Many organizations today are seeking ways to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces to the benefit of their businesses, communities and talent. After all, numerous studies show that greater diversity leads to better results – from improved financial performance to fostering a workforce more representative of the customer base, while driving greater revenue and more brand loyalty. According to Randstad Sourceright’s 2019 Talent Trends research, 76% of companies currently have a diversity and inclusion policy in place, and 72% of working professionals around the globe say it’s important to work for diverse and inclusive companies.
Despite the best intentions, however, unconscious bias during the recruitment process derails your diversity goals. Although the problem hasn’t gone unnoticed — the Talent Trends study finds that 45% of organizations conduct diversity training to reduce bias in their hiring processes — training might not always be enough. For example, one study by Yale University discovered that both male and female scientists who received training on how to be objective were more likely to hire more men than women – and pay them a higher salary.
What can be done to minimize bias in recruiting?
There’s been a recent proliferation in HR technology that can help to promote a culture of inclusion. For example, there are now tools that can blind personal information on resumes to ensure candidates are evaluated on their skills. Such an approach has been used by Vodafone after discovering that many women weren’t getting interviews for its tech positions.
Other tools can help create job descriptions designed to attract diverse applicants, and even find talent pools with higher percentages of female and minority workers to reach and hire a broader spectrum of qualified candidates.
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As a sign of the growing value of tools to remove bias from the recruiting process, the top prizes in the first-ever Pitchfest competition at the 2018 HR Technology Conference & Expo went to solutions designed to improve diversity hiring. Blendoor, which uses augmented intelligence and analytics to reduce unconscious hiring bias, took the first prize. Winning in the diversity category was TalVista, a company that provides job description optimization and redacted resume reviewing.
Meanwhile other solutions, such as the Montage video interviewing platform, can transcribe a candidate’s video interview. As a result, hiring managers receive an anonymous transcription of the interview before they see the candidate, helping to reduce unconscious bias that might otherwise occur.
5 ways to improve diversity hiring
It’s promising for our workplaces that both talent and employers see the value of diversity and inclusion, however, unconscious bias can hamper progress. