Moving towards a more ethnically diverse workforce is a top priority for most employers. However, even when there are diversity officers and schemes in place, many firms still struggle to recruit diverse talent. What can companies do to make themselves appealing to a more diverse pool of candidates? How can they provide an interview experience that demonstrates that they truly do adhere to an inclusive culture? 5 important points to consider:
- If your industry is not attracting people of color applicants, there could be a lack of clarity about the career opportunities it offers. In this instance there needs to be a focus on increasing the awareness of the career options within the sector. There are a variety of organizations that provide services to help with changing the face of the industry. You may need to raise awareness of what your firm can offer. Minority employees should be encouraged to talk at company recruitment events.
- Highlight diversity on your career site, career blog, as well as within all advertising and publicity. According to The Talent Board research, your careers page is the #1 place candidates go to research your company, where, among other things, they will be looking to read about the company’s culture and values. According to LinkedIn’s research, 59% of candidates visit the company’s career site after discovering a job. Your career site should feature people of color employees and lift them up as role models. Perhaps even introduce some who offer their services as mentors in the organization.
- Highlight diversity in your job descriptions. A job posting is an external advertisement of your open job position. Is it written in such a way that will attract minority candidates? As well as being engaging, make sure to promote your commitment to your values, equality, diversity, and inclusion in your job description. If this is not clearly visible, why would a minority candidate feel compelled to apply? Even for headhunted candidates, they are looking at a job ad that promotes the values and culture of the company.
- Introduce a diverse interview panel. No-one wants to feel like they are the odd one out. It is disheartening if people cannot see individuals like themselves in a firm. If your company is pledging it’s focus on a culture of diversity, it should be apparent when candidates go through the interview process. Involve your minority employees in the interview process, even if they are junior.
- Create diversity recruitment videos. Potential candidates want to see the variety of people they would be working with and also a place where they would work. Creating a recruitment video will help you promote your employer brand, showcase your company culture and attract more candidates. It would be beneficial to create some content dedicated specifically to diversity in the workplace. Featuring the CEO, key members of the leadership team and employees, each could talk about what this means to them. According to research by CareerBuilder, job postings with videos have a 34% greater application rate.
Diversity and inclusivity go hand in hand. The best employers understand the need to take inclusivity seriously. Having an inclusive hiring process ensures a diverse and inclusive work culture. At Research Partners, we believe in the power of a workplace that is truly inclusive. As part of our services we share advice and best practice with our clients in order to achieve a positive outcome for all of our diversity related projects.
