3 Tips for Building a More Inclusive Recruitment Pipeline

As a recruiter, you well know that diversity and inclusion in the workplace are top priorities. In addition to reaching underrepresented groups, companies with diverse teams have been proven to outperform their competitors and are even reported as being more attractive to the growing millennial and gen-z workforce. We get it — creating procedures that promote diverse and inclusive hiring practices can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ll highlight everything you need to know with three tips for building a more inclusive recruitment pipeline.

Refine and Refocus Recruitment Strategies

Go back to the drawing board when it comes to your existing recruitment strategies. Even if you already have some procedures in place to recruit minorities, it’s worth the time and effort to examine each detail with a fine-toothed comb.

Start with analyzing job post wording. Create gender-neutral job descriptions and avoid words or phrases that suggest one gender stereotype over another. For example, avoid using words like “competitive” or “aggressive” when trying to attract female applicants.

Once you’ve built a strong job description, assess where you’re posting positions. Instead of relying on the same handful of hiring websites, broaden your horizons by posting on a variety of job boards that reach different audiences. Consider partnering with local or regional organizations that serve the underrepresented, and try adding more face-to-face recruitment events to your calendar by attending college career fairs.

Involve Diversity in the Hiring Process

Your applicants will be as diverse as the hiring team, so put thought into which team members are involved in the hiring process. In addition to widening perspective and scope within hiring, prospective talent will see firsthand that the organization is filled with people with whom they can relate.

Widen your underrepresented talent pool by creating a referral program. If done correctly, employee referrals can bring some of the best new hires to the team. Actively work to source referrals from the organization’s underrepresented groups to avoid growing a homogeneous referral pipeline.

Support Underrepresented New Hires

Diversity and inclusion initiatives don’t stop with the job offer. In fact, that’s just the starting point. If you successfully funnel a more inclusive recruitment pipeline into a hostile or unaccepting workplace, retention will plummet and you’ll be back to square one. Foster an inclusive work environment by holding trainings, seminars, and events to properly educate employees on inclusion. Help boost confidence in your underrepresented new hires by assigning a mentor or sponsor, and celebrate success stories among these employees.

. . .Diverse organizations aren’t created overnight. But by refining and refocusing your recruitment strategies, involving diversity within the workplace, and actively supporting underrepresented team members, your organization will be on the path to becoming a place of inclusion and acceptance.