Incorporating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) into a company’s hiring strategy is vital for success in today’s diverse and evolving workplace. When companies bring together employees from different genders, ages, backgrounds, ethnicities and experiences, they benefit from a variety of ideas, perspectives and solutions. This not only drives innovation, but it can also help overall performance, making the company more appealing to potential employees.
DEIB in Talent Acquisition
At Talent Acquisition Leaders Day 2024, experts gathered for a panel discussion titled, “Breaking Barriers: A Panel Dialogue on Achieving Diversity Success in Talent Acquisition and HR” to talk about their ongoing efforts to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion. This discussion, which was part of an online conference organized by Radancy, provided valuable insights into diversity initiatives. In this post, we’ll share some of the key insights our panelists shared during this session.
Using Data to Build a Diverse Workforce
Gathering, analyzing and interpreting data is critical for DE&I initiatives – just like any TA or HR program. Most organizations today use specific metrics to track the current status and progress of their DE&I efforts. Without these metrics, it can be difficult to develop an effective DE&I strategy or see the impact of DE&I initiatives over time.
During the talk, panelists emphasized that collecting data alone is not enough. Understanding and interpreting the data correctly is crucial for developing effective solutions. Companies typically use two types of metrics: outcome metrics and process metrics. Outcome metrics help organizations better understand the current makeup of their workforce by looking at demographics such as the number of employees who are women, people of color and other underrepresented groups, for example. Process metrics, on the other hand, help identify how employees are managed, including hiring, evaluating and promoting staff. These metrics can be used to illustrate pay gaps between genders in the same roles, in addition to being used for monitoring the advancement of people in their careers based on race, for example.
Together, both outcome metrics and process metrics should be used to guide strategic planning and provide a basis for learning and improving processes.
Setting clear DE&I goals, using data to benchmark areas for improvement and monitoring progress against goals can help organizations hold leaders accountable and make necessary adjustments to their strategies over time.
Connecting Internal Culture to Your Employer Brand with User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC), which includes blog posts, videos, photos and quotes that are created by employees can significantly enhance a company’s recruitment strategy by helping to connect the dots between your internal culture and your employer brand. During the online conference, Dorota Rautiainen from Radancy highlighted how UGC “creates authentic touchpoints for candidates.” This content can be shared on company career pages and also across candidate touchpoints such as social media, newsletters and automated emails, offering a genuine view of the company’s culture and environment.
Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion through UGC communicates an open and inclusive workplace culture, attracting skilled professionals who share the company’s values. Incorporating DE&I in UGC also demonstrates to potential candidates that their unique perspectives and contributions are valued – a powerful strategy for attracting diverse talent that is driven to contribute to the company’s success.
Skills-Based Hiring as a DE&I Strategy
As the job market evolves and the demand for skilled specialists grows, companies are adopting new recruitment strategies and even evolving the hiring process. For example, many organizations are moving away from focusing on traditional criteria, like education and certifications, and are shifting toward skills-based hiring, emphasizing the practical experience and potential of candidates. Even organizations that must adhere to strict certification and candidate requirements for certain roles, such as healthcare, accounting and legal, are examining how they can adopt skills-based hiring for certain roles where there is more flexibility.
Skills-based hiring is one such area where employers are responding to evolving market dynamics and re-examining assumptions, requirements and other areas to remove unnecessary roadblocks in the hiring process and expand the talent pool.
Promoting Inclusivity: Training for a Diverse Workplace
Creating progress towards diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging takes time – and it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Clear and proactive measures alongside robust, ongoing DE&I training for your entire employee base at every level of the organization is critical.
One panelist shared that their DE&I training focuses on enabling employees to “act unconsciously inclusively rather than unconsciously exclusively,” aiming to dismantle prejudices and promote respectful interactions. The training stresses that all employees are responsible for fostering an inclusive culture and must actively contribute to it.
Factoring in Generational Diversity
Understanding the different values and preferences across generations is crucial for companies aiming to build an inclusive employer. For instance, according to a study by EY, Generation Z (Gen Z) seeks comprehensive information about a company’s values, culture and team before applying for a job. They want to see diversity in action and are significantly influenced by it: 72% of Gen Z candidates prioritize companies that champion diversity and inclusivity. Tailoring DE&I efforts to address generational diversity can boost employee loyalty and motivation, creating a workplace that values and nurtures talents of all ages.
Leadership is Key
Leadership is key in driving DE&I efforts. During the panel discussion, panelists stressed the importance of leaders being actively involved and vocal about DE&I, inspiring the entire organization. Every member of the company must contribute to fostering an inclusive environment, and implementing training programs on diverse hiring practices and inclusive behaviors supports this commitment.
DE&I Progress is a Continuous Journey
Inclusivity is not a one-time initiative but a continuous commitment that requires ongoing actions from both management and staff – across the organization. Despite sometimes slow progress, sustained effort is vital for real improvement in diversity and inclusion. Talent acquisition professionals in partnership with HR and organization leaders can make a tremendous impact on DE&I progress with the right data, strategies and approach.
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