6 tips on maximizing your diversity recruiting efforts

Diversity is about more than just race and ethnicity – it also includes gender, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, and more. You’ve probably heard that diversity is a key ingredient for a strong workforce.

But what does that mean for your organization? If you want to start maximizing your diversity recruiting efforts, read on for five effective tips.

1. Set Goals

Before recruiting anyone, it’s essential to set clear DEI recruitment goals. What does your organization want to achieve? Do you want to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in leadership positions?

Do you want your customer-facing employees to reflect the demographics of your customer base better? Be as specific as possible so that you can measure your progress.

You should also evaluate your current workforce to get a baseline. Verify what percentage of your employees come from underrepresented groups and how that compares to your desired goal. This data will help you create a recruiting plan that’s tailored to your needs.

2. Increase Your Visibility

If you want to attract a more diverse pool of candidates, you need to make sure they can actually find your job postings. One way to do this is by using job boards and websites that target underrepresented groups. But finding these websites isn’t enough!

Your job descriptions greatly influence the type of candidates you attract. If your descriptions are too general, you’ll likely get a lot of unqualified applicants. But if they’re too specific, you might dissuade underrepresented groups from applying.

You need to tailor your postings to each website. Use the language and keywords that these groups will be searching for. For example, if you’re trying to attract women to a male-dominated field, you might use phrases like “break into” or “change the game.” You might also use “they” instead of “he” throughout the posting.

3. Diversify Your Recruiting Panel

Your recruiting agency plays a big role in determining the types of candidates you ultimately hire. If your panel is homogeneous, they’re likely to favor candidates who remind them of themselves subconsciously.

That’s why it’s important to have a diverse recruiting panel. They should come from different backgrounds and levels within the organization. This will help ensure that you’re considering a wide range of candidates.

Many organizations make the mistake of assuming that their interviewers know how to evaluate candidates fairly. But unconscious bias is a real problem and can impact how people assess job applicants.

To combat this, you need to train your interviewers to conduct unbiased interviews. They should know what questions to ask and red flags to look for. This training will help ensure everyone is on the same page and that your hiring process is as fair as possible.

4. Offer Inclusive Benefits

Your benefits package can be a major selling point for potential employees. When evaluating job offers, candidates will often consider the type of benefits an organization offers.

To appeal to a diverse group of candidates, you need to offer benefits inclusive of all types of families. These include paid parental leave, child care assistance, and flexible work arrangements.

You might also want to consider offering cultural benefit programs. These can take the form of language classes, mentorship programs, and affinity groups. These programs can help your employees feel more connected to their co-workers and the organization as a whole.

5. Promote from Within

Many organizations focus their recruiting efforts on external candidates. But this can actually dissuade potential employees from applying. If your workforce is already diverse at the lower levels, promoting from within is a great way to show that you’re committed to diversity.

Not only does this send a strong message to potential candidates, but it also helps retain your current employees. They’ll see that there are opportunities for advancement, and they won’t feel the need to leave the organization in search of greener pastures.

6. Call on a Recruitment Firm

Even by taking all the steps ahead, finding minorities for your business might still pose a challenge. You may not have the advertising budget as bigger companies, or maybe you live in an area with a smaller pool of diversity to draw from.

If you want to maximize your diversity recruiting efforts, you must partner with a recruitment firm specializing in this area. At Groom & Associates, we have over 25 years of experience helping organizations attract and retain top talent.

We can help you create a customized recruiting plan tailored to your unique needs. Our staffing experts will work with you to identify the types of candidates you’re looking for and where to find them. We’ll also help you craft job descriptions and interview questions designed to attract a diverse pool of applicants.

Bottom Line

When it comes to recruiting, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The best way to attract a diverse pool of candidates is to tailor your efforts to your organization’s specific needs. Contact Groom & Associates today to maximize your diversification efforts. We’ll help you build an inclusive workplace that attracts top talent from all backgrounds.