Talk about corporate diversity is everywhere. It’s no surprise, given the business case for diversity that Jesse explored on this blog last October.
I’m also not surprised that when we surveyed dozens of Recruiting organizations about diversity recruiting, more than two-thirds of them prioritize attracting and sourcing diverse talent. After all, recruiting is the engine of diversity representation, and how better to contribute than feeding a pipeline of qualified, diverse talent into the company?
But there’s a loophole in that hiring-focused strategy. If organizational culture isn’t inclusive—meaning for instance, diverse talent isn’t considered equally by hiring managers or doesn’t receive appropriate career opportunities—diverse talent naturally becomes disengaged and leaves (or doesn’t join in the first place). In turn, diversity recruiting efforts are plagued by rework and difficulty attracting more diverse talent.
The effects of this loophole aren’t going unnoticed by some Recruiting executives in our membership. Many Recruiting teams struggle to engage hiring managers (and even their own recruiters) in diversity to the point that it’s not an “initiative” or a set of representation goals to meet, but rather a way of life.
Where most Recruiting teams go wrong is assuming it’s not their job, or they don’t have enough influence, to foster a culture of inclusion. Our survey results suggest otherwise. Recruiting teams that foster workplace inclusion—rather than focus exclusively on hiring diverse talent—are 14% more effective at achieving diversity goals.
So, how do the best Recruiting organizations foster workplace inclusion? Here are three to start:
- Don’t just recruit diverse talent; evaluate all candidates for diversity values and skills.
- Revamp internal hiring with a specific focus on engaging diverse talent.
- Build recruiter awareness of and accountability for diversity.
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