How to diversify your talent pipeline
Amid the war for talent, more and more companies are refocussing their efforts on ensuring their workplaces are diverse and inclusive, to attract workers who can think differently, and bring fresh perspectives to the challenges they face. Though there is still a lot of work to be done, gone are the days of a business being able to pay lip service to diversity and inclusion – today’s savvy job seekers are looking for the real deal, and will walk away from job offers if they smell insincerity.
While many employers want to do more to improve the diversity of their teams, it can be difficult to know how to build in inclusivity across your hiring process, to ensure you really are reaching and engaging the right candidates.
Put diversity at the heart of your hiring strategy
The first step in building a diverse pipeline is admitting you don’t currently have one. If you’re serious about creating a more diverse workplace, it ought to be central to your hiring strategy, not an afterthought. Actively looking to bring fresh ideas, backgrounds and perspectives into your business means seeking out, and interviewing, candidates you may have overlooked in the past. To do this, you need to be aware of your team’s current experiences, and the gaps in your understanding – the best people to tell you about that are your team themselves.
Embed honest feedback in your culture
Rarely will you find a better advocate for your employer’s brand than an engaged employee, and that’s especially true for DE&I. Building a more inclusive talent pipeline begins with ensuring your existing team feel valued, respected and included, and the diversity already present in your business is celebrated.
Whether it’s accessibility, religious needs, or a robust mental health policy, your employees will be the first people to shout about the culture you build – for better or worse. Beyond family and friends, sites like Glassdoor have made it much easier for your employees to become advocates for your brand. Review sites like these are many candidates’ first port of call when deciding whether to apply to a role, so having your employees feel their feedback and work is valued will help you make a good first impression on potential new hires.
Build inclusion into your interviews
It’s all well and good writing in a job advert that you’re looking for candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds, but if those candidates get to interview only to sit across from a panel of people who all look the same, they’re going to start wondering how committed you really are to finding someone different. Diversity needs to start at the top of your organisation and to build a reputation as an inclusive business, your interview panels – many candidates’ first real meeting with a human from your business – should reflect this diversity.
Be aware of unconscious bias
Make sure your job adverts are free from words which skew toward a particular demographic or gender and ensure your talent team is always on the lookout for non-inclusive language, particularly in any communications relating to your employer brand.
Unconscious bias is just that – unconscious, so it’s important to approach this subject with an open mind, as there may be elements of your business that are off-putting to applicants that you’re not even aware of.
Invest in the right tools and partners
Diversity shouldn’t stop with your internal teams, to make sure you’re offering potential candidates the best possible experience from the start, you should look at your suppliers and partners, and ensure their aims and values line up with your own.
Your suppliers, particularly professional services suppliers, can also be flagbearers for your company, so working with partners who care about diversity as much as you do will ensure candidates get a good impression of you, no matter where it’s filtered through.
Want to work with a company that understand diversity? Call our team on 01904 230002 today to discuss how we can find diverse, talented healthcare professionals to make a difference.