Talent Acquisition professionals know they need to create more diverse pipelines in 2021, yet many don’t even know where to start. Hung Lee, Cofounder and CEO of Workshape.io & Curator for Recruiting Brainfood recently joined us to discuss what it really means to focus on Diversity and Inclusion in 2021, and how to leverage AI for better results. Here are our top 7 takeaways from the webinar.
1. D&I is Profitable Business Strategy
According to a McKinsey study, 36% of companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity outperformed in profitability. Workplaces with a more diverse employee base can expect to turn a better profit, which is a great point for selling a new program to an executive team.
2. It Doesn’t Mean a Thing Without (True) Buy-In
Successful D&I programs start with buy-in at the very top. If your CEO isn’t on board, your program will not have the foundation it needs to work. Be the champion of diversity and inclusion by educating others about the benefits and challenges of implementing D&I programs. Having a diversity champion like yourself will help others to feel free to ask questions and learn about how they can contribute to creating a more inclusive environment.
3. Start with an Inward Focus and Define Success
So, you’re committed to improving your company with a more diverse workforce – now what? Work with TA and other leaders in your organization to define areas of challenge. Where do you need the most progress to have a more diverse workforce? Define what success will look like to your organization and where your organization can benefit from more underrepresented workers. Does it mean a percentage of underrepresented workers in your entire organization, or are you focusing on one department at a time? Use this time to educate others about the importance of diversity and inclusion.
4. Have a Plan
Now that you have defined success for your organization, you’ll need a plan to get started. Depending on the types of roles you’re hiring, you will need an awareness of where to best source a diverse talent pool. If you are looking to meet a specific population goal, your new hires will need to be over-representative of that segment of employee. Utilize tools like Jobvite’s Job Description Grader to identify limiting language and unconscious bias in your job descriptions. This can help widen your applicant pool as well as help improve your brand perception when hiring.
5. Help Employees Feel Included
Employees want to feel like they can bring their authentic selves to the workplace without fear of exclusion. Diversity and inclusion practices can foster a culture where everyone feels accepted for who they are, which in turn allows them to bring their best selves to work.
“It’s possible to be in a diverse environment but still not be included. Inclusion, in my view, is the ability for a person to be their full selves and be fully accepted, even if they disagree.” – Hung Lee
6. Increase the Quality and Quantity of Your Talent Pool
Utilizing D&I practices will help you to expand your talent network with a more diverse set of skills, experiences, identities, and viewpoints. Often limiting language found in your job descriptions can discourage applicants. We’ve found that even just a few instances of racial or gender bias in a job description can lead to a 15% reduction in applicants.
7. It’s Never too Early to Start
A diverse workforce doesn’t just appear overnight – it takes commitment and work to see it through. Begin discussions with hiring and recruiting managers about where the areas of challenge and improvement are in your organization. Talk with them about the importance of D&I and your goals for your organization. Get started by sourcing content to post on your career site that will engage underrepresented audiences or begin using tools like the for your upcoming hiring roles.
Excited About D&I?
We love enabling talent leaders to build strong and diverse teams. Our end-to-end Talent Acquisition Suite will help you attract, engage, and hire a more diverse talent pipeline. For more information and helpful tools for your D&I initiatives, check out our Diversity & Inclusion Pack and contact us for a demo.