It’s no secret that diverse workforces translate to more successful workplaces. 72% of private sector companies noticed a direct link between diversity and performance. Indeed, employers that prioritise diversity see higher employee satisfaction rates, more innovation, and fresh takes on old problems. And diversity isn’t just important for businesses, it matters to graduate job seekers too. Research shows that 95% of students consider diversity and inclusion in the workplace important. With so much at stake, it’s no wonder companies are looking for ways to attract diverse graduate employees.
We look at five strategies to entice diverse graduate talent to your organisation.
5 Tips To Attract Diverse Graduate Employees To Your Organisation
Simply putting job ads out on the usual job boards isn’t enough if your organisation is serious about building a diverse graduate workforce. Old habits lead to old results, so if your company is lacking in diversity, using the same methods probably won’t produce different outcomes.
Instead, your organisation will need to invest time, effort, and resources into attracting diverse graduates. Much like Rome, your diverse workforce won’t be built in a day. But, as we have already seen, the results will be worth it.
You’ll need to rethink everything from where you advertise your graduate jobs to how you interview candidates. Look out for ways to create a more inclusive and diverse-friendly environment that will make your organisation a welcoming space for graduates from every background.
Here are five ways to attract diverse graduates.
1. Get your employees on board
Setting up a referral programme with your current employees is a great place to start. Since these employees are already in the business, they will be aware of your efforts to improve diversity. So, be transparent about your goals and expectations.
For example, is your goal to increase the number of female employees or BAME workers? If so, communicate this to employees and the “why” behind the programme.
As a token of appreciation, we recommend offering rewards to employees who recommend a successful candidate. A successful employee referral scheme incentivises employees to tap into their network and become advocates for your company. Not only is it a great employer branding strategy, but it also increases employees’ sense of belonging.
Some of your employees may not be able to refer graduates, but they may be able to suggest new places to advertise graduate job vacancies. For instance, careers fairs and colleges in areas with high numbers of underrepresented groups and diversity-friendly job sites.
2. Look at your recruitment team
Representation matters. If your recruitment team lacks diversity, your organisation is going to struggle to attract diverse graduate talent. What’s more, your hiring team is less likely to consider diverse or differently-abled graduate candidates.
Remember, your recruitment team is the face of the company, so make sure they represent a diverse workforce. The same goes for your employer branding materials and your website. If they lack diversity, diverse graduate talent is much less likely to be attracted to your business.
So, what does this mean? Firstly, it may mean you need to start your diverse hiring efforts in the recruitment team.
Additionally, it’s a common practice to make the recruitment process more inclusive by inviting more employees to be part of it. Having diverse employees contribute to the interview process will give recruiters a fresh perspective and show graduate candidates that your company welcomes diversity.
3. Rethink the language in your graduate job descriptions
The words you choose matter. Especially when trying to attract talent to your business. Therefore, it may be time to review the language in your job descriptions.
Scan your job descriptions and employer branding literature for uninclusive language, such as gender-coded words, jargon that may put off graduate applicants, and language that appeals to a certain social-economic group.
Remember, women are less likely to apply for a job if they don’t meet all of the requirements. And, since most graduates have limited professional experience, this may affect the number of female applicants you receive. Avoid this by removing or rewording the ‘would be great to have’ characteristics. Instead, focus on the behaviours and values your company is looking for.
4. Recruit from diverse universities
We mentioned at the start of this section that you may have to rethink how you advertise graduate jobs. Expanding your network and working with universities and colleges with high numbers of diverse students is one of the best ways to attract diverse graduate employees.
This can include forming partnerships with diverse graduate job boards and attending networking events and careers fairs in diverse communities.
In a nutshell, the further you cast your net, the more diverse the pool of graduate candidates will be.
5. Make it official
It’s common practice for employers in the public sector to set diversity recruiting goals to attract more diverse employees. This is achieved by targeting hiring efforts in diverse areas and removing any barriers that candidates from these communities may face.
Why not do the same? You can create specific diversity hiring goals for graduates. This will ensure the next generation of talent in the organisation is diverse. Of course, this is more than a box-ticking exercise. The objective behind the plan should be to create a sustainable set of diversity goals that attract a wider range of strong candidates and removes unconscious bias from the hiring process.
Additional reading ?? How to retain graduate employees
How We Can Help You Attract Diverse Graduate Employees
Our experts at Developing a Student can support you in building a diverse graduate workforce.
Here are just some of the services we offer:
- Advice and support – Our website is packed with guides for employers, including advice on attracting graduates and building a diverse work environment. Find the latest industry insights on our weekly blog.
- Attract graduate talent – Get in touch to advertise your roles on our dedicated graduate jobs board.
- Find diverse graduate talent – Our job advert inclusivity screening tests your ad against our “Inclusive Language Check-List” to remove potentially discriminatory language
- Advertise your business – Our talented team of writers work with you to create a company profile that documents your efforts as a top graduate employer
Call 03458724501 or email info@developingastudent.com to learn more about our bespoke packages.
