Industry Research: 4 Ways To Source A Diverse Candidate Pipeline

BambooHR Blog

Despite a company’s best intentions, having a diverse workforce doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, it can take hundreds of hours of work to get even one great hire through the door.

As you may know, having a diverse and inclusive workforce has many benefits—with higher innovation-based revenues and financial performance key among them. But more than that, having a diverse workforce improves employee engagement and employer branding, which in turn attracts top talent.
 

So how do you get there? We have a few tips to work into your existing processes.

1. Audit Your Job Descriptions and Listings

To diversify your candidate pool, a simple but impactful first step is to make sure your job listings don’t use gendered language. Unfortunately, we all have unconscious biases that inform the way we communicate, even during the hiring process. For example, studies have shown that women are much less likely to apply to job listings that include words associated with masculine stereotypes. You can check for language issues manually by combing through each of your job descriptions, or you can lean on tools like Textio or Grammarly.

2. Broaden Your Network

There’s a common assumption that hiring is simply a matter of publishing a job listing and either waiting for candidates to come to you or relying on referrals. And from that assumption comes the frequently heard misconception that there are no qualified diverse candidates applying. To effectively reach top diverse candidates, you have to do outreach.

3. Educate Your Hiring Managers and Interviewers

To build a diverse candidate pipeline, you have to get buy-in at every stage of the hiring process. While HR employees can screen candidates and source a wide candidate pool, that effort can quickly be undone by the unconscious biases of hiring managers and interviewers later in the hiring process. Specific, measurable goals and tactics take the ambiguity out of your DEI efforts, and you’ll be able to analyze the success of your initiatives.

4. Establish a Dedicated Employee Resource Group (ERG) or DEI Committee

You don’t have to go it alone! There are likely many individuals at your organization who are passionate about building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Put out feelers for feedback on your hiring plans, and employees will likely offer great referrals to candidates, groups, and job boards. Invite these employees to organize a group or committee, and assure them that HR and leadership will welcome their voices.

Diversity Is Worth the Effort

Making your workplace more diverse takes thoughtful outreach, education, and lots of communication with your team. And don’t stop there—there are always more ways to make your organization more inclusive and equitable. Exploring these options will only strengthen your hiring process, your talent pool, and your company culture. In turn, that can help you foster a more welcoming, innovative, and successful company.

The article was first published here.

Contributed as a Guest Blogger on BambooHR.com, Connie Du is on the marketing team at Bonusly and is dedicated to making workdays more inclusive and fun for everyone. She loves writing, her cats, and a well-placed emoji.  Visit www.bamboohr.com Connect Connie Du