It’s a fact. Diversity works. We’ve all seen the numbers — research shows that companies that focus on diversifying their workplace culture and teams are 35% more likely to outperform their competition while showing a positive lift in the company’s overall bottom line.
Even on a granular level positive gains as a result of diversity can be shown to boost productivity per employee, with companies producing a 2.3x higher cash flow per employee over a 3-year period.
But, despite the positive results of workplace diversity and the direct relationship between inclusion and corporate return, many companies still fall short at implementing diversity programs. Here are 5 simple ways to ensure that your team or company is moving in the right direction towards sourcing a more diverse talent pool.
Screen Resumes Differently
Whether we admit or not, we all make unconscious decisions about candidates before they step into the office. It’s an unfortunate reality, with recent studies pointing to some demographics being 40% less likely to be selected for interviews due to their background. To combat this, institute a blind or semi blind review process. Remove the name and school, or any other information that is likely to spark snap judgements of candidates from their resumes and focus the hiring manager (or team) on what’s relevant and important to the role.
It’s All in the Wording
Job descriptions reflect the team and its culture. Not only are they about a role, job descriptions relay information about why a candidate would want to consider working for your team. So, when it comes to this outfacing method of recruiting, make sure to focus on the company’s values and mission — instead of just the role itself. By having the description reflect the team’s culture and values, you’ll find yourself avoiding inclusive phrases that may allow a candidate to self-select out of consideration.
Start at the Source
What better way to ensure diversity on your team than to start at the source. By creating a more diverse talent/people ops team, you’re establishing a diverse perspective and securing the likelihood that certain candidates won’t be overlooked in your talent pool. Additionally, having a team that’s balanced with different perspectives produces a more well-rounded picture when it comes to multiple touch points with the candidate — not to mention a balanced feedback loop.
Go to Where the Candidates Are
Going beyond your run of the mill recruiting sites and job boards helps to boost the diversity of your talent pool. Instead of tapping high volume career sites like Indeed or Glassdoor, try job sites that appeal to specific candidates with different backgrounds and experiences. Companies like Hirepurpose, which links enterprise teams and searching veterans and service members, is a great example of a platform that can diversify your hiring targets.
Invest in Technology
As a final option, teams looking to invest in more diverse workplaces can turn to some technological support. Platforms like SquarePeg offers teams the ability to make hiring decisions based on data — with SquarePeg offering a semi blind process when it comes to candidate screening and matching. By relying on data and analytics, hiring managers and talent acquisition professionals can make more objective decisions when it comes to a new hire.
Whether it’s through changes in processes or a technological investment, there are definitive methods to furthering a more diverse talent pool. And, the returns will be worth it.
SquarePeg helps teams solve for the soft skills when it comes to business hires with our proven AI hiring platform. Sign up for a personalized demo to see how SquarePeg can help with your new business hires or learn more at SquarePegHires.
