Make Me Feel Important

Why is diversity hiring critical? Well, when there are different types of people voicing out different opinions, the discussions and the decisions made by the diverse group will definitely meet all ends. As Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google opines “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”

Having said that, now, the goal is to find the right talent without any biases! But can you hire talent without being judgmental? In reality, you tend to discriminate against candidates based on their gender, age, race, religion, disabilities, personalities, knowledge base, sexual orientation, and even personal interests. It's high time to cast the inherent and acquired diversity factors aside that hinder the hiring process.

So, how should diversity hiring happen instead? The recruiter should understand, accept, and value the differences between the candidates and disregard any or all the differences that curb them from hiring the best employee.

Many organizations ardently follow ‘Equal Employment Opportunity’ and have a landing page dedicated to diversity, like that of Google. On the other hand, Accenture has a webpage for Inclusion and Diversity. These are just a few names among the BIG giants in the global market that show diversity hiring matters to them.

Coming back to other companies not indulging much in diversity hiring, why do you think they are not following the footsteps of the biggies in the industry? Maybe their need did not boil down to diversity hiring yet or they are already facing challenges in the basic recruitment process.

Whatever be it, it is essential that all recruiters consider hiring a talent that best fits the job and overlooks anything that is as trivial as gender or minorities.

To start with, you can set a metric to recruit qualified women candidates in leadership roles or qualified visible minorities in any of your team that lacks true potential.

Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, “Make me feel important.” Remember the words of Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. during every single hiring process.

When you feel that everyone you meet is talented, irrespective of what they are, your scope to see beyond boundaries widens. Let’s not set aggressive goals like Intel’s CEO who is bound to strike diversity parity in 2020.

Let’s take baby steps in reaching diversity hiring and we know it is critical to achieving. Consider these steps in your diversity hiring process and see if you have hit the cords right.

A holistic approach to diversity hiring

Check for Bottlenecks in Your Current Hiring Process

Review your current hiring process and identify where the actual discrepancies lie. Find out if you have real issues in the top management’s mindset or somewhere at the grassroots. Unless you know the reason and have sufficient data to support it, it will limit your diversity hiring efforts.

Highlight that Your Existing Workplace is Diverse or Aspiring to be Diverse

Diversity attracts diversity — it’s that simple. Glassdoor stats shows that 67% of job seekers look for diversity as an important element in companies offering jobs. Showcase your workplace pictures and videos of diverse engagements on social media platforms to attract talent from diverse groups.

Flexibility @ Workplace is a Crowd Puller

Most of the employees quit their job, lacking a work-life balance. Remote work is the new mantra and thanks to the pandemic for showing us it is possible. By offering flexibility, you can hire as well retain good talent in your organization. The ability to work across locations at flexible timelines without having to commute is the best package deal you can offer to any aspiring candidate. The work-life balance is the most desired perk by many women and millennials.

Encourage Employee Referrals that Embrace Diversity

Current employees in an organization will have acquaintances outside the workplace, they may know people with varied backgrounds who possess different skills. Shoot an apt employee referral program with rewards that focus on diversity hiring.

Support Blind Hiring

Use the blind hiring technique, thereby you can anonymize the personal information about a prospective candidate from the recruiter. This will eliminate conscious or unconscious bias about the candidate. You can remove their last names, schools, or even their age before placing the candidate for an interview.

 Use ‘Two in the Pool Effect’

As per Harvard Business Review, when only one candidate is a minority from a pool of final candidates, the minority candidate may not have the chance of being hired. However, if there are two women candidates in the final pool, the probability of hiring one woman candidate is 79 times greater. Likewise, if there are two minority candidates, the chance of hiring a minority candidate is 194 times greater. This is how the ‘two in the pool effect’ works.

Emphasize the Outcome

Forbes insights have recognized the diversity in the workplace as the key driver of innovation and business growth. Not only that, but diversity hiring also brings groups of diverse problem solvers together to outperform high-ability problem solvers.

Having read about how to take baby-steps in diversity hiring, share your thoughts on how diversity hiring creates better performances in industries that you know.

FAQ Section

Q1. What is diversity hiring and why is it important?
Diversity hiring is the practice of recruiting candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and experiences. It drives innovation, better decision-making, and improved business performance by fostering varied perspectives.

Q2. How does diversity hiring improve workplace productivity?
When diverse individuals collaborate, they bring unique ideas and problem-solving approaches. This leads to more well-rounded discussions and outcomes, increasing productivity and innovation.

Q3. What are common barriers to diversity hiring?
Biases—conscious or unconscious—related to gender, age, ethnicity, or educational background can hinder diversity hiring. Additionally, outdated recruitment processes and lack of top-down commitment can act as bottlenecks.

Q4. What are some proven strategies to improve diversity hiring?

• Use blind hiring to remove identifying details during screening

• Promote diversity through employee referrals

• Implement flexible work policies

• Showcase your commitment to diversity on social channels and career pages

• Apply the ‘Two in the Pool’ rule to ensure better hiring chances for underrepresented candidates

Q5. What is the ‘Two in the Pool Effect’?
This hiring tactic suggests that when at least two diverse candidates are included in the final shortlist, the odds of hiring a candidate from a minority background increase significantly.

Q6. How does flexibility in the workplace support diversity hiring?
Offering remote work and flexible hours helps attract and retain diverse candidates, especially women, working parents, and people from underserved locations.

Q7. Why should companies highlight diversity in their employer branding?
Job seekers value diversity. According to Glassdoor, 67% of candidates consider a diverse workplace as a deciding factor when accepting job offers. Showcasing inclusion helps attract top talent.

Q8. How can I begin implementing diversity hiring in my organization?
Start by auditing your current recruitment practices, identifying bias-prone stages, setting measurable diversity goals, and encouraging cross-functional buy-in from leadership to recruiters.