Diversity hiring has continued to be an important strategy for today’s businesses. It is no longer just about meeting quotas and ticking metrics. Therefore, at Female Executive Search, we rather think that there is more to building a success story that their numeric figures.
Metrics matter, of course, but this is not the end
Tracking diversity hiring metrics is essential.
It is a yardstick of where one is and what they can improve on. It also aids in the analysis of the availability of various groups in the current organization. Gender, race, ethnicity and veteran status, among other demographics could help to determine the composition of the current talent pool. Nonetheless, such figures should not be the primary reason when coming up with a strategy on hiring.
Here is why:
- Diversity is Multifaceted: ome demographic information will only tell you a fraction of the entire picture. To hire smart is to hire a smart team from diverse backgrounds with diverse experiences every single factor counts. Such could be social class, sexual orientation, disabled status, among others.
- Focus on Skills and Values: The drawback of diversity metrics-based hiring is that the organization may sometimes miss highly proficient talents whose demographic profile does not meet the set standard. The aim is to create a team which is well rounded with relevant experiences, relevant skills and relevant values all of which will serve to enhance the quality of work.
- Metrics Don’t Guarantee Inclusion: Diversity hiring, in and of itself, is the first step. Making sure that there is a true respect for each individual for fostering the culture of innovation and engagement of the employees is also critical.
Building a Culture of Diversity
So, the question arises how do we go past numbers and ingrained shameful statistics on how many head hunts are instituted in a year and make this an enduring ethos? Here are some key strategies:
- Unconscious Bias Training: There is no one that does not have some form of biases. This training enables people in charge of hiring to manage the biases and bring about equality to all candidates.
- Diverse Interview Panels: Mixing up the people who are on the interview panels enhances the candidate’s evaluation. This ensures that the interview process encompasses as many dimensions as possible in regard to the candidate.
- Talent Pool Expansion: Do not limit yourself to practicing traditional forms of recruitment. Collaborate with companies or institutions aimed at recruiting people from diverse setting types, participate in trade fairs where there are people of different races, and clean up your use of conventional job websites.
- Concentration on Culture Fit” instead of “Company Fit”: The tendency to concentrate in hiring people who are like the rest is also evident in many companies. However, a more diverse workforce will require that, and even foster, a more adaptable workforce. Seek these kinds of people and your organization will have progressive restoration of ideas and practices to aid the organizational progress and success.
- Support Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). By definition, ERGs are a platform for employees who have similar characteristics to interact and promote diversity opportunities within the company.
The Bottom Line
The process of increasing your organization’s diversity is not a task, but rather a continuous endeavor. Diversity those great talents wherever they may be by improving the workplace culture. As a result, everyone within your company environment becomes more innovative, achievement oriented, and fulfilled in their work.
