Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are a key topic in business right now, with organisations of all kinds and sizes working actively towards creating truly diverse and inclusive working environments. Having a diverse and inclusive workplace is important not only ethically but also for improving employee morale, boosting innovation, and enhancing business success. Here we have set out practical steps that organisations can take to embed diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
One of the best ways to recruit diverse candidates is by doing an audit of past recruitment ads and make changes to speak to a broader range of candidates. Where some of the languages used can be geared toward a specific demographic of experience level for example using masculine-type words like “ambitious” and “dominate” can be less appealing to female applicants. If this is the case, find ways to be more inclusive in the language to appeal to candidates from different backgrounds.
Offering flexibility in the workplace can attract a wider range of diverse candidates. Where for Millennials it is more importance on a company culture that emphasise work/life balance. In addition, employees may not apply for roles is due to a long commute or distance to the office can be complicated, therefore, offering flexibility such as work from home options and flexible hours not only helps you attract more diverse candidates, but it also helps prevent expensive employee turnover.
One of the reasons why candidate pipelines can be a block for diversity is a reliance on hiring through referrals. Where current employees network can be comprised of people who are like them demographically. Therefore, it is important to advertise on third-party websites and online job boards.
In addition, in your job description provide candidates ways to find out more information about the organisation and its employees. One of the best ways to do this is by creating a company page showcasing the culture, leadership, and employees.
One of the main barriers to increasing workplace diversity is lacking an official diversity recruitment policy/system. Good intentions aren’t enough to overcome pipeline issues and reduce unconscious biases that interfere with hiring both the best candidates and hiring more diverse candidates.
The most common blind hiring method is to remove the candidate’s name from their resume. This helps organisations make decisions with reduced unconscious biases of the candidate’s race and gender. Other identifying personal information that is being removed from resumes is graduation year, university/school names, and location of the candidate.
This helps identify higher quality candidates because it enables organisations to evaluate a candidate’s skills, knowledge, and potential to succeed more objectively. However, this is where a software is needed that is dedicated to anonymising profiles or asking your recruiting agency to send across blind CVs.
Extending the blind resume concept is the blind interview, implementing blind interviews by removing personal identifying information from applications and getting candidates to anonymously answer job-related questions. This can be done via the recruitment process for candidates at most organisations includes a phone interview.
In conclusion the benefits of a D&I workplace, increase performance, innovation, creativity, and sales. Where recruiters and talent acquisition leaders need support and an official system in place to increase diversity.
Organisations can attract more diverse candidates through carefully worded job descriptions, offering work schedule flexibility, and advertising through third party websites and job boards. Technology can help increase diversity in the workplace through blind hiring and blind interviews.
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