Diversity and inclusion is important, now more than ever, especially to job seekers. In fact, many expect there to be diversity in the workplace. But diversity in the workforce usually does not happen by accident. There needs to be a plan in place.
“The main idea of recruiting should be that it’s color blind and gender blind. A company with that core principle strengthens a worker’s sense of belonging, actively demonstrates great opportunity for all, and signals a strong company that sincerely desires to hire the best people, regardless of race or gender,” said Jack Whatley, a recruiting strategist.
Here are Whatley’s suggestions for ways to make sure you are recruiting with diversity and inclusion in mind.
- Chose words carefully and precisely with writing job descriptions/postings: Whether you mean to or not, you may be indicating gender bias in your job postings. Review all job postings. “Strong or aggressive words such as ‘enforcement’ or ‘exhaustive,’ for example, might draw a higher proportion of men applying for roles when many women are just as qualified, or better qualified, for the position,” Whatley says.
- Widen the search area: Expand your geographic reach of your search to find underrepresented communities, he advises. Consider posting on community boards and reaching out to meetup groups and other networks.
- Screen in, don’t screen out: Many companies use a quick screening formula which may screen people out too early in the process. “A candidate doesn’t need to check all the boxes at the first glance of their resume,” Whatley says. “In fact, companies sometimes make those boxes too specific and don’t see how a candidate’s other strengths and overall experience more than compensate. You might find that leaving out some of the check-box requirements opens doors for different and highly qualified applicants.”
- Involve the whole team: Make sure that you are focusing on skills and not commonalities. “Hiring managers are more likely to view candidates who are culturally similar to them as a better fit for the job they’re trying to fill,” Whatley says. “But that limits your recruitment process, so include a team of people at each stage of the process. You’ll get more opinions on each candidate and thus be sure you’re hiring the right person.”
Make sure it is clear to job seekers that diversity and inclusion are part of your corporate culture and that you operate your company based on those beliefs.
Jane Clark focuses on managing the member services operation at NationaLease as vice president of member services. She works to strength member relationships, reduce member costs, and improve collaboration within the NationaLease supporting groups.
