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10 ways to improve your diversity recruiting strategy

Posted on November 15, 2021 by

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.

The 7 Pillars of HR Leadership — Part 4: Talent Acquisition

Posted on September 1, 2020 by

Talent acquisition in a changed market

One of the unfortunate results of the first wave of lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders was the massive decline in labor demand; even with the measures being lifted, companies are still reluctant to hire full-time employees.

The world changed from a situation where organizations were fighting for resources amidst one of the lowest unemployment rates in recent history, to an abundance of resources post-COVID-19 — it is expected that for the same role, there could be more than 4 to 5 times more candidates available for consideration.

What can HR do?

For HR organizations at companies that are hiring, the talent acquisition process will need to change and adapt to accommodate the expected volume increase of applications as well as the safe-engagement requirements caused by the pandemic. At the same time, these same resources could be hard to get when the market stabilizes. Many smart companies are looking way beyond the COVID-19 situation, planning for the future and hiring the talent they know they will need post-COVID-19.

Virtual working

It is here to stay, so be a prepared offer and be ready to manage remote-working situations. Talent acquisition teams along with hiring managers should revamp job descriptions and job roles so they more accurately reflect your organization’s needs.

Use of technology

Consider how next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence can help you with the recruiting and onboarding process. Leaving the repetitive, administrative work to the software can reduce discrepancies and free up your HR resources to focus on more value-adding endeavors.

Social recruiting

In the absence of office visits and facility tours, revisit social media to share information about your organization. Leverage video and visual content to describe your company’s work culture, future plans, career development activities, teamwork, and training. In the virtual world, social media is the best communication channel to show candidates your human side. Leverage it to proactively identify, attract, and hire high-potential candidates — reach out to your talent pool, tell them who you are as a company and about future opportunities post-COVID-19, and give them a glimpse of your corporate culture and values.

Virtual hiring

Virtual hiring is here to stay. Video interviewing is not new, but organizations now realize the power of connecting with candidates without the need for travel or the challenges caused by scheduling. This has made interviews digital — not only transparent and cost-effective but also often with a positive impact on fill times and the overall candidate experience to boot.

How to hire great employees for SMB

Posted on August 1, 2020 by

How to hire great employees for SMBs

“At a cost of nearly $4,000 on average to fill an open position, U.S. companies are spending nearly three times the amount spent on training per employee,” said Karen O’Leonard, vice president, Benchmarking & Analytics Research, Bersin by Deloitte.

Recruitment is an exhaustive process; ask any talent acquisition executive — there is a lot of investment, both in the form of time and money, to hire. So if you are spending so much money on recruitment, naturally you must ensure you get the industry’s best talent and retain that talent.

Larger and established businesses have several selling points, such as benefits and brand value, that help them attract the best talent. When it comes to SMBs, they may not attract a talent pool as large as big businesses, but some defining characteristics may help you attract your industry’s best talent. Here are a few small-business recruiting strategies you can use.

1. Know your candidate persona

Before you start working on your sourcing channels, work on the candidate persona. Define what your ‘ideal candidate’ profile is. A candidate persona helps you create accurate job descriptions, measure the effectiveness of sourcing channels, and focus on the right talent that fits your culture. Conduct interviews of existing employees and stakeholders to define characteristics of the persona — job title, work experience, job-specific skills, communication skills, professional life goals, and so on. Create a candidate persona for each job role you post and keep refining it throughout the recruitment process.

2. Write an attractive job description

Once you know what persona you are looking for, write a detailed job description. Use the JD to differentiate yourself from competitors; it should give an idea about the exact job responsibilities and skill set, to attract the right candidates. Sit with your hiring manager to discuss the exact requirement — you may waste productive time if you don’t know what your hiring manager is looking for. Create a brand story that will make candidates want to be part of the organization’s journey, and paint a clear picture of your office culture and the benefits you offer, such as work-from-home or flexible-hours options.

As SMBs grow, you may need to hire more people for specific tasks, so keep updating job descriptions with the changing needs of jobs. Talk to your existing employees to understand responsibilities and omit tasks that are no longer necessary.

3. Creative ways to attract employees

A majority of SMBs (84%) agree that finding enough candidates is their #1 hiring challenge, according to a 2019 report by LinkedIn. As an SMB recruiter, you should know how to attract the best employees while keeping your hiring costs low. The most effective sourcing channels that work wonders for SMBs are social media, referrals, company career pages, personal networks, and job boards.

Social media has changed the way businesses recruit today. For SMBs, it provides access to a larger pool of candidates in an organic way. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are some of the most used platforms; choose the one most suitable for your business and where your target candidates spend time. Maintain an online presence, use your employees’ networks to spread the word about open positions, and spend on social media ads if it fits your budget.

Referrals are the most efficient way for SMBs in recruitment. You can reduce hiring time and costs by implementing a referral program that is easy to use for both employees and hiring managers. Write clear rules defining which positions are open to referrals, the benefits, and how employees can apply. Keep both monetary and non-monetary incentives, with slightly higher incentives for hard-to-fill positions, and create easily shareable messages. Always measure the effectiveness of the program — referral-to-hire ratio, cost, and number of employees engaged.

Your company career page is where you make the first impression on potential candidates. Showcase your culture, product offerings, and employee benefits. Design the page to reflect the company’s personality, add testimonial videos of current employees for credibility, include a ‘why you should join us’ section, and show diversity so anyone who visits feels welcomed.

4. Screen candidates to get the right fit

If you are using the right sources, you will get a flood of applications. It consumes a lot of hiring time to screen them all manually, and SMB recruiters wear multiple hats. With more digital tools entering the recruitment process, it’s wise to go for automated tools — they reduce screening time and costs and improve hire quality. There are plenty of automated tools for application tracking (ATS), resume screening, skills assessment, and even online interviewing, helping you screen candidates faster and surface the right-fit candidates.

5. Follow an effective interview process

Following an effective interview process is integral to hiring. Once you shortlist qualified candidates, schedule interviews. Be prepared in advance: create a list of questions for each candidate and determine the number of rounds in a day. Keep the same core questions for everyone, but be ready to ask follow-ups based on their responses. Observe whether candidates are prepared for the role and will fit the culture, start with lighter questions so they relax, and include open questions that promote discussion. Keep notes for each candidate, invite a teammate or hiring manager for another perspective, and follow all legal guidelines to keep the interview unbiased — avoid questions that discriminate based on gender, race, color, religion, age, or national origin.

A few interview questions that provide valuable insight:

Why are you looking for a new position?
Explain any conflict you had with past team members, and how you resolved it.
Describe a situation where you were asked to perform a task out of your comfort zone, and how you achieved it.
How does your past work experience relate to this position?
What would you consider your strengths and weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Conclusion

Expanding a team is an excellent sign for SMBs — it directly reflects that your organization is doing well. There is no perfect strategy for hiring great employees, but following a few techniques like referral hiring, social media, candidate screening, and a structured interview will help attract the right talent. Hiring a great employee is hard, but if you are ready to take extra effort and streamline your recruitment strategy, you will benefit in the long run.