I Can’t Find Diverse Applicants: What Should I Do Next?

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has brought to light the need for more diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and it is now a fast-growing trend in the business world. Companies that can effectively recruit and retain a diverse workforce have been proven to be more innovative and successful. 

Diversity in the workplace is the idea that your team should reflect the makeup of greater society. Diversity can fall into two main categories: inherent diversity and acquired diversity. 

Inherent diversity includes demographic characteristics such as race, gender and age. Whereas acquired diversity refers to factors like education, experience, skills and knowledge. It’s important to address both forms of diversity when recruiting as this will help you to establish an environment where all employees feel valued, represented and included. When recruiting for more diverse applicants it’s also important to use a process that removes any potential biases. This gives all applicants, regardless of their background, equal access to employment opportunities. 

Here are four techniques businesses can use to increase diversity when sourcing candidates:

• Conduct an audit of your current hiring process. This can help identify where you may need to improve your diversity efforts the most. You can then use this information to set goals and initiatives that foster inclusion. A great place to start is by reviewing your past recruitment ads. Consider key factors like the type of language used. Is your ad tailored towards a specific demographic or does it invite a more broad range of candidates? It can also be helpful to ask yourself what goal you are trying to achieve through these efforts.
• Establish mentorship/internship programs to grow diversity. This helps create opportunities for people who might otherwise be excluded. It’s also a great way to welcome up and coming candidates into the industry.
• Use blind hiring techniques. This method removes any potential biases by anonymizing personal information about the candidate from the recruiter or hiring manager. An example of this might include removing any identifiable characteristics from a resume such as names and specific locations. As a result this encourages you to evaluate individuals exclusively based on their skills and experience.
• Encourage referrals from diverse employees. This form of networking is a great way to enhance your diversity recruitment process. While also demonstrating your company values people with different backgrounds and perspectives.