Inclusive hiring practices recognize diversity and embrace a wide range of perspectives that candidates from all walks of life bring to the organization. And according to research from Monster, ‘Four in five (86%) candidates globally say diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace is important to them.”
Below we delve into why it’s important to address in the workplace and several tactics your business can work towards implementing to achieve more inclusive hiring practices.
Why is Inclusive Hiring Important?
- Organizations that recognize diversity and the fresh perspectives of their employees typically outperform organizations that don’t.
- Workplace discrimination is illegal and building a strong foundation of inclusive hiring practices and updating those with the times can mitigate potential risk to your business.
- Not employing inclusive hiring practices can damage your reputation and open you up to a host of new problems.
Inclusive hiring practices help to level the playing field for all who apply—combating bias and discrimination.
Read, ‘7 Tips: How to Build Company Culture.’
How to Build a More Inclusive Hiring Program
1. Write Inclusive Job Descriptions
In order to attract diverse talent, you need to make it obvious that you’re trying to do so. This starts with the job descriptions.
- Use local language
- Avoid gendered language (eg. use “you” instead of “he/she”)
- Ensure easy legibility — don’t use complex phrases, keep verbiage easy to understand
- Use fonts that allow for people with disorders such as dyslexia to easily read and comprehend the description
2. Widen Your Search
If the same types of people apply for your jobs, you may need to widen your search and evaluate where you are posting jobs. Note: sometimes niche jobs require particular skills, so this may be harder to achieve.
- Advertise in many different places
- Try recruiting from new college campuses
- Post your job descriptions on a variety of social platforms
- Try new ways and news outlets to attract talent rather than relying on the same job board every time
3. Make Your Website Inclusive
- Include actual pictures of your team instead of stock photos
- List job descriptions in multiple languages if applicable to your locale
- Use dyslexia-friendly fonts
- Implement website accessibility software to make web browsing easy (or indeed possible at all) for disabled people
4. Conduct Inclusive Interviews
- Include a diverse panel of interviewers if possible
- A diverse panel can reduce bias and highlight your company’s diversity to the candidate, potentially easing their nerves
- Avoid using internal slang, acronyms or jargon during an interview
5. Develop Inclusive Company Culture
- Hiring inclusively is great, but retaining it is just as important
- Explicitly express that diversity in workforce is a goal and that it’s always considered with new hires
- Top-down culture: have an empathetic leadership team that understands there are different hurdles for different workers
- Inclusion is ongoing, not a one-and-done training session
- Managers should ask each individual employee what they can do to help them thrive
Check out our HR blog series for more hiring tips or contact your local Society agent to discuss business insurance options. At Society, our people make the biggest difference. Learn more about Society Insurance company culture and current openings.
