Glossary
We know the recruiting process involves crafting job ads, networking, posting to job boards, writing job descriptions, and screening applicants. But what about diversity recruiting?
Talent acquisition leaders working to accomplish their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals prioritize diversity recruiting. Keep reading to learn what that means and why.
Diversity recruiting is the process of intentionally engaging a wide range of applicants. Teams that engage in diversity recruiting connect with diverse communities to build their talent pool. They are deliberate about overcoming unconscious bias in hiring.
A strong diversity recruitment strategy is proactive. It involves reaching out to underrepresented groups and historically disadvantaged people. It is inclusive of various races, ethnicities, backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, and ages.
Diversity recruiting and diversity hiring are different, but they work together to build a more fair hiring process. Diversity recruiting connects with diverse talent, while diversity hiring transforms diverse job seekers into new hires.
It’s impossible to hire inclusively without first sourcing diverse job candidates. Together, diversity recruiting and hiring practices remove barriers that prevent people from accessing equal employment opportunities.
Diversity is an important factor in workplace success. A more diverse workforce performs better than a homogenous one. Diverse teams are more innovative, more productive, and make smarter decisions. Employers that want better results should set workplace DEI goals, including diversity recruiting goals.
Most importantly, great recruiters know that diversity recruiting is simply the right thing to do. Embracing workplace diversity contributes to a more fair, respectful, and inclusive world.
One of the best ways to enhance your team’s performance is to embrace diversity. Companies that prioritize DEI are prioritizing strong teams. Let’s talk about how.
Diverse teams are made up of people from different backgrounds. Each person brings their unique perspective and lived experience to the table. Together, a diverse team is smarter and more creative.
When team members pool their knowledge, they’re able to make products and services more accessible and inclusive. They have fresh ideas needed to improve design weaknesses and make positive changes.
According to the Harvard Business Review, diverse teams make more fact-based decisions. Using facts to make decisions, instead of gut feelings or preferences, means decisions are more accurate. Diverse teams are also more careful about processing information.
With better decision-making comes more innovation. Diverse teams have been shown to increase innovation revenue and make financial gains. This is especially true of companies that have diverse executive teams.
One of the many benefits of diversity is better problem-solving. When you have people of diverse backgrounds approaching problems, you have more opportunities to find solutions. Because of this, diverse teams are able to solve problems faster and with a more well-rounded approach.
For example, cognitively diverse people think in different ways. Someone might be more creative, while someone else is more analytical. Together, they can use their skills to balance one another. Racial diversity, gender diversity, and ethnic diversity will help teams approach problems from different angles too.
Employees who work for diverse organizations are more engaged. They’re more connected with their work. And they’re more comfortable bringing their whole selves to the workplace, which makes for happier and healthier teams.
Not only does engagement boost employee happiness and job satisfaction, but it’s also better for business. For instance, companies with high employee engagement see less turnover, more growth, and more productivity.
It might sound overly simple, but it’s true that different people are good at different things. The diversity recruitment process embraces this. It brings people with unique strengths and talents together to achieve business goals.
Diversity recruiting also helps prevent biased hiring decisions. Hiring based on instincts or unconscious biases places too much importance on recruiter preferences. Instead, removing bias allows the recruiting team to objectively confirm applicant skill sets. Confirming soft and hard skills makes for better hires.
Groupthink is when members of a group adopt the same beliefs or ways of thinking. Teams suffering from groupthink assume they’re making good decisions, don’t question their conclusions, and don’t allow for dissent.
Diversity challenges groupthink. Diverse groups allow for differences of opinion and new ideas. They don’t fall into groupthink traps and are more effective.
More and more, job seekers are looking to join organizations that prioritize DEI. Applicants want to work for companies that value their unique abilities and perspectives. A hiring team that commits to diversity recruiting is shaping a work environment that others want to join.
Companies that embrace DEI are also fostering a more positive, inclusive culture. When employees feel included at work, they’re more likely to share their positive experiences with others and attract even more top candidates.
Diversity recruiting is only the first step. Follow your diversity recruiting efforts with an inclusive hiring process. Review redacted resumes, deliver a structured interview process, and embrace transparent communication. You’ll attract the best talent, build more diverse teams, and find more success.