Building inclusive work cultures starts with recruiting

Diversity in business is not about ticking boxes; it is about fostering a culture of inclusivity. The first step to developing a truly diverse pipeline is recruitment. Here are some tips for recruiting, retaining, and supporting underrepresented candidates:

Focus on attracting diverse talent.

Diversity within an organization doesn’t just happen; companies must be proactive in seeking to attract employees from diverse backgrounds. One way to do this is through diversifying recruitment efforts – such as through scholarships, or partnerships with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), such as between Google and Howard University.

However, simply expanding where you recruit is not enough. In a study conducted at an elite West Coast university, researchers found that university recruitment sessions by tech companies often created an unwelcome environment for women from the start. Sexist jokes, slides depicting predominantly men, and an absence of female engineers at the recruiting sessions tended to discourage and alienate female applicants.

Recruitment is the beginning of the pipeline. Being aware of not only where you recruit, but how you recruit–and the language used in your recruitment efforts–can help you attract a more diverse applicant pool.

Go beyond referrals.

Maxine Williams, the Chief Diversity Officer of Facebook, has warned about the risk of depending upon referrals for new hires. As Williams says, “I’m not into the people-you-know thing, I’m into the skills you have.” People tend to refer applicants who are similar to themselves, and studies show that white men receive more referrals than any other demographic. While referrals can be beneficial for companies that already have a diverse employee base, the reality is that for a vast majority of employers, they can kill diversity efforts – posing a barrier to groups not already represented in the organization’s workforce.

By making an active effort to go beyond referrals and hire diverse talent, employers can begin building company cultures that prioritize diversity of background, experience, and thought.

Look among all levels and departments of your company.

Simply hiring underrepresented candidates is not enough – companies must also focus on retention and support. Thus, it is important to look at promotions and career paths within your organization. Are some departments more or less diverse than others? Who tends to hold positions of leadership within the company? Why might this be so? Being aware of where diverse employees are in your company allows you to focus on how you can further support them.

Helpful Questions:

• How are we defining diversity for each team?

• What are our goals for diversity recruiting? (Note: This is not a quota!)

• What process are we using to help remove bias from the selection process?

• Where do our gaps in diversity exist, and how can we fill them?