7 Ways to Integrate Diversity & Inclusion in Your Recruitment Strategy
Kristina Finseth — Jul 23, 2020
Kristina Finseth — Jul 23, 2020
No doubt, diversity and inclusion in the workplace have become integral to the success of modern organizations. According to Deloitte, diverse organizations tend to increase their share in the market by up to 45 percent and are 35 percent more likely to perform better than less diverse ones. Research has also proved that diversity and inclusion are linked with a broader range of skills, happier employees, and higher revenues.
The benefits of having a diverse workforce notwithstanding, studies show that only half of employers have strategies in place to boost inclusion. The lack thereof is associated with factors such as bias, lack of employee involvement, problem consultants and gender equality issues, among other hurdles.
Overcoming the obstacles to diversity and inclusion calls for the adoption of strategies that are effective and viable. Here are seven recruitment tips that can help managers achieve a diverse workforce in their organizations.
Addressing bias (both conscious and unconscious) is the first step to eliminating it in the workplace. Although most forms of bias revolve around race, gender, religion, and ethnic background, there are other forms that may influence how organizations conduct the recruitment process. Regardless of the bias, it can affect how organizations hire employees, which invariably impacts their overall position in regard to diversity.
Educating your recruitment team cannot be understated when it comes to integrating diversity and inclusion in your recruitment strategy. This may require managers to develop programs that are geared toward eliminating common biases. In the end, they are sure to build a culture that is more conscious and hence able to confront biases.
Relying on the same hiring processes and platforms is one of the reasons many organizations fail to achieve diversity and inclusion. However, widening your search when sourcing for prospective employees is a sure way of accessing diverse groups. Failing to adjust your recruitment techniques means you will always end up with the same type of applicants, which only works to undermine diversity.
For instance, rather than use social media to post job ads, consider using more specific platforms such as those that focus on women in technology. You can also work with universities and institutions of higher learning to connect with more diverse candidates. This increases the chances of accessing a more diverse talent pool.
Creating a diverse workplace requires you to work with diverse leadership. The reason is people with different backgrounds offer diverse and more inclusive opinions and perspectives on issues. This enhances collaboration, and in turn, can help eliminate bias. With regards to an organizational hiring process, a diverse recruiting team is able to avoid picking individuals who fit a partial predetermined description.
Diversity in the recruitment process should not end at the interview stage but should be implemented through the entire process and in all departments. Working with people with unique experiences and opinions guarantees an inclusive environment that fosters harmony and productivity.
The benefit of using supportive tools, such as an AI recruitment tool, is they do not exclude job applicants on the basis of subjective factors. These tools assess candidates objectively to determine the right individual for the specific position. Organizations that use recruitment tools have managed to reduce bias partiality in the hiring process, which has contributed to a more diverse workforce.
For recruitment tools to work effectively, there is a need to adjust them to suit the specific needs of the organization. For instance, managers can build an application process that is more inclusive and one that overlooks irrelevant factors about people. More importantly, the tools should be regularly checked for human bias that can negatively impact the hiring process.
Developing policies that encourage diversity helps to introduce a culture that respects and fosters inclusion. Organizations that proactively work toward eliminating bias in the recruitment process adhere to guidelines that promote togetherness in the work environment. Here, involving employees in creating inclusive policies can go a long way in ensuring that fundamental factors about individuals are taken into account.
Introducing flexible schedules to allow time for community involvement is an area that companies should pay attention to. Management teams should also encourage employees to contribute toward scrapping policies which they think are hindering diversity and inclusion. By doing so, organizations can create a culture that sees all employees from a common lens.
Most recruiters make the mistake of designing job ads in a way that excludes specific demographics. This can happen through the language used, demographic targeted, and even where ads are posted. Although in most cases it happens unconsciously, it nonetheless affects who applies for the job and who does not. This makes auditing job ads essential to help eliminate any bias.
While crafting an ad, it is worth considering your target audience which ensures you consider essential things such as language. For example, using the pronoun βheβ could discourage some women from applying for the job. To be more inclusive, learn to create neutral ads to make sure that every potential applicant feels encouraged to apply.
Creating a candidate referral program is a diversity and inclusion strategy that helps to target people from a specific demographic. It basically involves working with existing employees to refer people they may know and who qualify for the position in question. This method does not only lead you to more potential candidates but also showcases that your organization values people from all backgrounds and their ideas.
To implement a candidate referral program successfully, work closely with people from your target demographic; for example, if you want to increase the number of women in your workforce, liaise with your current female employees who are better placed to refer a prospective candidate.
This recruitment strategy will ensure that you access capable workers from more diverse backgrounds, and at the same time, show your current workers that their presence and input is appreciated.
Diversity and inclusion have become central to the success of every organization, a reason you should integrate them into your recruiting strategy. In any case, a more diverse workforce goes a long way in selling your brand to demographics you initially did not have access to, which means higher revenue and success for your organization.
Interseller can help you reach out to a broader audience through an integrated process and customized emails. Please contact us to learn how we can help you take your company to the next level.