Integrating Diversity and Inclusion into Recruitment Strategies for a Stronger Workforce

In the modern workplace, diversity and inclusion (D&I) have become a critical need across all industries. There are so many benefits that come out of employing a more diverse team. Among them are a diverse staff with varied experiences and viewpoints, improved problem-solving, and better candidate choices.

Integrating D&I into recruitment strategies can produce tremendous benefits as well, such as innovation, employee satisfaction, and stronger teams. This results in increased production and profit. Top talent recognizes the potential that an organization has when it incorporates D&I – and they gravitate to it.

Understanding diversity and employing specific diversity and inclusion recruitment strategies can fast-track your organization to becoming a major player in your industry.

The Current Landscape of Diversity in Recruitment

We’ve come a long way, but not far enough. There are still significant gaps in workplace diversity. The 2020 McKinsey Report analyzed various organizations, examining the gaps in diversity.

They found that organizations where more than 30% of executives were women tended to perform far better than organizations with fewer female executives. However, organizations where 10% to 30% of the executives were women performed better than organizations where there were no female executives, or fewer than 10% of the executives were female.

Further, the study found that organizations with higher diversity are more profitable. It is also interesting to note that outperformance was higher in organizations that exhibited diversity in ethnicity than in diversity in gender.

Key Steps to Integrate D&I into Recruitment Strategies

Creating inclusive hiring practices is an ongoing challenge for many companies. There’s a lot to unpack, and many strategies may be a little complex. Beginning with the key steps for integrating D&I into a company’s approach to recruitment that gives way to a well-developed diversity recruitment strategy can help create a simplified approach that is easier to implement.

1. Audit Current Practices: Take a hard look at the current recruiting practices and identify biases in job descriptions, sourcing channels, and interview processes. Look with a critical eye and note areas that need to be modified.
2. Use Inclusive Language: Craft job postings that resonate with a diverse audience. Pay close attention to the language used regarding not only skills and experience required but also benefits and organizational culture.
3. Expand Sourcing Channels: Venture beyond the standard recruitment channels to seek out diverse populations. Partner with organizations and platforms focused on underrepresented groups. This will allow you to cast a wider net, but not necessarily a less focused one.
4. Standardize the Interview Process: Implement structured interviews to reduce bias. Create questions and scenarios that do not exclude or alienate any particular group. Also, develop a checklist for hiring criteria to eliminate any bias.
5. Provide Hiring Manager Training: Train managers on unconscious bias and inclusive hiring techniques. This should not be a one-time training, but ongoing training with refreshers at least every 12 months.

Tools and Technologies for Inclusive Recruitment

Talent acquisition and diversity can be a delicate balance in many organizations. Unconscious bias can creep in, but at the other end of the spectrum is being so concerned with not being biased it swings in the other direction and still isn’t fair.

The tools and technologies available to hiring managers who are trying to incorporate inclusivity into their hiring practices are out there. All it takes is a desire to employ them. The recruitment and applicant tracking tools offered by Affiliated HR and Payroll can make the hiring process much easier and more straightforward.

They have a suite of tools that make recruitment and hiring faster and easier. Many of these tools include special features that promote inclusivity, such as blind resume reviews and diversity analytics. They not only put more diverse candidates in front of you, they also present more qualified candidates so that your hires are better suited for the job and the organization.

Measuring Success and Continuous Improvement

Once inclusive hiring practices are in place, they need to be measured. Set realistic goals that will allow you to accurately measure the effectiveness of your strategies. This can be accomplished by setting metrics for D&I recruitment success which can include demographic data, retention rates, and other metrics specific to your organization or industry.

Collect feedback from candidates and employees. This will allow you to get a more accurate picture of how your strategies are working, what needs to be adjusted, and what needs to go.

Once you begin to gather performance data, make the necessary adjustments to your strategy using that data as a guide.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Utilizing good recruitment tools for inclusivity can help avoid the common pitfalls that can arise when implementing D&I strategies. Some of the most common pitfalls include:

• Tokenism or superficial efforts. Hiring someone simply because they tick that diversity box is often counterproductive. Employees should be hired based on specific criteria for the desired position.
• Overcorrecting to create reverse bias. In an effort to avoid bias, a hiring manager can create reverse bias. This is just as detrimental. Standardizing the hiring process is a good remedy for this.
• Over-reliance on one-off training sessions without a long-term commitment. Training for inclusive hiring should be ongoing, not a one-shot deal. There should be required refresher training annually. Adding quizzes to test knowledge is also a good practice.

Conclusion

Diversity and inclusion recruitment strategies level the playing field and make an organization’s hiring practices much more equal and fair. Incorporating diversity into work teams can increase profits, boost production, and attract top talent. The steps outlined here are a good start, but you need a targeted strategy that is geared to your organization and can meet its unique needs.

At Affiliated HR and Payroll, we have the tools and technologies to help your organization implement stronger, more consistent D&I hiring practices. Contact us today to learn how we can help you create an inclusive recruitment process.