In today’s increasingly multicultural and global workforce, employers know the importance of implementing dedicated diversity recruiting strategies. (Not to mention regularly refining them.)
That is, execs at large-scale orgs like yours know improving diversity company-wide can lead to increased creativity, better decision-making, and a more vibrant company culture.
As Employ SVP Customer Success Jessica Green told StrategicCHRO360, though, that’s not the case. Rather, your diversity recruiting strategies and DEI initiatives must be a true team effort among your DEI committee, C-suite, TA team, CHRO, and people managers.
Only when that’s the case can you make real, lasting progress.
“The challenge for many [orgs] today is moving away from a single owner and making diversity, equity and inclusion the responsibility of every leader and individual in the company,” said Jessica.
“When the … mindset shifts from a single owner to everyone participating, the DEI progress can be more stable, consistent, and pervasive throughout the organization.”
So, that begs the question: How can you and your company develop new (or alter existing) diversity recruiting strategies to better attract, engage, and convert more diverse talent?
5 diversity recruiting strategies to implement
Diversity and inclusion are critical within the workplace. A concerted focus on improving both leads to increasingly diverse teams and better productivity. (Facts you certainly already know.)
Employing individuals from historically marginalized groups; making these folks feel seen, heard, and welcome from day one; and setting each new hire up for success in their respective roles fosters greater innovation, creates a positive work environment, and improves employee engagement.
Put another way? Hire people of different ethnicities, genders, gender identities, ages, and sexual orientations, and this broad representation at your org will have dual benefits:
- Your workforce will experience greater satisfaction and stick around your company longer.
- Your org will see bottom-line growth, due largely to direct contributions from these workers.
But, what exact diversity recruiting strategies should you try? We’ve got some we think can help. Here are five DEI hiring approaches we’ve seen Jobvite customers put into place in recent years.
Strategy #1: Reevaluating job descriptions
This is more of a tactical change than a strategy. That said, making this a top priority will pay long-term dividends for your employer brand and ability to attract qualified diverse talent.
The language used in job descriptions plays a significant role in attracting diverse candidates. Update your approach to writing postings to include solely inclusive terms and avoid gender-biased words (e.g., “hacker,” “rockstar”), and you’ll better appeal to candidates from underrepresented groups.
Additionally, include an equal opportunity employer statement in your listings. This will reiterate your company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion for potential job leads.
Strategy #2: Expanding sourcing channels
Often, the key to finding diverse talent is to tap into networks and communities where diverse candidates already engage. Broaden your usual sourcing avenues to reach talent of different backgrounds (i.e., job boards for Black, Hispanic, and Asian developers and tech talent).
Forward-thinking talent teams collaborate with local orgs and educational institutions to access broader candidate pools and invite potential applicants from underrepresented demographics. They also take part in diversity hiring fairs to find fresh talent who are ideal fits for open roles.
“Expanding the talent pool should also include widening the geographic focus,” McKinsey and Co. partners recently wrote. They noted that, while it’s tempting to look solely at places like San Francisco and Austin to source high-quality tech talent, employers should also look at other metro areas not widely known for their tech talent, but nonetheless have burgeoning tech communities.
Strategy #3: Cultivating a strong culture
One of the most effective diversity recruiting strategies is gradually addressing issues with and improving the quality of your company culture to ensure it fully embraces diversity.
Consider personal testimonials from current employees. For instance, those who run or are simply part of employee resources groups (ERGs) who come from diverse backgrounds can speak to your org’s commitment to DEI progress, including as it pertains to hiring a wide array of diverse talent
You can then share these stories on social media, in blog posts, and via your brand website.
Just remember: Establishing a diverse workforce begins with fostering an inclusive and hospitable work environment. This involves developing company-wide DEI policies, organizing employee diversity training sessions, and offering resources to underrepresented groups within your org.
Strategy #4: Hosting bias reduction training
Unconscious biases can creep up during the hiring process even for DEI “leaders.” When it does, it can negatively impact the hiring process and hinder one’s ability to attract and hire diverse talent.
The easiest way to address unconscious bias is to train your TA team, hiring managers, and others who may partake in interview panels on how to recognize and mitigate their own unconscious bias.
“By establishing a culture of continuous improvement, companies can put in place regular review mechanisms … for their hiring processes to identify areas where biases may be present, and then take action to address them,” HumanLearn CEO Andre Shojaie recently wrote for Forbes.
Strategy #5: Enhancing the interview process
Ensuring diversity in your interview panel members can lead to a more balanced decision-making process. When candidates see a diverse interview panel, they understand that your org values diversity, helping to create a positive impression. Moreover, diverse panels can help to reduce bias during the interview process, ultimately leading to more diverse hiring outcomes.
Implementing a structured interview process can also help reduce potential variances resulting from implicit biases. If every candidate has the same questions to answer, it’s far easier to consider them on an equal playing field compared to having a different convo in every interview.
Using the right enterprise ATS to execute your diversity recruiting strategies
In today’s digital age, tech plays a big role in shaping the recruiting and hiring landscape.
At Jobvite, we understand the power of leveraging tech to improve diversity recruiting strategies. Our best-in-class platform is designed to provide employers with the tools they need to create an efficient and equitable recruitment process that promotes inclusivity for all candidates.
“In today’s challenging labor market, those who prioritize [DEI] will find more qualified candidates, which can turn into new hires,” Employ SVP People & Talent Corey Berkey recently wrote for The Undercover Recruiter. “Talent teams can improve the diversity of their candidate slates by taking charge and applying the right strategies throughout the hiring process.”
And the “right” strategies entail using a leading ATS with candidate relationship management and analytics capabilities that makes it easy to identify, engage, analyze, and employ top diverse talent.
Learn how Jobvite can strengthen your diversity recruiting. Book a demo to learn how our powerful enterprise ATS can help you thrive in today’s — and tomorrow’s — hiring landscape.
