Are You Falling Behind On Your DEI Recruitment Strategy?

Including Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) in your recruitment strategy is a recipe for success. In recent years, young people, who make up the majority of the workforce today,?have brought DEI to the forefront of workplace conversations. A recent Deloitte survey of millennials in the workforce showed that 80% of participants indicated inclusion as one of the most important aspects of choosing an employer. Rightly so – DEI initiatives are proven to increase productivity, profitability, and team morale while decreasing employee turnover. ?

However,?although many companies indicate that DEI recruitment is a priority for them, according to McKinsey & Company Global Management Consulting , about 50% of U.S. firms have made little to no progress in executive team diversity, and many have even seen gender and ethnic minority representation in their business move backwards.?We still have a lot of work to do, and the work starts with DEI Recruiting.?

Tips for Success:?

1. Are your DEI Initiatives aligned with your Leadership team??

According to Boston Consulting Group , 85% of employees feel a sense of workplace belonging at companies with diverse senior leadership, as compared to 53% of employees at companies without diversity in leadership. If your leadership is on the fence about DEI recruiting and internal policy, tell them that research by McKinsey shows that companies who rank the highest for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Further, a diverse workforce leads to increased creativity and problem-solving, more efficient decision-making, and an improved reputation.?

Takeaway: Ensure that your Leadership gets on board with how instrumental DEI initiatives are to the success of your organization.?

2. Are your goals realistic??

The biggest mistake that organizations make is setting themselves up to fail by having unrealistic DEI goals. An example of this is, “we will achieve complete gender, racial, and ability level?parity in our workforce within the next six months.” This is unrealistic for several reasons. For one, although ambitious, setting a timeline of six months is unlikely for most companies to achieve, especially if there is already a large imbalance. Sustainable DEI efforts take time to implement. Secondly, market constraints may be an issue in achieving this goal – the availability of diverse candidates in the job market may not immediately align with your organization’s hiring goals and you may need to dig deeper. For example, if your CEO is frustrated by the lack of diversity in a talent pool, find and promote a free certification course for that talent pool so it becomes more accessible to a wider group of people. Finally, when setting goals, you must make sure that they are SMART : Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, & Time-Bound. Using these parameters when making goals will guarantee that your objectives will be attainable within a certain time frame. ?

Further, consider: where is the accountability? Who will hold your company to this DEI recruitment goal and ensure that it is executed properly? This is where our expert recruiters step in. At TalentQ we consistently and promptly deliver diverse candidates so that you don’t have to worry about searching for talent and can instead focus on your internal DEI initiatives. ? ?

Takeaway: Ensure that your diversity goals are in line with the context of your organization, as well as the talent pool you’re pulling from. We at TalentQ are always here to help.?

3. How do you attract a diverse talent pool??

How do you go about finding diverse demographics for the open roles on your team? If your candidates are mostly from one demographic, you are likely advertising roles in places where that demographic is plentiful. Consider a wider range of specialist diversity job boards, or the use of social media advertising. Increasingly, there are applicant tracking systems that automate recruitment marketing. These allow you to easily create and post a branded job advertisement that posts across a wide range of channels that attract different types of people. A great approach would be to work with our top recruiters at TalentQ, who find diverse talent by using their signature approach, knocking down doors and uncovering hidden talent no one else can find.?

Additionally, assuming you already have a diverse team, make sure that your website and social media content reflect that. If you do not, be explicit about what you’re doing to change that. For example, Scout does a wonderful job of displaying their DEI efforts by describing their initiatives and showing that they are committed to making a change, using inclusive language to do so.?

Takeaway: Be mindful of the language that you are using in your hiring posts, make sure they’re getting to diverse audiences, be transparent about your current status with DEI, and describe what you’re committed to do to get better with it.?

4. Does your company rely on referrals to fill positions??

While referrals can be an excellent source of finding talent, they can also hold your company back from its DEI goals. According to Zippia , over 80% of employers prioritize referrals when hiring, and referrals are four times as likely to secure the job than direct applicants. People often refer others who are like them, however, mostly hiring referrals can lead to a more homogenous company. This is unattractive to young workers. If your primary strategy is recruiting referrals, you may be overlooking significant talent. DEI recruiting will keep your company relevant as demand for diversity and inclusion in the workplace continues to grow.??

Takeaway: It may be helpful to redesign existing referral programs to get more diverse referrals. For example, Accenture and Intel began to increase bonuses for employees for diversity referrals, urging employees to be more mindful of organizational DEI goals when referring candidates.?

?? Don't let your recruitment team fall behind on your DEI strategy - partner with TalentQ to ensure your talent pool aligns with your company's DEI recruitment action plan! ?

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