What do you do if your recruiting process lacks diversity and inclusion?

Use design thinking principles to improve the hiring processes. Start by understanding the needs of underrepresented groups, then set clear goals for increasing diversity. Collaborate to generate creative ideas and develop prototypes of recruitment materials, such as job postings and social media content. Test these prototypes with diverse audiences to ensure they resonate. Finally, be open to continually refining strategies based on feedback to create a more inclusive hiring environment and diverse workforce!

If your recruiting process lacks diversity and inclusion, start by assessing barriers that may be hindering equitable representation. Conduct a thorough review of your recruitment practices, including job postings, sourcing strategies, screening criteria, and interview processes, to identify potential biases or systemic barriers that may exclude qualified candidates from underrepresented groups. Analyze demographic data and hiring outcomes to pinpoint areas where diversity gaps exist and assess the root causes behind these disparities. Additionally, gather feedback from candidates, employees, and stakeholders to gain insights into their experiences and perceptions of the recruitment process.

To address a lack of diversity and inclusion in recruiting, take proactive steps such as implementing inclusive job descriptions, diverse sourcing strategies, unbiased screening processes, inclusive interviews, diversity training, and tracking metrics to measure progress and adjust strategies accordingly.

I can guarantee that most businesses are showing a certain lack of diversity and inclusion in their hiring process, especially if they haven't reviewed it. What works for you, might not work for everyone. I placed a person within a business last year who tanked face to face or phone interviews. But they were an incredible developer who outshone everyone else in the technical test. Did their role include any element of meeting with people? No. Did they have to be great on the phone to succeed in their job? Absolutely not. So we redefined the recruitment process for them to showcase their amazing dev skills.

To assess barriers, you need DATA! Understanding your recruitment funnel properly will give you a great insight, but you can't do this without proper equal opps data. being able to compare the demographic make-up of your recruitment funnel at each stage of the process will help to identify blockers. However, to gather meaningful data, you will need to create trust with your candidates so that they are willing to share information - often people will be reticent to share, even if the forms purport to be confidential/ anonymous/ separate from the hiring process. To build trust you need to be really clear about why you are asking for this information, and how it contributes to your overall approach to inclusion.

Establishing clear D&I goals can be a starting point to infuse more diversity and inclusion in the process. Communicate the goals to all relevant teams, monitor progress and then continuously improve the goals to be more adaptable to external factors.

Start with advertisements. What makes one more inclusive than the other? Look at the language used. - Do you use words like "young" or "digital native"? - Do you have a laundry list of "must have" requirements? - Does your ATS include a million steps? - Do your hiring manages know what they can and can't ask in an interview? - Are CV's reviewed with names, location, dates of education, etc removed to avoid bias?

Review all tools available to you and be open minded about using your budget. There are plenty of free tools out there to help, others will have a valuable ROI. Each stage of a hiring process comes with it's own practices that can be tailored to increase diversity & inclusion. Break down your process step by step and identify methods that can address these individually. If possible, review your data for potential imbalances during hiring the hiring process and see were candidates drop-off through the process. Be open about what you are doing to combat challenges. Candidates want to work for organisations who do more to create a fairer process!

If your recruiting process lacks diversity and inclusion, it's essential to revise your practices to foster a more equitable and inclusive approach. Start by reviewing job descriptions and removing biased language or unnecessary requirements that may deter diverse candidates. Expand your sourcing efforts to reach a more diverse pool of candidates, including underrepresented groups, by leveraging diverse job boards, partnerships with minority-serving organizations, and employee referrals. Implement blind resume screening techniques to mitigate unconscious bias and ensure fair evaluation of candidates based on their qualifications. Additionally, provide training and resources to hiring managers and interviewers.

Addressing diversity barriers requires revising recruitment practices. Rewrite job descriptions for inclusivity, broaden advertising platforms, and adopt blind recruitment to minimize bias. Such revisions not only attract diverse talent but also demonstrate a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion, fostering an inclusive workplace culture.

Recruiters should be encouraged to include diversity candidates while presenting talent pool to hiring managers.They should also be trained enough on kind of questions to be asked to avoid any kind of bias, stereotype etc.

If your recruiting process lacks diversity and inclusion, prioritize training for recruiters to address this gap. Provide comprehensive education on unconscious bias, inclusive language, and equitable hiring practices to ensure recruiters are equipped with the knowledge and skills to foster diversity and inclusion throughout the hiring process. Encourage recruiters to challenge their assumptions, broaden their networks to reach diverse talent pools, and advocate for inclusive practices within the organization. Offer ongoing support and resources to reinforce learning and promote continuous improvement.

Enhancing diversity and inclusion starts with empowering your recruiters through focused training. This involves not just educating them on recognizing unconscious bias and mastering inclusive language, but also embedding Agile principles to adapt and innovate in recruitment strategies. From my experiences, fostering a culture of continuous learning and self-awareness, much like the commitment I've maintained with platforms like Audible, is crucial. It enables your team to appreciate the vast tapestry of human experiences, ensuring your recruiting process is not only inclusive but also reflective of a workplace where every individual feels valued and understood.

