How Do You Attract Diverse Candidates? 7 Effective Strategies

Hiring more diverse applicants is the first step in creating a diverse workforce. But where do you even begin? How do you attract diverse candidates?

In this article, we’ll provide a few recommendations to get you started if you’re unsure how to accomplish the diversity objectives.

Crafting an Inclusive Employer Brand

Research shows that up to 75% of candidates often research corporate culture before submitting their CVs, and 50% refuse to work at businesses with bad recruitment brands. Thus, building a good employer brand can reduce the turnover rate by up to 28% and significantly save costs per hire.

In the context of businesses competing fiercely when looking for talent, building a good recruitment brand and having a scientific and correct recruitment strategy will bring better business advantages.

Here are some tips for creating a robust and diverse employer brand:

Define Your Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Create a statement on diversity and inclusion that expresses your organization’s commitment before anything else. This declaration must explain how your organization adheres to inclusion, equality, and diversity in all business operations.

Showcase Employee Stories

Tell true tales of workers from all backgrounds. These personal accounts highlight triumphs and experiences, providing information on how your business promotes diversity. Whether presented in textual content, movies, or podcasts, these storylines humanize your company and build an emotional connection with prospective employees.

Highlight Diversity Initiatives

Highlight the continuing diversity efforts of your firm. This can be collaborations with groups emphasizing diversity, neighborhood activity involvement, or employee resource groups. Taking an active role in advancing diversity demonstrates your commitment beyond words.

Revamping Job Descriptions for Inclusivity

Revamping Job Descriptions for Inclusivity

Source: Skeeled

This shift is more of a tactical than a strategic one. However, putting this first will benefit your employer’s brand and capacity to draw in talented, diverse people in the long run.

Use Gender-Neutral Language

In your job descriptions, use gender-neutral terminology. Use neutral pronouns like “they” or “the candidate” instead of gender-specific ones. This slight change makes the JD more friendly for applicants of all genders.

Accentuate Company Values

The job description is the perfect place to express your company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Advertise that you welcome and value applications from people of all identities and backgrounds. This shows potential employees that diversity is important to your company and isn’t just a buzzword.

Avoid Using Exclusive Language

Avoid using terminology that could rule out specific prospects. Words like “young,” “dynamic,” or “recent graduate” may unintentionally discourage applicants who are more senior or have more experience. Instead, explain the traits and skills a candidate would need to succeed.

Cultivating a Diverse Talent Pool

Cultivating a Diverse Talent Pool

Source: CGP Singapore

It takes proactive measures to locate, engage, and draw applicants from varied backgrounds to cultivate a diverse talent pool. Here’s how to efficiently develop a varied talent pool:

Collaborate with Diversity Organizations

Form partnerships with organizations that help those who are underrepresented in your industry. These groups may be able to bring you in contact with other job searchers by using their existing networks and resources.

Offer Internship and Mentorship Programs

Programs for internships and mentoring may be effective means of developing a diverse talent pool. A pipeline of diverse candidates for future jobs may be created by giving students and young professionals from various backgrounds a chance to obtain practical experience inside your firm.

Leverage Social Media

Promote employees’ successes from varied backgrounds and support diversity initiatives by sharing their stories on social media. Attract applicants interested in diversity and inclusion by using relevant hashtags and engaging in conversations on the issue.

Showcase Employee Diversity

On your company’s website and in your marketing materials, emphasize the diversity among your current personnel. Candidates are more likely to be drawn to a company if they see others with similar backgrounds and experiences succeeding there.

Nurturing Inclusivity in Networking

Nurturing Inclusivity in Networking

Source: SBI Association Management

Cultivating inclusion in networking should be considered a calculated strategy for creating connections that accept and embrace candidates from many backgrounds. Creating social environments that foster community and mutual aid may help your business recruit talented new employees.

Encourage Employee Participation

Encourage staff members to actively engage in networking activities, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. They may relate to prospective applicants realistically by sharing their experiences, perceptions, and triumphs.

Support ERGs

Encourage your company’s employee resource groups (ERGs) to conduct networking occasions with a diversity theme. Professionals may interact, exchange expertise, and work together on projects that foster diversity in a safe environment provided by ERGs.

Prioritize Inclusive Event Planning

Prioritize diversity while organizing networking events, from the subjects covered to the locations used. Make sure that people from different backgrounds may attend activities and feel welcome.

