How to Attract More Diverse Talent to Your Job Postings

As the business world has entered into the 21st  century, many cultural critics have pointed out a serious flaw in many companies: a lack of diverse voices. Much of the commercial landscape is dominated by cisgender white heterosexual men, and they are often reticent to let others into their companies, not only because it allows them to create products and services that cater specifically to their demographic, but also because they wish to retain their power within the corporation they work for. Alas, diversity is not a four-letter word and should be encouraged in the corporate world. Not only will the office be filled with a wide variety of new voices and experiences, but purely from a monetary perspective, a diverse workforce will help companies penetrate new markets in ways that they hadn’t before. While building a diverse work environment is something many businesses have made active strides towards in recent years, there is still a lot of work to be done. This guide will help clarify ways to make your company more attractive to diverse talent and how to retain them for years to come.

Image from Pixabay.

Educate yourself (and the recruiting team) on how to identify biases

Everyone in the world walks around with unconscious biases. We might not think that we do, but they influence the way we act with people of a different gender, ethnicity, social status, and more. If we can acknowledge this phenomenon, then we can explain why companies only hire people who look, think, and act like them; they are hiring people who they are more comfortable around because their existence doesn’t challenge their beliefs about the world, leading more diverse candidates to be left by the wayside. When companies can stop hiring men to fill a position because “men have always held that position”, they open the door to more inclusive thought and a more welcoming environment for members of diverse groups. Of course, the same logic can be applied to other minorities (why can’t a person of color fill this role, etc). The best part is, once these employees of different backgrounds have been hired, they could potentially bring their new perspectives to the hiring team, creating more diversity of thought in the hiring process and helping to stamp out more biases.

Post job listings in spaces dedicated to minority groups

Oftentimes, the best way to find diverse people to work for you is to go where those people already are. There are plenty of online websites, forums, and resources for people of different ethnic backgrounds, genders, and levels of ability. If you’re serious about reaching these people and hiring them onto your team, consider posting ads or jobs in these spaces. It will help communicate to members of these groups that you are searching specifically for people with these certain backgrounds. Also, it helps mitigate the worry on their end that what sets them apart would be held against them, and you have come looking for more diverse talent in good faith.

Create internship opportunities targeted at diverse audiences

Speaking of reaching out to minority groups, if you want to reach people from diverse backgrounds while they are young to better build them into your workflow, consider working with college campuses. Many colleges have clubs dedicated to historically disadvantaged people, such as a Black student union or LGBT Alliance. You can contact the leadership of these clubs and ask them to disseminate information about your available internships. Should members of the clubs get an internship with your company, you will be able to evaluate whether they can do the work that’s being asked of them, and they get an opportunity to become acquainted with the office culture. This model also provides a great way to retain diverse talent, as you can hire people in a more permanent role after they complete their internship.

Actively search for what you’re missing

The last and most direct way to find diverse voices for your company is to simply prioritize applicants who come from those backgrounds. Include diversity questions in your applications so you have a better idea of who you’re hiring, and what they could bring to your company. If you have multiple candidates for a position, all with similar qualifications, consider choosing the candidate with the more diverse background. This is not to say you should hire someone for a job just because of their race, sexuality, or creed; if they are unqualified for the position, don’t hire them, but if they are, you have nothing to lose by adding someone who can bring a different perspective to your company.

Diversity can be a touchy subject in the workplace. As an employer, you want to make sure that you’re fostering an inclusive environment at your company, but not in a way that comes across as pandering or virtue signaling. Filling your office with people of diverse backgrounds will help create a more well-rounded business, and there are organic ways to hire them without singling them out. Using this guide will help you find diverse talent to bolster your company and create a richer work environment.