Tips to Improve Workforce DEI in 2023
An effective diversity recruitment strategy is becoming increasingly important in today’s workplace, and for good reason. A diverse and inclusive workforce is hugely beneficial in the workplace. It not only creates a positive work environment for employees, but it can also drive innovation, increase creativity, and ultimately benefit the bottom line.
In the creative and technology sector, where creativity and innovation are essential, hiring for diversity is particularly crucial. Companies that are able to draw on a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds are better positioned to succeed in a rapidly changing market.
In this article, we provide actionable steps for leaders to promote diversity through their recruitment strategies.
How Does Your Current Hiring Strategy Stack Up for DEI Excellence?
The first step in developing an effective and successful diversity recruitment strategy is to assess your current recruitment process. Here are three areas to focus on:
1. Evaluating the diversity of your current workforce
Take a look at the makeup of your current workforce:
- Are there any underrepresented groups?
- Are there any areas where diversity is particularly lacking?
Understanding the current state of diversity in your company will help you identify areas for improvement.
2. Identifying any unconscious biases in your recruitment process
Unconscious biases can creep into the recruitment process in many ways. From the language used in job postings to the questions asked in interviews, it’s important to identify any biases that may be hindering diversity in your hiring process.
3. Examining your job postings and interview questions
Take a close look at your job postings and interview questions. Are they written in a way that is inclusive to all candidates, or do they contain language that may discourage certain groups from applying? Are your interview questions fair and relevant, or do they unfairly disadvantage certain candidates?
By taking the time to assess your current recruitment process, you will gain a better understanding of what changes need to be made in order to create a more diverse and inclusive hiring process.
Developing a Diversity Recruitment Strategy
Once you have assessed your current recruitment process, it’s time to start developing a plan for promoting diversity in your hiring processes. Here are four key steps to consider:
1. Set goals for diversity and inclusion in your hiring process
Start by setting specific, measurable goals for diversity in your hiring process. This could include increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in your workforce, or improving the diversity of your applicant pool. Having clear goals will help you track your progress and stay focused on your DEI efforts.
2. Create a more diverse pool of applicants through targeted outreach
If your pool of talent doesn’t include diverse candidates, your diverse hiring strategy will fail.
One way to promote diversity in your hiring process is to reach out to organizations and networks that serve underrepresented groups. This could include professional organizations for women in technology, or advocacy groups for people with disabilities. By targeting your outreach efforts, you can build a more diverse pool of applicants.
3. Develop job postings and interview questions that are inclusive
Take a close look at your job postings and interview questions, and amend to eliminate any language or questions that may discourage certain groups from applying. Additionally, consider using gender-neutral language and avoiding questions about a candidate’s marital status, family plans, or other personal information that is not relevant to the job.
Our article ‘What Is Inclusive Language and How Should You Use It to Promote Your Creative Jobs?’ is a good starting point to help you uncover unconscious (and unintentional) bias in your job postings and interviews.
4. Implement a diverse interview panel to avoid biases
Having a diverse interview panel can help to reduce the impact of unconscious biases in the hiring process. Consider including members of underrepresented groups in your interview panel, and provide training to help interviewers recognize and overcome their own biases.
Maintaining the Diversity Recruitment Process
To make meaningful progress towards a more diverse and inclusive workplace, it’s important to maintain your efforts over time. You’ll need to monitor and measure your progress, and ensure that your team remains updated in current best DEI practice. And it’s not simply about creating the process, it’s about changing culture.
Here are a few steps to help you stay on track:
· Measure and track your progress towards diversity goals
Regularly measure your progress towards your diversity goals, and track changes over time. This will help you identify areas where your recruitment process is succeeding and areas where you need to make changes.
· Regularly review and adjust your recruitment process
The needs of your company and the job market may change over time. This will lead to the need to regularly review your recruitment process and make adjustments to ensure that you are attracting a diverse pool of candidates.
· Provide ongoing training in DEI
To maintain an effective diversity hiring strategy, it is critical to provide ongoing training for your hiring team. This will help to ensure that your team is aware of the importance of DEI, and that they have the skills and knowledge they need to eliminate biases and make informed decisions.
· Build a culture that supports DEI across all parts of your business
Finally, creating a culture that supports diversity and inclusion is critical to maintaining a diverse and inclusive workplace. If your company doesn’t believe in DEI values, no matter how good your hiring strategy is you will not retain a diverse workforce. Here are a few ideas to get your culture moving in the right direction:
- Encourage open communication
- Provide opportunities for employees to engage in DEI initiatives
- Create a safe and welcoming environment for all employees
By following these steps, you can maintain your DEI recruitment process, and continue to make progress towards a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
DEI in Recruitment Is Only the First Step
Promoting diversity and inclusion in your recruitment process is an important first step in creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. By evaluating your current recruitment process, developing a diversity recruitment strategy, and maintaining your efforts over time, you can build a more diverse and talented workforce.
However, an essential key takeaway to remember is that DEI in recruitment is only the first step. Promoting and maintaining diversity and inclusion requires ongoing effort and dedication. You must regularly review and adjust your efforts, provide ongoing training for your hiring team, and build a culture that supports DEI in all aspects of your company.
We hope that this article has inspired you to take action and implement the strategies outlined here to promote diversity in your recruitment process. Remember, by promoting diversity, you create an inclusive, fair workplace, and access the benefits associated with this.
To access a diverse pool of talent for your creative or technology jobs, we encourage you to contact TECHEAD today and learn more about our innovative recruitment solutions.