You’ve heard the old saying, “It takes all kinds.” This is very true for the workplace. Hiring a diverse team is essential to the success of your business. When most people think of diversity, they think of gender and ethnicity. However, diversity is so much more than that. It means hiring candidates with different skill sets, viewpoints, and backgrounds that will collectively make your company better as a whole.
Here are 4 ways to implement diversity in the hiring process for the upcoming year!
1. Ensure the Job Posting is Well-Balanced
Job postings can accidentally be geared towards a particular group. For instance, if you use words such as “assertive,” this is typically seen as a positive quality trait in a male candidate and not so much a female. Instead, use terms which encompass a large group of people such as:
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- “must possess strong leadership skills”
- “exhibit the ability to work as a team”
- “motivation to think outside of the box”
These phrases and terms are well-balanced without speaking to a specific sector of the workforce. Before making the job posting public, be sure the job description doesn’t unintentionally discriminate from the get-go and alienate well-qualified candidates who do not fit the typical stereotype.
2. Make Sure Your Interviewing Panel is Diverse
Create a diverse panel of interviewers that candidates can relate too. For example, do not just have interviewers who come from elite schools, or a panel of all men or women. Instead, include interviewers from a variety of backgrounds, different ethnicities, and both genders. This will increase the chances of every interviewee being able to connect with and relate to at least one member of the hiring panel.
3. Make a List of Qualities Needed in Candidates
Before you even begin reviewing resumes or scheduling interviews, make a list of the qualities needed in a candidate to perform the job successfully. This will help to remove any bias before you screen the candidates.
4. Remove Criteria that is Not Essential to Performing the Job Well
It is important to understand that first and foremost, you are selecting the candidate who has the qualities needed to perform the job well. Throw out non-essential criteria such as unrealistic amounts of experience, having to have graduated from specific schools, or coming from a particular background. Encourage applicants who do not exactly match the job requirements to apply still. You never know, you may end up with a diamond in the rough.
Take the Hassle out of Your Next Hire with one of the Leading Staffing Firms in Texas
A diverse team is a strong team. Increase the success of your company by striving for diversity in the hiring process using these 4 tips.
Let Resource Staffing help you find your next great hire. Once our recruiters understand your personnel needs, we will access our large talent pool to find the perfect candidate! Contact us today and find your next team member!