How to Have a More Diversity-Friendly Hiring Process

Written by Calvin Bowers
developingastudent

Diversity in the workplace comprises of a workforce that includes individuals of varying gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexuality and more. Diversity is a frequently discussed topic and the importance placed upon employers hiring employees from a variety of backgrounds and levels of experience has grown.

Diversity in the workplace is about creating an environment where everyone feels accepted, included and valued no matter what their background or experience. Alongside being important for the well-being of employees, it also brings many benefits to employers, including:

  • An increased variety of ideas
    A broad range of individuals will mean different perspectives experiences, skills and knowledge that can aid the creation of new, innovative ideas.
  • A better insight into customer expectations
    A more diverse team provides a greater insight into different customers needs and expectations when relating to your products or services. A diverse workforce will help you to understand cultural differences and provide knowledge to assist in future growth.
  • A wider talent pool to choose from
    Increased diversity in the hiring process will mean a wider pool of individuals to choose from. If you are only picking from one section of the job market, you are straight away restricting your business to a number of talented individuals that may be most suitable for the role.
  • Positive brand image
    With 67% of job seekers saying that a diverse workforce is something they look for when evaluating a company and job offers, diversity in the workplace is something you cannot afford to overlook. Employing individuals from variety of backgrounds will present you as an inclusive and forward-thinking employer, attracting more potential candidates, boosting recruitment and as a result business growth.
  • Reduction in staff turnover
    A diverse workforce is more likely to retain employees for longer due to staff feeling accepted and valued within their jobs. Furthermore, an inclusive, thriving environment helps to increase productivity, contributing to the success of your business.

How Can You Ensure Diversity in Your Hiring Process?

  1. Put diversity and inclusion at the heart of your organisational culture
    Ensure that diversity is embraced throughout the business. Make sure that it is communicated effectively on your company website, social media and all internal and external communications so it is visible to potential job candidates.
  1. Think about the way your job advertisements are written
    How you write a job advert can drastically affect the type of candidates you attract. Therefore, when writing one it is important to consider the language and content included, you don’t want the advertisement to present any bias that may prevent a diverse range of applicants applying to the role.
  1. Advertise your employment opportunities through diverse channels
    Think about where you place your job adverts in order to reach a diverse range of job seekers. Be that in magazines, websites and forums or niche job boards for individuals who may be underrepresented or dedicated to minorities, placement is key to reaching a variety of audiences.
  1. Use a diverse interview panel
    If your interview panel includes a diverse range of employees, you are helping to eliminate any potential bias during this stage of the recruitment process. Furthermore, by providing training to existing staff you can help to ensure sensitivity around any potential diversity issues.
  1. Consider offering a range of targeted internships and work experience

Providing opportunities to students and graduates will mean you are assisting them with gaining experience to help them reach their future potential. Especially in the current climate, students and younger job seekers will benefit hugely from any form of work experience due to the huge level of competition in the job market, and may even prove themselves so much you end up hiring them at the end of their work experience period.

If you would like to know more about the benefits of hiring a student or graduate, visit our dedicated page on our Developing a Student site. Be sure to also checkout our services page for information on advertising on our specialist jobs board, creating a company profile, and more!

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Last Updated: Tuesday June 21 2022
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