Organizations have realized the importance of diversity and are scrambling to tweak their recruitment strategies to allow for a more diverse workplace. Diversity is essential for several reasons, as listed below:
It encourages creativity and innovation, as when a diverse group of people comes together to work on a project, they bring different perspectives and experiences that can lead to unique and innovative solutions. According to a study by McKinsey, companies with diverse teams are more creative and financially successful than those without diversity.
It also promotes inclusivity and reduces discrimination. When organizations actively recruit individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, they demonstrate that they are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. This, in turn, can lead to higher employee morale and job satisfaction.
Lastly, diversity in the workplace is essential for reaching a broader customer base. A company with a diverse workforce can better understand and cater to the needs of its customer base.
Thus, organizations need to have a diversity recruitment strategy in place.
What is a diversity recruitment strategy?
It is a set of actions and initiatives that an organization takes to attract and hire a diverse pool of candidates for its workforce. The strategy focuses on two things:
- It is a set of actions and initiatives that an organization takes to attract and hire a diverse pool of candidates for its workforce. The strategy focuses on two things
- Ensuring that underrepresented groups are given equal opportunities to apply for job openings and be selected for employment
The diversity recruitment strategy aims to create a workforce that reflects the diverse communities in which the organization operates, promoting innovation, inclusivity, and better customer service.
Some common tactics used in diversity recruitment strategies include partnering with diversity-focused organizations, eliminating bias in job descriptions and selection criteria, implementing blind recruitment, setting diversity goals, and providing training on diversity and inclusion for hiring managers.
Read more about what is a Diversity led Recruitment Strategy.
Here is how you can implement and improve the Diversity Recruitment Strategy.
Expand Your Recruitment Channels
Organizations can partner with diversity-focused organizations or make their presence felt at job fairs catering to specific groups such as women, people of color, or individuals with disabilities. Goldman Sachs recently partnered with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to recruit Black students.
Eliminate Bias in Job Descriptions
Consciously avoid language that may discourage particular groups from expressing interest in the job. For example, using gendered language like ‘he’ or ‘she’ can discourage non-binary individuals from applying. Using words like ‘dominant’ or ‘aggressive’ can also put women off.
Implement Blind Recruitment
Blind recruitment involves removing personal information from resumes and applications to eliminate bias in the selection process. For example, Ernst & Young implemented blind recruitment by removing candidates’ names, education, and personal interests from resumes.
Establish Diversity Goals
Organizations should set specific diversity goals for recruitment and track their progress toward achieving them. This ensures that managers, as well as executives, have a set target to work towards. This improves diversity in the workplace.
Train Hiring Managers
Hiring managers should receive training on unconscious bias and diversity and inclusion to ensure they select candidates based on qualifications, not personal biases. For example, PwC implemented unconscious bias training for hiring managers to reduce bias in the selection process.
Some successfully implemented Diversity recruitment strategies are listed below:
Salesforce
Salesforce implemented a program called the “Equality Trailblazers” to promote diversity in its workforce. The program includes unconscious bias training, employee resource groups, and a diversity and inclusion dashboard to track progress toward diversity goals.
Airbnb
Airbnb set a goal of achieving a workforce that is 50% female by 2025. The company also implemented a program called “Project Lighthouse” to address discrimination on its platform by increasing the representation of underrepresented communities in its workforce.
Measure the success of your strategy using the KPIs that best suit your organization
In conclusion, diversity in the workplace is crucial for promoting creativity, inclusivity, and reaching a broader customer base. Organizations can improve their diversity recruitment strategies by expanding their recruitment channels, eliminating bias in job descriptions, implementing blind recruitment, setting diversity goals, and training hiring managers on unconscious bias and diversity and inclusion.
