Blended Slates: Changing the Conversation Changes Our Companies

As our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion continues to sharpen, organizations are re-thinking their recruitment strategies as an approach to strengthen the diverse make-up of their employee population. 

As these new recruitment strategies are developed, it is common to focus on ‘diverse slates’. Many companies refer to the Rooney Rule or have their own definitions for ‘diverse slates’.  Most common of these definitions is to interview one female and/or one ethnically diverse candidate for each open role at a specific level/grade.  

The dichotomy in this definition and focus is that the term ‘diverse’ is far broader than females & historically underrepresented or those ethnically diverse.  The term ‘diverse’ captures all the layers of uniqueness that we each bring to the organization - using the iceberg metaphor to refer to diversity.  So why limit our definition of ‘diverse slate’ to two dimensions?

While we may have a focus in certain years on specific dimensions of diversity - such as females and historically underrepresented - our suggestion is to begin using language, definitions, and reporting that is far broader and more inclusive:  Blended Slates.

Blended Slates, at least initially, can include the following attributes:

Globally: Gender, LGBTQ+, people with disAbilities

US: Gender, LGBTQ+, people with disAbilities, Ethnicity, Veterans Status

You can still use the Rooney Rule, but start to increase your focus to Blended Slates - you may even find that you’re closer to 100% in your slate mix. To achieve this...

• Attract: Ask your hiring managers to post their open jobs with a link to your diversity home page, or include in the post recent recognitions your company has achieved for diversity.
• Interview: Create a consciously inclusive interview panel that represents the diverse makeup of your organization - give diversity a seat at the table.
• Onboard:  Everyone remembers their first day with a company, roll out the red carpet for all talent, but build connections on Day 1 for diverse talent that will build their network.

These attributes can be included for the applicant to self identify, and you will soon see the richness of diversity that is part of our overall talent pool - or will help identify where you may need an increased focus. 

By changing the conversation in our companies to Blended Slates, we can understand whether we are attracting the diversity which we celebrate within our organizations.  Change begins when we shift our language, what we track, measure and report.

?Written in partnership with Mitra Agcaoili.

Please note: The opinions and tips represented are those of Soni Basi and Mitra Agcaoili and not our affiliated organization.