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Why diversity recruiting matters

Diversity is a topic at the forefront of many human resources teams, but it’s more than just a buzzword to put on recruitment materials. Diverse teams help companies perform better, innovate, and achieve better results. Countless studies back up this strategy, but it’s not just about statistics: diversity recruiting contributes to better overall performance. With a more diverse workforce, staffers bring different perspectives and backgrounds that contribute new and more diverse ideas — which is part of why companies around the world are focusing on building and improving their diversity recruiting strategy. Building a more diverse team filled with qualified candidates of different genders, backgrounds, races, and religions is a long-overdue step toward true equality in the workforce.

What is diversity recruiting?

There’s an idea among HR professionals that the workplace should reflect the general makeup of society around it — company staffers should reflect a variety of different backgrounds, experiences, and ethnicities. There are two primary types of diversity: inherent diversity, which includes demographic factors like age, gender, and sexual orientation; and acquired diversity, which is developed over time and includes education, experience, skills, and knowledge. Diversity recruiting is the practice of hiring new employees using a process free of biases — a merit-based recruitment process that finds the best candidates while giving all applicants, regardless of background, an equal opportunity to be hired. It’s a concept made even more important with the recent transition to work from home and flexible working.

Why should your company care about diversity recruiting?

Diversity recruiting provides a number of benefits, from performance to innovation to productivity — a wider variety of skills, better awareness of language and culture, and more varied candidate pools. Statistics have shown time and again that a diverse group is better at solving problems, avoiding confirmation biases, and unlocking creativity. One study found that companies with diverse management teams have 19% higher revenues than companies with less diverse workforces, and 85% of CEOs say a diverse workforce improved their annual revenue. Diversity matters for candidates, too: one Glassdoor study found that 67% of job seekers see diversity as an important factor when considering a prospective company. Here are 10 ways you can improve your diversity recruiting strategy.

1. Attend specific job fairs

Is your company constantly recruiting in the same spaces? Whether online or in person, take a look at where you recruit — you cannot keep using the same sources and expect different results. Reach out to places that give you a more diverse talent pool: job fairs that cater to diverse talent, online groups for specific industries (for example, groups dedicated to women working in tech), networking groups, and social media groups. Be more proactive in your hiring instead of waiting for candidates to find you; platforms like Indeed or LinkedIn give greater reach but less diversity, so it’s up to your team to seek out talent. The greater the initiative, the better the results.

2. Look at your job ads — and think skills first

Look at your past recruitment ads and ensure they speak to a broad and diverse range of candidates — the language is everything and should be inclusive. Consider a full audit, which may reveal that certain language is geared to specific demographics or experience levels. Another factor: do your job ads ask for a degree where one may not truly be needed? More and more employers are dropping degree requirements to open up jobs to people who may not have had a four-year education — not every candidate had the opportunity to attend college, but they may have the skills regardless. When you write job ads, don’t be afraid to cater the description to specific demographics to let your target candidates know you are looking for them.

3. Consider bias during your interview process

The hiring process is full of biases, both implicit and otherwise, and unless your team takes action to correct them, they will impact your hiring. People of all backgrounds can feel they have been unfairly overlooked for a job, a major contributor to minority stress, so it’s critical to hire based on merit. To eliminate bias:

Blind resumes: block out personal information like names, schools, dates of birth, or location, so you can assess the person and their skills without that added bias.
Blind interviews: in early stages, send questions through text or your recruiting platform to avoid personal information and get a real picture of the candidate.
Use artificial intelligence: HR tech can flag and filter candidates for specific skills and experience — but be aware that AI can repeat the biases of whoever programs it.

4. Offer internships to targeted groups

Internal diversity programs can position your company as a leader in your field. Paid internships and co-op programs targeting candidates with certain backgrounds encourage candidates to join your industry and team, giving them experience and mentorship. Recruiting for them can be challenging — your HR function will need to reach out to schools and community groups, focusing on nearby areas, and make connections with organizations that cater to certain groups. Don’t let the investment go to waste: create a pipeline so top interns can move into junior positions in your company.

5. Build a diverse and inclusive workplace

It can take months, if not years, to build a truly diverse workplace, but diverse candidates want to work in an environment that celebrates their diversity and where they feel they have a voice. Put policies in place that encourage people to speak up and share their opinions, including on uncomfortable topics like discrimination and sexual harassment. Employees must feel able to voice complaints without being ignored or silenced. Diversity and inclusion comes from the top, so ensure your leadership is on board and promotes the inclusive policies in place.

6. Create diverse company policies

A diverse workforce requires more than recruiting diverse talent — you also have to retain employees once hired, and company policies show candidates that you value true diversity. Consider shifting your time-off schedule to include diverse religious holidays and community events, or offer flexible holiday time so employees can celebrate the holidays important to them. Implement flexible working hours, and have managers encourage employees to speak up and provide feedback on all policies, including those on sexual harassment and diversity. Candidates will certainly ask about your policies regarding these issues.

7. Encourage hiring managers to participate in diversity and inclusion trainings

The hiring process is conducted by individuals, and individuals have their own biases and preconceived notions. Diversity training is imperative for HR teams and employees across the organization, but it’s especially important for those doing interviews and the hiring managers who ultimately make decisions on the future of your workforce.

8. Bolster your employee referral program

Take advantage of your employee network and let them do some of the work for you — your employees likely have a network of colleagues who know people with similar backgrounds. If you want to hire people from a specific background, reach out to employees who are part of that demographic and encourage them to share your job ads with their networks. Some referral programs give bonuses or other benefits; whatever you choose, ensure employees and candidates feel your company values their opinions and their presence.

