Hiring Diverse Talent: Five Effective Recruitment Strategies

It’s no secret that considerable disparities in race, gender, and ethnicity still exist within today’s corporate workforce. Although diversity, equity, and inclusion practices should be ingrained in all aspects of a business, having a solid recruitment strategy rooted in these principles is vital for laying the proper foundation and setting your company up for success.

Diversity recruiting involves hiring candidates who best represent the general makeup of society across all different backgrounds, experiences, and identities. The benefits of implementing this practice are clear; besides being the right moral choice, diverse workforces have proven 1.7 times more likely to be innovators in their industries. Along with the performance-improving effects, 3 out of 4 job seekers report that having a diverse workforce is a favorable and required factor when evaluating job offers. 

Now that we’ve covered what diversity recruitment is and what it can mean for your business, here are five effective ways to prioritize diversity and onboard the best talent:

Foster strong DEI values amongst your existing workforce. 

To cultivate a diverse workplace environment, ensure your employees participate in mandatory training emphasizing DEI. We recommend taking advantage of Greater Rochester Chamber’s expertly-designed training program to equip your team with the knowledge necessary to optimize your recruitment strategy. Instating best practices and providing employees with opportunities for self-development will foster a sustainably inclusive workforce from the inside out.

Proactively seek out candidates of underrepresented backgrounds. 

Initiating conversations and being the first to connect with career-seekers of diverse backgrounds makes a solid first impression. Working with a reputable hiring agency like Beyond TalentEdge makes finding these connections easy and grants your team access to the region’s top available talent. Our hiring services specialize in DEI, Veteran recruitment, student/internship programming, and more, making our team the ideal choice for an extensive range of employment needs.

Assess (and potentially update) your current interview process.

If your recruitment team has used the same interview process for over two to three years, it may be time to update your content and ensure it doesn’t show certain biases. You may consider asking these questions: Do our interviewers represent a diverse workforce? Are our interviewers aware of certain hiring biases that exist? Do our interview questions have the potential to be offensive or imply particular preferences? Take the opportunity to revise your interview process and ensure that it conveys the right message and tone for your company.

Highlight employment features that attract diverse applicants.

An outreach strategy is undoubtedly essential for hiring diverse talent, but attracting applicants is equally crucial. A few ways to do this include expressing company DEI efforts on all job descriptions, sharing employment perks that pertain to and specifically reference marginalized groups, and outwardly establishing diversity and inclusion as part of your brand identity and as cornerstones of your company culture.

Audit your existing recruitment ads. 

Similarly to outdated interview processes, certain hiring advertisements may portray unintentional messages. Examine your promotional materials and ask these questions: Do these advertisements speak to a broad range of applicants? Do my visuals convey that only a particular demographic tends to work at this company? Is the copy of the ads inclusive and appealing to candidates from different backgrounds? If you’re discovering potential issues, revise your advertisements and consider creating additional ones specifically intended to reach your desired diversified audience.

Creating your company’s optimal diversity recruitment strategy can seem daunting. That’s where Beyond TalentEdge comes in. Acting as a seamless extension of your team, our recruitment experts take the time to understand your company from the inside out to find your ideal candidate. We might be the EDGE you’re looking for – contact us and get started today!