An Inclusive Approach to Recruitment

A recent study revealed that “ full two-thirds (67 percent) of active and passive job seekers said that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating global organizations and job offers” (Glassdoor). Yet, many global organizations are still struggling to diversify their workforce at all levels and create inclusive environments.

Across all industries, the candidate pool is becoming more colorful and more diverse. This new diversity creates a wonderful opportunity for innovation, performance, and new markets. However, global organizations are facing a talent shortage that has nearly doubled in the past decade, according to ManpowerGroup research. This means that global organizations need to attract the best talents out of a diversified talent pool. The best candidates are out there and they are more than ready to take on new challenges, but recruiters and hiring managers will need a diverse and inclusive approach to hire them.

To attract a diverse candidate pool, hiring managers must first address how candidates interact with global organizations when applying. Therefore it is important to evaluate an inclusive approach at three levels: access, awareness, and application process:

• Access – Are job opportunities accessible to diverse populations?

• Awareness – Are these populations aware of the job opportunities? More importantly, are they aware that the organization prioritizes inclusion and diversity?

• Application process – Throughout the process, hiring managers and recruiters must ensure they have eliminated bias from the process, including:

• Language bias when it comes to job descriptions and/or the hiring process. This also has to be inclusive to avoid discouraging skilled candidate’s organizations’ needs. Gender Decoder is a great tool to help to find subtle bias in job ads.
• Resume bias, based on a candidate’s “ethnic-sounding” names and/or gender.
• Affinity bias, which prioritizes candidates who share a similar background as the hiring manager, leading to a homogenous work environment.

Diverse candidates bring new skills and talents, but one of the most beneficial things they bring is their new perspective. It’s a superpower; it’s the advantage every hiring manager needs to grow their company and increase their profits. Diverse employees bring innovation and by investing in diversity and inclusion, global organizations are doing the right thing while improving their bottom line.

None of this is hard, but it is a new process; a process that demands sincere commitment. For innovation, it’s obvious that global organizations need to be innovative in their approach. The good news is that hiring managers and recruiters with an inclusive approach can be a part of the solution and create sustainable change.