9. Use inclusive language

As an HR professional, it’s up to you to be the agent of change, so use inclusive language and imagery in all your recruiting materials and in your office. Never assume the pronouns anyone wants you to use — ask whether they prefer he, she, or they. Instead of “wife” or “husband,” consider “spouse” and “partner”; avoid casual references like “hi guys,” which is gendered. Inclusive imagery matters too: include stock images in your materials that are inclusive of all ethnicities, races, and disabilities.

10. Make sure your hiring team represents diversity

Inspecting the bias of your hiring team is only one part of building a more diverse recruiting strategy. With a more diverse hiring committee, your company can build a more open, intentional hiring process that welcomes a variety of candidates. The tricky part is that in many companies the hiring committee sits all across the organization — middle management, entry-level positions, and leadership all play a role. In the best case, these people also represent different age groups, genders, backgrounds, and personalities, so candidates feel more welcome and seen and bias is less likely to play a role. In addition to a diverse hiring team, everyone involved in the process should have diversity and inclusion training.

Why this still matters

Gender discrimination in the workplace has been explicitly outlawed in most countries around the world. In the United States, for instance, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex. Although such labor laws have existed for a long time and have ensured extensive protection to countless female workers, gender discrimination is still rampant in contemporary workplaces.

Since most female workers do not fully understand what constitutes gender-based discrimination at work, it is a good idea to understand the basics.

What is gender discrimination?

Workplace gender discrimination can occur in many different ways. It generally means that a job applicant or employee is treated unfairly, differently, or less favorably due to their gender identity or sexual orientation. Although “gender” and “sex” have different legal meanings, laws against gender discrimination in workplaces around the world generally use them interchangeably. Some of the most common examples of workplace gender discrimination against women:

A job applicant is not hired because she is a woman.

A job applicant is offered a low-paying position, or an employee is fired, because of their gender identity.

An employee is subjected to slurs or derogatory language in the workplace on account of being a woman.

A female employee is paid less than an employee of a different gender performing the same set of tasks.

A female employee is denied promotion, training, a pay raise, or benefits that are given to employees of another gender identity, in a situation where she is equally or more qualified.

A female worker is disciplined for actions that employees of other gender identities indulge in all the time but never get called out or punished for.

A female worker is subjected to unwelcome sexual advances, quid pro quo sexual favors, or other harassment of a sexual nature.

In a nutshell, gender discrimination in the workplace can be disparate treatment based on a person’s gender or sexual orientation, and it may include sexual harassment. Such discriminatory acts aren’t always perpetrated by men — people of all genders indulge in gender discrimination — so legally, the gender of the perpetrator may not be important.

How it affects the mental and physical health of female employees

Gender discrimination in the workplace can be a potent source of stress for many female employees. A 2020 study published in The Lancet details the extensive impact of gender discrimination on women’s mental health. Researchers found that women who reported experiencing gender discrimination over the previous year scored significantly higher than others on various metrics related to depression. Depending on the nature and intensity of the discrimination, it can also lead to severe anxiety and psychological trauma.

Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and eating disorders are more prevalent among women workers, and researchers argue that gender discrimination plays a major role in creating this gender gap in mental health issues. Women are about twice as likely to suffer from depression, roughly 1.5 times more likely to attempt suicide, and eating disorders are several times more common among women. A 2018 study highlights that gender discrimination can also affect women’s physical health — those subjected to sexual harassment are more likely to report ill physical health, and the discrimination can worsen chronic conditions including diabetes and high blood pressure.

Unhealthy living conditions

Gender discrimination at work can also lead to female workers having less access to the opportunities and benefits they require to survive and thrive — some women may even struggle to access the basic facilities required for healthy living. A gender pay gap driven by discriminatory company policy, for instance, results in female workers earning less than their male counterparts even when they perform the same jobs.

Women of color are worst affected by the gender pay gap. African American women, for instance, have historically occupied low-paying positions despite higher labor participation rates. Compared to men, women are more likely to experience financial difficulties, and rates of poverty among women are higher. When they are discriminated against in the workplace, it reduces their ability to afford healthy food, health insurance, and housing.

Gender discrimination affects women in multiple ways

Women experiencing gender discrimination in the workplace may not be able to concentrate on daily tasks; when they have to focus on dealing with discrimination or harassment, the attention they can give to assigned duties is significantly reduced. Persistent discriminatory behavior may also have an adverse impact on self-esteem, and women may quickly develop feelings of anger, frustration, or paranoia when discrimination is severe. In a hostile work environment ridden with direct or indirect abuse, women may also feel unsafe and find themselves alienated from co-workers. How workplace gender discrimination affects a woman will invariably depend on its nature and context, and not all women respond to or deal with it the same way.

Employers can play an important role in eliminating gender discrimination

Gender discrimination isn’t always intentional. In many cases it may have become part of company culture or policy to treat female workers in a discriminatory manner. Whether conscious or unconscious, workplace gender biases are still rampant.

Business leaders, employers, HR managers, and supervisors can play a key role in eliminating gender biases at work. First, they should educate all their workers on gender bias. Next, they should evaluate and standardize their hiring/firing policies and salary/incentive structures to make them gender-neutral. Those in positions of strength should stand up to gender discrimination when it occurs. Creating an inclusive workplace is one of the most recommended employee retention best practices.

It is in the best interest of an organization to put a full stop to workplace gender discrimination. Besides low productivity, poor team dynamics, and poor brand reputation, gender discrimination can also result in high employee turnover — no one wants to continue dealing with harassment or discrimination, and even when a woman has no choice but to stay in a hostile environment, she is unlikely to put her heart and mind into the work.

Tag: Diversity & Inclusion

10 ways to improve your diversity recruiting strategy