Increased talent diversity is a common goal for most businesses these days. Though many organizations want a more diverse workforce, most organizations are unaware of how to achieve it.
Diversity recruiting is a function of proactive outreach and community involvement. Improving your talent pool requires a structured plan for outreach, cultivation, and integration of each candidate into your workforce. Keep the following strategies in mind as your business develops this plan and initiates strategies to build a more diversified team:
1) The Right Corporate Culture
Diversity recruitment may be about finding the most qualified candidates for your organization, but how much simpler would the process be if applicants came to you?
A primary strategy for improving your diversity outreach is to promote company values that acknowledge the value of diverse cultural perspectives. Build your talent pool and business goals around an inclusive environment of acceptance. This includes reviewing HR policies, creating diversity mission statements and goals, and enacting diversity training for both management and team members. Once your business is a known supporter of diversity and cultural acceptance, candidates seeking a welcoming environment will track you down.
2) Team Up
Effective diversity recruitment relies on partnerships. Qualified candidates are often in high demand and are sought out by a variety of organizations. Making early inroads with these candidates through group partnerships can be an effective way to get a leg up on other recruiters. This involves reaching out to student groups at high schools and colleges to get your brand out there and begin preparing prospects for a future with your company. Many schools have dedicated programs for ethnic groups that prioritize the development of professional skills, creating ideal candidates for partnerships with your organization. Active involvement with your candidates builds relationships, provides opportunities, and helps you discern which candidates are most promising.
3) Community Involvement
To take organizational partnerships a step further, reach out to the community beyond educational channels. While finding prospects early in the recruitment process gives you time to guide their professional development, there are likely plenty of qualified candidates already working in the community. These populations won’t be reached by traditional recruitment methods like career fairs or student partnerships. Reach out to local community groups that share your company’s vision for diversity growth and cultural acceptance. Community involvement improves more than just your recruitment outreach—better personal relationships increase diversity awareness and fosters co-operation in the community you serve.
4) Sponsoring Events
Having trouble locating nearby events that let you broaden your recruiting outreach? Take the initiative and host them yourself. Companies that partner with ethnic or LGBT organizations to host cultural celebrations and community-based employment fairs see better candidate outreach than those who wait on the sidelines. The goal of sponsoring these events is to increase the prospective pool of talent. Imagine how many candidates go unnoticed with traditional recruitment techniques. These individuals can provide talent and insight not found from the youth-oriented demographics that are commonly targeted by formulaic recruiting efforts. Get aggressive with your advertising when hosting these events—reach out to churches, community groups, public service centers, and relevant cultural associations that serve the population you’re seeking.
While these strategies are a good place to start your diversity recruitment, they’re only the tip of the iceberg. As an organization develops its corporate culture and gains a more diverse talent pool, they’re able to review strategies and specifically tailor their outreach to the most effective channels. This initial insight is necessary for developing a talent acquisition pipeline that is efficient and brings the best possible candidates to your organization.
Posted By: Lorenzo Esmoquin
Sunday, February 14th 2016 at 12:33PM
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