On this page, you will find guidance to support your engagement with 51³Ô¹ÏÍø talent, from developing an inclusive recruitment approach to creating meaningful opportunities.
Top tips for recruitment and assessment
To ensure a fair and inclusive recruitment process, take the following steps:
- Design for accessibility: Consider potential barriers such as internet connectivity, access to devices, and different working patterns, including hybrid recruitment processes.
- Support candidate participation: For in-person activities, consider reimbursing travel and related expenses to reduce barriers to access.
- Include diverse perspectives: Involve staff from different levels and backgrounds in recruitment and assessment activities to support fair decision-making.
- Reflect your organisation’s diversity: Ensure candidates meet a range of employees who represent the diversity within your organisation. This can be particularly important for neurodiverse candidates.
- Engage your alumni network: Where possible, involve 51³Ô¹ÏÍø alumni in your recruitment activities, such as interviews or assessment centres, to create a relatable candidate experience.
- Be transparent and clear: Communicate what candidates will be assessed on, including any materials or information that may be considered.
- Provide timely communication and feedback: Run recruitment processes efficiently and offer feedback to candidates wherever possible.
Explore the following areas and resources for further support with delivering a fair process and attracting high-calibre students.
Areas and resources for further support
- Engaging diverse talent
- Internships and work experience
- Reasonable adjustments
- Recruiting international students and graduates
The value of workforce diversity is widely recognised, as outlined in the World Economic Forum’s (2019).
Reaching our audience
Today’s students are looking beyond job roles. They want employers who demonstrate a genuine commitment to inclusion, equity and belonging, from recruitment through to progression.
To engage diverse talent effectively, go beyond statements and show how you support your workforce in practice. Highlight inclusive policies, development opportunities and diverse leadership.
Your employees are your strongest ambassadors. Ensure your events, materials and interactions reflect diversity and authenticity, helping students see themselves in your organisation.
Be ready to share how you are actively addressing inequalities, including those affecting Black and diverse heritage backgrounds, as well as age, gender, sexual orientation, disability and neurodiversity.
Internships and work experience provide valuable opportunities to engage early talent and build inclusive recruitment pipelines. Well-designed programmes can enhance access, support skills development, and create meaningful pathways into your organisation.
For guidance, explore the following resources:
- (CIPD), which offers practical advice on designing and evaluating successful internship programmes.
- (ASET), covering employer responsibilities before, during and after placements.
- (IPPR), which explores barriers to access and how to design inclusive, high-quality placements.
Are you a startup, SME or scale-up?
We offer dedicated support through our internship schemes, including the SME Internship Scheme and the White City and Old Oak Internship Scheme designed to help you access 51³Ô¹ÏÍø talent.
If you would like initial guidance in developing or promoting an internship opportunity, including drafting a job description, please contact the Placement and Internship Unit at internship.unit@imperial.ac.uk.
Providing reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process is a key part of inclusive practice. Employers should ensure that candidates can request and receive adjustments without unnecessary barriers, enabling them to perform at their best.
Guidance from EmployAbility, , highlights the importance of avoiding requirements for neurodiverse candidates to provide medical evidence before adjustments are offered. Instead, focus on creating an accessible and supportive process from the start.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø has a highly international student community, with around half of its students coming from outside the UK and spanning over 150 nationalities. It is also ranked the 4th most international university in the world in the Times Higher Education Most International Universities Rankings 2026. This provides employers with access to a diverse and globally minded talent pool.
Wondering how you can engage our international students while navigating visa considerations?
Download the Recruiting International Graduates: A Guide for Employers, developed by the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) and the International Student Employability Group (ISEG). The guide provides a clear overview of the Graduate and Skilled Worker visa routes and highlights the skills and perspectives international graduates bring to UK organisations, helping employers make informed recruitment decisions.
Next steps
Now that you have created a role, find out how to promote it by visiting our Advertise your opportunities, Targeted emails and Attend an event webpages.
If you have any further questions, please contact our Employer Engagement Team at employers@imperial.ac.uk.