Diverse Interview Panels: A Win-Win for Candidates and Companies

In our last post, we shared tips on hiring inclusive colleagues and leaders by using the right interview questions. Today we focus on using a diverse interview panel to increase diversity and inclusion in your company by maximizing the impact on hiring decisions .

With access to information about your company through LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Instagram, and other social channels, candidates are more informed than ever and formulate their perception of your company well before the interview. However, it is through the interview process that we really get to know one another - and determine whether we want to join a company, and conversely, determine who we want to join our company.  

As you increase activity to source and interview diverse candidates at your company, there is an equally important shift required for your interview panel. There are two reasons for this:

1. Diverse candidates need to see more than the glossy images or statistics on your website that promise diversity and inclusion. They want to understand, from the perspective of the colleague, what it’s really like to work at your organization as a diverse colleague.  
2. By adding a new perspective, diverse interview panels encourage us to think more broadly and inclusively about who we are bringing into the company. This allows the interview team to see past their unconscious biases and instead keep the focus on being consciously inclusive.

Allows a candidate to answer the question: Is this the right company for me?

Allows a company to answer the question: Is this the right talent for us?

Diversity, as we refer to it here, is the broadest definition - whether it is Veterans, People with disAbilities, historically underrepresented groups, etc.  

In setting up diverse interview panels, consider the following:

1. The diverse interviewer has a ‘real’ role that has an equal share of voice as all other interviewers, not a ‘fit’ interview.
2. Select someone that has enough knowledge of the department/role, but that offers a new perspective as well.
3. Select someone who may be a graduate of an internal diverse top talent program.

To ensure pull through and organizational success, train the individuals on their role as part of the interview team. For example, Prepare the interviewees all with questions they can ask for a consistent interview approach. Equally important is to educate hiring managers on the role of diverse interview panels as part of your overall talent strategy.

Take this simple step to consciously inclusive hiring by bringing the right diverse leaders to the interviewing table. Share your own favorites to assess for Inclusion - drop them into the comments below.

Written in collaboration with Mitra Agcaoili.

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