Diverse Recruitment: Importance and Best Practices

In today's rapidly changing global marketplace, diversity in the workplace is more important than ever. Hiring diverse employees brings numerous benefits, including increased creativity, better decision-making, and a broader perspective.

However, achieving a diverse workforce can be challenging as companies often struggle with unconscious bias and outdated hiring practices.

This blog post discusses the value of a diverse team composition, discusses strategies for successfully recruiting employees from diverse backgrounds, and provides answers to frequently asked questions on this topic.

Benefits of a diverse workforce

A diverse workforce can benefit a company in several ways:

• Increased creativity and innovation: When people with different backgrounds and experiences come together, they bring unique perspectives that promote creativity and innovation. For example, a 2018 study by the Boston Consulting Group found that companies with diverse management teams experience 19% higher innovation revenue than companies with less diverse teams.
• Better decision making: Diverse teams are better able to evaluate different options and make more informed decisions. A report from McKinsey & Company found that companies that are in the top quartile for gender diversity on their leadership teams are 21% more likely to have above-average profitability. This is why companies are focusing on building diverse teams.
• Higher employee engagement and retention: A diverse and inclusive workplace environment can have a significant positive impact on the company. By actively promoting diversity, companies can create a more dynamic and vibrant workforce.
• Greater market reach and understanding: A diverse workforce can better understand and meet the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base. A 2020 Catalyst report found that companies with a diverse workforce are better positioned to succeed in global markets.

Strategies for successful diversity recruiting

1.Including job descriptions

Creating inclusive job descriptions is essential to attracting diverse candidates.

Here's how you can make your job postings more inclusive:

• Use gender-neutral language: Replace gender-specific pronouns (he, she) with gender-neutral ones (they) and use titles like "Salesman" instead of "Salesman."
  For example, AT&T changed its job title from “Retail Salesman” to “Retail Salesperson” to attract more diverse candidates.
• Avoid unnecessary requirements: Stick to the essential qualifications and skills for the job and avoid requirements that could inadvertently exclude diverse candidates.
  For example, if a job requires excellent communication skills, consider whether fluency in multiple languages is truly necessary or whether it might be a "nice-to-have" attribute.

2.Diverse candidate search

To attract diverse candidates, you need to expand your sourcing efforts:

• Use different job boards and networks: Use niche job boards like DiversityJobs, Hire Autism or RecruitMilitary that target specific underrepresented groups. Additionally, engage with various professional associations on social media to share job opportunities.
• Partner with organizations committed to diversity: Work with groups like the National Urban League, Society of Women Engineers, or UnidosUS to connect with diverse talent. For example, Google works with organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers to develop a diverse candidate pool.
• Leverage talent cloud platforms: Cloud platforms provide access to a global pool of software developers, increasing the diversity of candidates based on geographic location, culture and experience. One such platform is Ellow.io. Ellow.io harnesses the power of AI and people to connect companies with pre-vetted, diverse talent. With its intelligent sourcing and matching algorithms, it offers access to a global pool of software developers and thus improves the diversity of your applicant selection.

3.Reduce unconscious prejudices

Combat unconscious bias in the hiring process with these strategies:

• Conduct blind resume reviews: Use tools like Blendoor or Talent Sonar to anonymize resumes and hide applicants' names, photos, and other identifying information. This approach can help reduce bias based on gender, race, and age.
• Train recruiters and hiring managers on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): Offer DEI training programs that focus on identifying and eliminating unconscious bias, cultivating empathy, and supporting inclusive behaviors. For example, Starbucks closed over 8,000 stores for a day to conduct anti-bias training for its employees.

4.Diverse interview panels

Ensure that applicants are evaluated fairly by organizing diverse discussion groups:

• Make sure diverse backgrounds are represented: Create discussion groups with members from different departments, genders, ethnicities and ages. This approach can help reduce individual bias and promote a more comprehensive assessment of applicants.
• Encourage diverse perspectives: Train panel members to actively seek out and consider diverse viewpoints during the interview. Encourage open-mindedness and create an environment in which all board members feel comfortable expressing their opinions.

5.Employee referral programs

Drive employee recruitment using employee referral programs:

• Incentivize the referral of candidates from diverse backgrounds: Offer bonuses or other rewards for successfully recommending candidates from diverse backgrounds. Intel, for example, offers a double referral bonus for successful hires from underrepresented groups.
• Promote a culture of diversity and inclusion: Communicate the importance of diversity to employees and promote inclusion at all levels of the company. Encourage your employees to refer candidates from diverse backgrounds and create a workplace where everyone feels welcome.

Tracking and measuring success

Evaluate the effectiveness of your diversity efforts in recruiting:

• Set diversity recruiting metrics: Set measurable goals, e.g. For example, the percentage of candidates from diverse backgrounds in the hiring pipeline or the number of hires from underrepresented groups. Track these metrics over time to measure your progress.
• Continuously evaluate and improve your strategies: Regularly assess the success of your workforce diversity initiatives and make adjustments as necessary. Gather feedback from employees, candidates and partners to identify opportunities for improvement and continually refine your approach.

If you e.g. For example, if you notice a lack of applicants from diverse backgrounds, you should rethink your job descriptions or applicant search methods to identify possible obstacles.

• Compare yourself to industry standards: Compare your company's diversity metrics to industry standards or competitors to identify areas where you may be lagging. This comparison can provide valuable insights and help you set realistic, achievable diversity goals.
• Leverage employee feedback: Conduct regular employee surveys and host focus groups to gain insight into the effectiveness of your diversity and inclusion initiatives. Employee experiences and suggestions can help you identify areas for improvement and develop targeted strategies to address them.
• Conduct diversity and inclusion training: Provide ongoing training and development opportunities for employees at all levels, including diversity and inclusion workshops, seminars, and online resources.
  This continuous learning approach can help foster an inclusive culture and ensure diversity efforts are embraced throughout the organization.

This continuous learning approach can help foster an inclusive culture and ensure diversity hiring efforts are embraced throughout the organization.

• Celebrate Diversity Achievements: Share milestones and success stories related to recruiting and diversity initiatives, both internally and externally. Celebrating successes can help raise awareness, reinforce the importance of diversity, and inspire further commitment to creating a more inclusive workplace.

By implementing these strategies, your company can successfully promote diversity and promote an inclusive environment in which all employees can thrive.

Remember, recruiting for diversity is not a one-time affair but requires ongoing commitment and improvement to have a lasting impact.

If you remain committed to fostering an inclusive workplace, you will not only create a more vibrant and innovative company, but you will also contribute to a more equitable society.

Embrace diversity in recruitment for a vibrant workplace. With IceHrm, build inclusive teams that drive innovation and equity.