Straight from the lawyer’s blog, Colin Davidson offers some a variety of tips and some great advice on how to recruit, retain and engage a more diverse workforce while avoiding the traps of unconscious bias.
The first may not be obvious and almost counterintuitive to anyone who has seen the financial merits of a well-orchestrated employee referral program. Cast a wide net, and don’t just rely on the recommendations of current employees because they may be drawn from one race, age or gender.
In job postings, when discussing requirements, try to use the term “or similar” whenever possible to avoid discrimination. (For instance, a college degree or equivalent. But disregard if you’re looking for licensed MDs.)
Image source: https://edwardsduthieshamash.co.uk/diversity-in-the-workplace-and-recruitment/
And one of my favorites is the development of a short-list of requirements- ie the minimum criteria for the role, along with any reasonable adjustments that might be required for the recruitment phase or during employment to accommodate people with special needs.
Colin also recommends the routine monitoring of pay and benefits, training, promotion and performance evaluations to ensure compliance with equality policies.
And, in closing, he recommends appointing a workplace equality champion- or even a committee. People who are invested in these issues and can advocate for and monitor your processes, effectiveness and workplace issues.
If you’re interested in learning more about diversity hiring, media planning or internal advocacy feel free to connect. In the words of thought-leader @JohnSumser “DE&I is a survival strategy that makes a company more flexible and fit to navigate the 21st Century.” We couldn’t agree more.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody Ordioni is the author of “The Talent Brand.” In her role as Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brandemix, she leads the firm in creating brand-aligned talent communications that connect employees to cultures, companies, and business goals. She engages with HR professionals and corporate teams on how to build and promote talent brands, and implement best-practice talent acquisition and engagement strategies across all media and platforms. She has been named a "recruitment thought leader to follow" and her mission is to integrate marketing, human resources, internal communications, and social media to foster a seamless brand experience through the employee lifecycle.