Training recruiters on unconscious bias, inclusive language, and cultural competency is crucial for fostering diversity in recruitment. It empowers recruiters to recognize and overcome biases, use inclusive language in job descriptions, and engage effectively with candidates from diverse backgrounds. This training not only improves the inclusivity of the hiring process but also demonstrates the organization's commitment to diversity and equity.

Provide education and training to recruiters and hiring managers on unconscious bias awareness, diversity, and inclusion best practices, and the importance of fostering a diverse workforce. Equip them with the tools and strategies needed to mitigate bias in recruitment decisions, such as structured interview techniques, blind resume reviews, and diverse candidate sourcing methods. Encourage ongoing learning and development to ensure that recruiters stay informed about emerging trends and practices in diversity and inclusion.

There are causes and organizations that exist to provide equitable job opportunities for skilled jobseekers from historically overlooked communities. Organizations like YUPRO Placement break down barriers, ensuring that talent and potential are not constrained by circumstances. Talent is universal but opportunity is not.

If your recruiting process lacks diversity and inclusion, prioritize fostering partnerships with organizations and communities that represent diverse talent pools. Collaborate with minority-serving organizations, community colleges, professional associations, and diversity-focused networks to expand your reach and access to underrepresented candidates. Participate in career fairs, networking events, and mentorship programs targeted towards diverse communities to build relationships and raise awareness of career opportunities within your organization. Additionally, consider establishing internship or apprenticeship programs specifically designed to provide pathways for diverse candidates to enter your industry.

If an organizations lacks diverse and inclusion in their recruiting process, it should take a look at the communities and their partnerships. How far is their reach? Is the organization purposeful to ensure they are involving diverse networks, organizations and communities. Be intentional and not just do the same. When you become more inclusive, diversity will come.

Fostering partnerships with organizations and communities advocating for underrepresented groups is vital for enhancing diversity in recruitment. These collaborations expand access to a diverse talent pool and position your company as an inclusive employer. Engaging with diverse communities showcases your dedication to building a varied workforce, strengthening your employer brand, and attracting top talent from diverse backgrounds.

To ensure diversity and inclusion, you can widen the search for diverse candidates by engaging a headhunter who prioritises these values and can reach out to diverse candidates on the hiring companies behalf. They can reach a broader range of candidates by utilising their networks and connecting with diverse communities to proactively represent the company and opportunity thereby ensuring diversity in the hiring process.

Implementing an Agile approach to monitor and enhance diversity in your recruiting process is pivotal. By measuring progress through diversity metrics at each stage of the recruitment funnel, you can pinpoint areas needing improvement. My experience, from hosting leadership podcasts to directly elevating team members' careers, underscores the importance of continuous learning and adaptation. Drawing from a rich background in talent management, remember, a data-driven, people-first strategy not only fosters inclusivity but also builds a stronger, more cohesive team dynamic where every individual's contribution is valued and leveraged for collective success.

Monitoring progress and measuring results are crucial steps in improving diversity within your recruiting process. By tracking diversity metrics at every stage of the recruitment funnel, you can assess the effectiveness of your changes and identify any areas that need further improvement. This data-driven approach allows you to make informed decisions and continuously refine your hiring practices to foster a more inclusive and diverse workforce.

In the journey towards diversity and inclusion, continuous improvement is key. Embrace a mindset of ongoing learning and evolution, staying updated on inclusive recruiting practices and seeking feedback from candidates to refine your approach. By prioritizing continuous improvement, you'll create a workplace that is not only diverse and inclusive but also dynamic, innovative, and reflective of the diverse talents and perspectives within your team.

Fostering diversity and inclusion demands an Agile commitment to continuous improvement. By staying informed about inclusive best practices and actively seeking feedback from new hires, you can refine your recruitment process to be more welcoming and effective. My journey, from interviewing diverse leaders on my podcast to facilitating career growth through self-awareness, underlines the importance of adaptability and learning. Drawing on a foundation of talent management wisdom from my parents, it's clear: prioritizing people and their unique contributions cultivates a dynamic, innovative workplace where everyone thrives.

Seeking out, remaining alert to and removing or seeking to proactively mitigate the causes of inequity and discrimination in talent policies, practices and systems is an ongoing battle. It’s never done and dusted, and the moment you think you’re done is the moment you lose that battle. You have to consider not only the constant revision and tuning of the systemic elements, but also the very human element which is steeped in implicit bias and imperfection. You also need to look beyond the act of talent acquisition and across the full talent lifecycle to understand why you may or may not be attracting and retaining a workforce that reflects your communities in which you work, live and seek to serve.

Be constantly looking at teams within your business. Is there diversity in your business? When someone leaves do you just hire like for like? Talented people are always looking into best practice of a business, and I often hear from candidates that they didn't see much diversity in the team.

In enhancing diversity and inclusion, consider an Agile mindset that values people first, blending this with the richness of diverse experiences. My journey, from amplifying voices through my leadership podcast to witnessing career transformations in financial services, underscores the transformative power of diversity. Each story shared, every barrier dismantled, not only enriches our workplace but also our broader community. Inspired by a lifetime of talent management wisdom, it's clear that when we embrace diversity at every level, we unlock unparalleled innovation, resilience, and collective success.

If you need to improve your DEI recruiting there are always DEI specific job boards. By moving some job postings from your normal posting to a DEI job board you would increase your DEI applicants and Candidates.