How to Avoid Tokenism in Diversity Recruiting

??This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly newsletter + monthly workshop series sharing best practices for employers who want to implement effective diversity recruitment programs. To see previous editions, visit JenniferTardy.com. | IG: @IncreaseDiversity ??

News From #TeamJTC:

?????END OF YEAR SPECIAL: Now through December 31, 2021, we are offering a training bundle. Register of our upcoming?Qualified Diversity Recruiter?(training program for recruiters) or?Qualified Inclusive Leader?(training program for hiring managers) and receive 1-year free access to the?Increase Diversity Toolbox?subscription.?Oh! If you register by 12.21.21, use the coupon code EARLY30 to get 30% off.?

???? NEW EBOOK: We are very excited to announce that we are adding a new eBook to our INCREASE DIVERSITY TOOLBOX. “How to Partner with Your Workplace Affinity Group to Increase Diversity”.?If you already subscribe to the Increase Diversity Toolbox, you are in luck as this eBook will be available to you FREE of charge. Otherwise, we invite you to subscribe to the Increase Diversity Toolbox to gain access to this eBook along with many great resources.

???? FREE CHECKLIST | ?? We have a FREE, downloadable CHECKLIST for leaders called The Platinum Checklist for Hiring Professionals: 10 Immediate Actions Leaders Must STOP Doing in Order to Increase Diversity. Click to download your free copy. ??

Today’s article edition is dedicated to our newest Increase Diversity Toolbox e-book release. It is guide called, “How to Partner with Your Workplace Affinity Group to Increase Diversity.” Enjoy.

“Nothing about us without us” - In the 1960’s and 1970s this was the slogan used by disability rights advocates fighting for change to policies that severely impacted their lives.

Now, read that again – “nothing about us without us”. This group of advocates was demanding a true and fair partnership where no efforts or policies would be decided by any representative without the full and direct participation of members of the group(s) affected by that policy. The goal was simple, to avoid tokenism. In the work of diversity recruiting, tokenism shows up when recruiters and hiring leaders make a symbolic and superficial action to partner with specific individuals in the hopes of increasing diversity. This creates an appearance of racial or gender equality in the hiring process and the workplace, but it’s just that, an appearance.

When expanding the efforts to increase diversity, two questions come to mind:

#1: How can recruiters effectively establish a meaningful and effective relationship between the recruitment department and other workplace affinity groups like Employee Resource Group (ERGs) to positively impact a company’s initiative to increase diversity and fill positions without slipping into tokenism?

#2: How can recruiters authentically amplify the voices of underrepresented communities and collaborate as partners authentically while creating real representation?

Let’s unpack that.

As recruiters, we don’t go about the business of recruiting by ourselves. We count on interview teams, hiring managers, and, when implemented properly, a village of people to make the work of recruiting a successful one. But, unfortunately, many recruiting teams don’t really focus on building the relationship with those partners which leads to superficial results. If they are looking to only check a box, this is when underrepresented folks feel tokenized. If you, as a recruiter, want to avoid tokenism, spend time and focus on the partnership.

So, what does it mean to focus more on the partnership? For a partnership to be successful, each member needs to feel a sense of support and optimism about the collaboration. When people feel supported in a partnership, they become inspired to visualize the process of achieving the goal more clearly. Partners find ways to focus on solutions, not problems, and are committed to open communication to keep things together. An effective partnership focuses on partnering with employee resource groups (ERGs). This will expand the reach of recruitment while investing in these relationships as a way to fill positions with top talent from underrepresented populations.

Here’s how to build a successful partnership without slipping into tokenism:

#1: Create a vision for the partnership. As a recruiter, you should provide value or add value to the partnership first before requesting anything from the ERG. Create a vision for this partnership and begin the conversation around what that partnership could look like while also seeking input and buy-in from key stakeholders and ERG leaders. Create alignment on roles, activities, and expectations of the partnership.

#2: Spend more time building the relationship. If you want to avoid tokenism, spend more time on the relationship. The relationship is not about having ERG members or others “participate”, but for them to become active voices in the process. It is also not about having them do the recruiting for you, or in place of you. It’s about doing the work shoulder to shoulder.

#3: The partnership must be a win-win. The recruiting department and ERG members should all benefit from this partnership.

In summary, make a commitment to build an authentic, win-win, mutually beneficial, two-way partnership where both recruiters and ERG members are doing the work to increase diversity. This includes gaining alignment on current initiatives among both departments. Remember, the future sustainability and financial success of any organization demands representation, equity, and inclusion. But this does not happen overnight. Investing time and energy in the relationship with other partners is critical to the success of your diversity efforts.

Join the conversation: – how can recruiters effectively establish a meaningful and effective relationship between the recruitment department and other workplace affinity groups like Employee Resource Group (ERGs) to positively impact a company’s initiative to increase diversity and fill positions without slipping into tokenism?

?We will use the weekly #IncreaseDiversity newsletter platform to do five things:

·???????????????Challenge organizations to dig more deeply when it comes to diversity recruiting and retention programs

·???????????????Clarify misconceptions or demystify complex topics related to diversity recruiting

·???????????????Share best practices in diversity recruiting and retention

·???????????????Answer frequently asked questions related to diversity recruiting and retention

·???????????????Build a safe learning community for hiring professionals