4 ways you can diversify your talent pipeline

Attracting and retaining diverse talent isn’t easy. That’s why 82 percent of companies don’t believe they recruit highly talented people and for companies that do, only 7 percent think they can keep them . An inclusive recruitment strategy helps make sure you recruit, prepare, and advance the right candidates for open roles.

When creating your recruitment strategy, you should also think about how to attract diverse entry-level talent with the intention of training and promoting them. You can start developing relationships with high school programs, colleges, and other youth organizations.

Scott Moore, Senior Manager of Early Talent Recruiting at Zillow, wants companies to put more focus on creating a talent pipeline and training entry-level candidates to one day become senior leaders.

“You can continue to spend money fighting over the same limited pool of candidates, or you can take your money and dedicate it towards increasing the pipeline,” he says. “If everybody stopped fighting over this limited pool of candidates, and actually put those resources into increasing the supply, we might not be talking about how to create an inclusive recruitment strategy.”?

When looking for younger talent, don’t wait for them to find you – put your company in front of them. Below are four ways you can start.

Partner with outside organizations.

Talent development organizations nationwide have spent years supporting and training diverse candidates and exposing them to open positions at growing companies. Here is how you can partner with them:

• Develop relationships with college programs like Campus Pride , Disability:IN , and the Ron Brown Scholar Program .
• Partner with industry-specific youth organizations, like the National Society of Black Engineers and the Association of American Indian Physicians .??
• Build relationships with high school students by partnering with companies like NAF.
• Partner with youth employment programs, like the National Youth Employment Coalition .
• Get in front of diverse candidates by posting on private job boards for underrepresented candidates in certain industries, like Tech Ladies and Diversify Tech. ?
• Hold recruiting events in partnership with career-focused organizations that target women of color, like Career Chasers Members Club .

Create a diversity internship program.

Our team at Perfeqta can work with you to create job descriptions, interview questions, onboarding processes, and work plans that make interns feel valued and productive. We’ve seen clients promote interns to full-time employees within three months , while recruitment teams grow more confident in candidates’ skill sets.

Promote your employer brand on social media.

About 74 percent of Gen Z spend their free time online , so you’ll want to create a strong employer brand and incorporate it into your social media strategy. Highlight your company culture, shout out your employees, and show your commitment to DEI.

Here are a few tips for identifying talent on social media:

• Search industry-related hashtags.
• Check likes and comments on your company’s page.
• Look at who your connections are sharing/retweeting.
• Follow pages of the organizations listed above and see who’s engaging with them.

Write inclusive job descriptions.

Certain words or phrases in your job descriptions can turn people away, so you’ll want to be mindful of inclusive language principles . For example, a candidate might read “culture fit” and assume you’re hiring based on similar interests instead of skills and experience. Or using the word “minorities” to describe people of color can make the person reading it feel inferior. Your job descriptions can also include inclusive benefits, such as professional development, floating holidays, or paid parental leave.

Developing a diverse pipeline is all about building connections and showing potential employees why your company is the best place for them to grow their careers. For more information on how to diversify your candidate pool, improve your employer branding, and hire with confidence, download Perfeqta’s free Inclusive Recruitment Guide for Fast-Growing Teams .