Topic: Diversity

 

Build a Diversity Driven Hiring Strategy in 4 Steps

Hiring the best person for the job often goes hand-in-hand with promoting diversity. If you are ready to expand the scope of your business and add some amazing talent to your teams, it’s time to create a powerful hiring strategy. It may seem overwhelming to build a recruitment campaign that accounts for all your company’s needs, all the more so when you are targeting the most diverse spectrum of demographics possible. The process of piecing together your diversity-driven hiring strategy can be simplified into just four steps that will take your company in a bold new direction.

Step 1: Understand the Benefits of Diversity

Broadening the diversity of your company’s workforce is an empty act if you don’t understand how to utilize the benefits of doing so. One study shows that an organization with greater diversity is noticeably more innovative. This was found to be particularly true when diversity was prevalent among management teams. Diversifying within your business leads to a wider pool of talent. With many people of different backgrounds and ways of thinking, your company will be able to produce innovative ideas and unique solutions to difficult problems.

Step 2: Change Your Workplace Infrastructure

Many businesses could benefit from an overhaul of the work environment before getting too involved in the recruitment process. It is necessary to make reasonable job accommodations for individuals with disabilities so that they may perform their duties completely. This might include installing ramps and other accessibility solutions, as well as implementing specialized software.

Your diversity initiatives might also include internship programs that require significant planning ahead of time. Starting an internship project requires a dedicated team, legal compliance, and collaboration with schools for assigning academic credit to your interns. Many of the best and brightest employees at your company might be those who begin as interns.

Step 3: Cast a Wider Net

When you’re ready to begin recruiting a diverse range of individuals at your company, consider alternatives to working with big-name hiring agencies. Local freelancers can be the perfect solution to filling specific roles on your team. Freelancers come with a wide range of unique circumstances that can contribute to a more diverse workforce.

Another way to diversify your staff is to include individuals who are commonly excluded from the hiring pool. Senior citizens, veterans, and people with disabilities are often wrongfully overlooked, despite the talents and life experiences that may help them contribute to businesses in meaningful ways. 

Step 4: Rework Your Recruitment Marketing

With a solid understanding of what diversity means for your business, you will be ready to focus your recruitment marketing approach. Take the time to flesh out the target persona you’re looking to hire for your team. Consider the culture of your company as well as the skills that will help your business grow. With these criteria in mind, you will be able to customize job listings that appeal more strongly to the diverse variety of professionals that can help your enterprise thrive.

Too many businesses fail to put adequate effort into their hiring initiatives. Relying on a narrow scope of talent can cause your venture to stagnate and become stale. When you hire with diversity in mind, the wide range of abilities and contributions of your workforce will lead your company to a bright future.