Transparency in Pay Equity and Benefits

Transparency in Pay Equity and Benefits

Source: Business Chief

Pay transparency (or the lack thereof) – without a doubt – significantly influences job candidates’ decisions:

• Candidates value employers that provide information about salary. This transparency regarding pay encourages job seekers to apply to these companies and interact with recruiters who contact them about openings.
• On the other hand, many job searchers mistrust businesses that don’t proactively disclose salaries in their open job postings and career websites. Many job searchers refrain from applying for positions with these firms due to the lack of explicitness.

The good news for companies that are open and honest about compensation is that this has a trickle-down effect on their talent acquisition, human resources departments, and overall employer brand.

According to a 2022 Wilson Towers Watson poll, one in six businesses had increased applications after introducing pay transparency programs that included compensation disclosure in job advertising.

Of course, a lot of other variables also influence employee retention. In addition, to pay transparency (and, in a similar vein, fair compensation for workers), employers must consider other organizational characteristics, such as corporate culture.

Inclusive Onboarding and Integration

Inclusive Onboarding and Integration

Source: Tutorialspoint

Making new hires feel involved from day one begins with onboarding. It establishes the tone for a person’s time with your business and lays the groundwork for their understanding of and experience with working there. Hence, an inclusive onboarding process is crucial to developing an inclusive workplace environment.

Here are a few strategies to help staff members feel like they belong at your business right away.

Inform new hires that diversity matters

New recruits may quickly feel included by highlighting diversity and inclusion throughout onboarding. By demonstrating your organization’s dedication to inclusion, such as via a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) onboarding session, you may communicate to new recruits how valuable your organization finds their unique qualities.

Encourage them to use your language

Every organization has its own distinct corporate language, whether using acronyms or particular phrases. It’s crucial to make all new employees feel as if they are conversing in the same language as their coworkers. So, remember to provide them with the tools they need to familiarize them with the jargon inside your organization.

Time it properly

Timing is crucial, and this is particularly true for recruits. By having new hires start at a time when they can contribute most effectively and when their team is accessible and present, you may maximize their start dates.

For instance, a newbie will have less of a support system if they begin working over the holidays or just before their boss leaves on vacation. They can feel neglected if their arrival at the organization isn’t a top priority.

Add a personal touch

Onboarding can be overwhelming, and at times, transactional. Plan check-ins so your new employees may meet with their supervisors and recruiters to get to know one another better rather than depending on questionnaires and paperwork. Send personalized welcome emails to new recruits rather than generic ones. Additionally, welcome new employees warmly by leaving a modest gift on their desk or a message welcoming them at the front desk on their first day.

Addressing Unconscious Bias

Addressing Unconscious Bias

Source: Forbes

How to remove unconscious bias from the hiring process?

Review Job Descriptions

JDs are usually crucial in the selection procedure. As a recruitment tool, sometimes, they might message potential candidates that they are not a good cultural fit by the language they employ. Use inclusive language while writing the job description, and use the “flip test” to see whether your own experiences or unconscious biases influence your word choice.

Be Aware of Bias on Video

With virtual hiring, these talks will take place over video calls, where the candidate’s home may be in the background. Candidates may not own computers compatible with Zoom backgrounds, could be sharing living space with limited private areas, or managing multiple responsibilities, including child or elder care.

None of these things have anything to do with how well a person could do the job. It’s essential to be aware of how noise and images in the background affect how you see a candidate’s skill or fit. Putting a name to unconscious bias can help deal with it.

Standardize the Interview

In non-standardized interviews, there may be a set of questions that guide the talk, but candidates don’t have the same experience every time.

In a standardized interview, each candidate is asked the same questions in the same order. HBS Professor Francesca Gino notes that this type of interview process helps to reduce unconscious bias by “focusing on the factors that have a direct impact on performance.” Craft a list of questions aligned directly with what will define success in this role and remove any excessive or could exacerbate bias.

Also, ensure that multiple people within your company either sit in on the interview or conduct their own standard individual interviews to evaluate candidate success from different perspectives.

Conclusion

How Do You Attract Diverse Candidates? Starting with a multidimensional strategy that goes beyond empty platitudes can help you attract people from varied backgrounds. It entails a dedication to fair employment procedures, impartial recruiting strategies, and a sincere appreciation of diversity. Organizations must actively seek out individuals from underrepresented groups and foster an atmosphere where all views are appreciated and heard.