Most modern business leaders agree that a diverse workplace is a successful workplace. Diversity promotes sharing different skills and perspectives, boosts employee satisfaction and innovation and opens doors with both clients and potential employees. However, if you’re in the hiring process, you may not know where to look to find more diverse candidates.
The experts of Forbes Coaches Council understand the importance of attracting a wide variety of job applicants. Below, 10 of them offer their recommendations for finding and recruiting more diverse candidates for your company.
1. Hire Diverse Recruiters
When the recruiters are diverse, the candidate pool becomes more diverse. This provides a wider pool of applicants to choose from. If I am differently-abled, I could be more understanding and accepting of differently-abled candidates. If my sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs are different from other recruiters, I attract different candidates. Recruiters are the face of the company. – Claudette Gadsden, Coach Claudette & Associates
2. Get Involved In Cultural And Community Organizations
Cultivating a robust recruitment strategy that embraces involvement in cultural and community organizations is an excellent way to expand your recruitment pool and provide a richer candidate experience. Actively participating in these events will allow internal teams to discover how to effectively meet the needs of diverse candidates and ultimately attract, recruit and retain them. – Debbie Ince, Executive Talent Finders, Inc
3. Join Professional Associations
Leveraging professional associations that cater to a specific diverse group is a great way for companies to meet candidates where they are. Consider being a member or sponsor, attending events or advertising. In order to attract diverse candidates, it’s important to create an opportunity for employment by sending a message that your organization is seeking candidates and supports cultural diversity. – Susan K. Wehrley, BIZremedies
4. Ask Your Current Employees For Diverse Referrals
One of the rather overlooked and underutilized methods to achieve long-term diversity and inclusion is enabling referrals from within the existing workforce. This approach has one particular and important advantage: Internal employees are likely to be more acutely aware of the lack of diversity. Combine that with their knowledge of the company and you have a better formula for personnel referrals. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group
5. Make Diverse Leaders Highly Visible
Placing diverse leaders in high-visibility positions will set a culturally diverse tone and brand. This will be palpable to future employees. These culturally intelligent leaders should undertake employee outreach by touting the company’s diverse culture in public and social forums (social media, presentations, college recruitment, etc.). Diverse employees will gravitate toward that company. – Rosa Vargas, Authentic Resume Branding & Career Coaching
6. Change Your Job Description Language
Begin with the end in mind. Use inclusive language in position descriptions and posting. Avoid gender-coded words and descriptions. Jargon and corporate-speak are barriers to young people applying to entry-level positions. Remove unnecessary must-haves, as women are likely to hesitate unless they meet 100% of the listed requirements. Start with cultural competence; you’ll likely end with diversity. – Joynicole Martinez, The Alchemist Agency
7. Recruit From Diverse Colleges
A great way for companies to increase diversity is to look to college career services and alumni services departments at schools that serve a diverse population. Community and for-profit colleges offer job boards, career fairs and networking events to support their graduate population in advancing in the workforce. A strong partnership allows colleges to send their best candidates to your inbox. – Jasmine Briggs, Creatively Inspired Coaching
8. Ask Job Seekers Questions On LinkedIn
Asking questions on sites like LinkedIn can create a dialogue with a diverse group of people. Organizations can create threads to ask job seekers questions like: What do you think job seekers should showcase when interviewing for jobs? Through asking questions, organizations can learn more about people’s desire to learn, what they value, their curiosity level and so much more. – Dr. Diane Hamilton, Tonerra
9. Expand Your Reach Through Diverse Networking Groups
In order to potentially attract a more diverse workplace, it is imperative that companies become involved in as many chambers of influence as possible. By extending its reach into many different specialized networking groups, it will allow the company to interact with a diversity of potential employees. It allows you to cast a wider net in attracting potential employees. – Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
10. Implement A Priority Hire Program
Follow the lead of public sector employers and set specific diversity hiring goals for long-term projects. Minority hire teams identify zip codes with the most diverse populations and focus employment outreach in these areas. They also address potential obstacles new hires might face to employment. When minority candidates know an employer is serious about hiring a diverse team, word will travel. – Christine Rose, Christine Rose Coaching & Consulting
As Seen On Forbes Coaches Council –
Debbie Kassebaum-Ince
Founder & President of Executive Talent Finders
