s work adds so much value.”
Read more: A long way to go – Women in the bike industry share their experiences
Bianca Carlin, HR director at WiggleCRC, added: “My advice is to take the first step, even if it is scary. You might not get everything right, but the first step is the hardest one and in our experience, we find that people don’t actually mind if you get it wrong, as long as you’re open to feedback, you listen to it and then you respond to make changes as necessary.
“When you’re on the journey, it gathers speed and momentum and people jump on with you, and they can help you and guide you. So, don’t be afraid of making a mistake or not getting everything perfect – it’s about progress, not perfection.”
