You already know the value of building a diverse candidate pool with applicants from all walks of life - here's your ultimate how-to guide.
The direct relationship between inclusion and bottom line is well researched. Diversity leads to smarter, more innovative teams, while positively lifting work satisfaction. That ultimately leads to lower turnover, higher productivity and, hey presto – better profitability.
But, despite its long list of pros, many companies still fall short of the recruitment diversity mark. We can change that. Here’s what you can do to diversify your talent pipeline.
Even the most skilled and experienced recruiters find unconscious bias hard to shake. But here’s the thing: if you don’t mitigate that bias, your talent pool won’t change.
You want to look for candidates who bring something different to the table – that’s how diversity works. To do that, you need to change the way you assess candidates. Focus on information that is relevant to the job or, even better, automate the screening process with pre-employment software.
The problem with wordy job descriptions is they imply an ‘all or nothing’ approach. Women typically only apply to job posts if they meet 100% of the criteria, while men apply if they meet 60%. For women and minority groups, who often don’t have the same level of experience as their male (white) counterparts, a long list of hiring requirements is the equivalent of a no-availability neon sign.
You also want to ensure that the language you use is inclusive and invites underrepresented groups to apply. For example, does a candidate actually need a university degree, or is it simply a matter of having relevant work experience – traditional or non-traditional? Focus on mission and team culture, highlight your inclusive benefits – think parental leave, flexible working hours or subsidised childcare – and always use a diverse set of eyes when reviewing job descriptions.
This might seem obvious, but going beyond your usual job boards and recruitment stomping grounds is a sure-fire way to immediately diversify your talent pipeline. Looking for talent that fits within certain tick-boxes may mean you miss out on candidates with a lot of potential.
Step back and view your teams objectively – what skills and attributes are you missing? Then actively search for recruitment channels that connect you with a wider, more diverse pool of candidates. When engaging with these candidates, be intentional about curating content that elevates diversity, so applicants can see themselves represented in your brand.
Truly embracing diversity must come from the topdown. That means aiming for diversity at every level of business, from leadership right through to your factory floor workers.
It also means creating a diverse, well-balanced recruitment team with varied perspectives that can reduce the risk of certain candidates being overlooked. Diversity and inclusion training for hiring managers also empowers your team to implement those strategies at every step of the recruitment process.
Technology – it’s a game-changer. Platforms like Weirdly give recruitment teams the tools to make more diverse hiring decisions by streamlining the candidate screening process. People are naturally biased, and the right recruitment software can help level the playing field for all candidates by eliminating inequities, especially in high-volume recruitment.
For example, Weirdly lets you build instant longlists based on values-alignment, doesn’t require resumes and has built-in features to help factor against other kinds of bias.
If you’d like to see a demo or read about how our clients have been using the tool to de-bias their recruitment, get in touch.
There’s no quick fix for a diversity problem, but companies that choose to do as they’ve always done are missing out on a wealth of new skills, creativity and potential. What we know for sure is without diversifying your workplace, you’re lagging. Widening your candidate pool to create a diverse pipeline that reflects the communities surrounding your business is what builds stronger teams – and better, more competitive organisations.
