Diversity recruitment is one of the top trending topics in corporate America. In our increasingly diverse nation, a diversity recruitment strategy is necessary to have. According to a 2015 McKinsey study, a diverse workforce is not only beneficial from an inclusion perspective, but also from a business perspective: gender-diverse companies are 15 percent more likely to outperform their less diverse competitors, and ethnically diverse companies are 35 percent more likely to.
Implementing diversity and inclusion hiring initiatives helps to ensure that an organization understands the needs of its customers, as a diverse company's employees will speak their customers' language, both literally and figuratively. A solid diversity plan, particularly for entry-level candidates, can also enhance an organization’s position as a desirable applicant destination – a plus for employers looking to hire top talent in the labor market.
An additional benefit to a diverse workforce is the fact that from a broad range of employee backgrounds and viewpoints comes a wide variety of ideas and solutions. As an organization develops new products and services or looks to communicate more effectively with its customers, having a diverse workforce ensures that a broad range of perspectives are included in decision-making and service development.
Incorporating diverse backgrounds and ideas isn’t just a smart business practice - it underscores a commitment to inclusion. Strong relationship and team-building opportunities are created when diversity is emphasized and capitalized upon.
Integrate Your Diversity Recruiting Strategy in Your Brand
In today’s labor market, a diverse and inclusive employer brand identity could be your most valuable asset when looking to attract new graduates. Reputation is of the utmost importance, as any negative reviews of your organization that imply you are not a diverse or inclusive employer can severely hinder your ability to attract top talent. Applicants routinely review how current and past employees rate an organization, and Glassdoor reports that 67% of active and passive candidates specifically cite a diverse workforce as an important factor when reviewing and evaluating prospective employers. Particularly with entry-level applicants and millennials, reputation is critical. This generation looks for work that satisfies not only their need to generate income, but also their desire to take pride in their workplace, as their career is an integral part of their identity and personal brand.
Whether you’re a multinational firm or a small business, a positive reputation around inclusion is critical. An inclusive environment will result in company pride and high morale from staff, and ultimately greater commitment and productivity.
Example of a Leading Diversity Recruiting Strategy
Many companies are leading the way in diversity recruitment with hiring initiatives that focus on groups that have been previously under-represented. It is important to ensure you are inclusive in your attraction and selection process to ensure that no one feels passed over. AT&T is a shining example of how to create an inclusive recruitment strategy. The organization focuses on sponsoring local and national events that promote diversity. The company also works directly with on and off-campus groups, including the National Society of Black Engineers, to hire the best professionals from every background and ethnicity. Of course, once you recognize the need for a diverse workforce, the challenge is turning that vision into reality.
How to Implement an Entry-Level Diversity Recruiting Strategy
On-Campus
Colleges and universities are happy to work closely with employers to find opportunities for their graduates. For an organization, partnering with on-campus career services, academic advisors and directors can help you define your hiring goals and ensure you are targeting a broad range of academic programs, clubs, and groups. These campus partners can connect you with minority-centric campus groups and help you advertise your opportunities to ensure they are inclusive of all students regardless of ethnicity, religion, language or sexual orientation.
If you are looking to create a more heterogeneous workforce, consider recruiting from schools that educate specific groups of individuals that may be under-represented in your organization. A few examples of these groups and organizations are listed below:
- Female recruits - There are many women-only colleges and universities to help your search.
- African-American recruits - HBCU offers lists of historically black colleges and universities.
- Hispanic recruits - The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities can help source candidates.
- Diversity statistics - The National Association of Colleges and Employers offers diversity resources, including diversity statistics for schools.
Off-Campus
It is important to focus on how you are communicating your commitment to diversity to potential applicants. Do your job advertisements and website emphasize your desire for inclusion, or are you using language that might send the wrong message? For example, the term “salesmen” could be off-putting to female applicants, so consider a gender-neutral term such as sales professionals or representatives. It is also important to be aware of statements such as “preferred candidates should possess experience in an American firm,” as this could be viewed as discriminatory based on an applicant’s country of origin. Finally, be careful with terminology such as “excellent command of the English language,” as this might be interpreted as a preference for native English speakers who do not have an accent. Instead, ask for the ability to “communicate effectively with customers.”
Promote Your Commitment to Diversity Recruiting
Similar to how an organization creates sales pitches for customers, it is important to create an employment pitch for prospective candidates. Simply stating “Equal Opportunity Employer," or “EOE," at the bottom of each job posting is not as sincere as outlining in detail how your organization has a commitment to ensuring a diverse and welcoming culture. Also, be sure to emphasize in your job posting responsibilities list that you expect all new hires to work cohesively together regardless of background. For example, terminology like “supports team by working cohesively with individuals of diverse backgrounds,” shows that you have a diverse workforce and expect any new hires who join to cooperatively work and participate in your inclusive organization.
To ensure organizational success, capitalize on diversity, beginning with hiring a wide-ranging mix of professionals from various backgrounds. Companies can position themselves for a successful future by implementing a diversity recruitment strategy that attracts a talent pool full of myriad experiences, backgrounds and knowledge.
To assist with your entry-level diversity recruiting strategy, consider using Symplicity Recruit to ensure you are sending a consistent message around your commitment to diversity and inclusion to the multiple campuses you are targeting. Symplicity Recruit even has a diversity filter, which makes it easy for you to target your posts to diverse institutions.
Sources:
Broughton, A. (2008, August 13). Minorities expected to be majority in 2050. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/13/census.minorities/
Equal Opportunity Council. (2016, September 11). Diversity Best Practices in Hiring/Recruitment in the US. Retrieved from http://www.equalopportunitycouncil.com/diversity-best-practices-in-hiringrecruitment-in-the-us/
Glassdoor. (2014, November 17). What Job Seekers Really Think of Your Diversity Stats. Retrieved from https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/diversity/
Hunt, V., Layton D., & Prince S. (2015, January). Why diversity matters. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters
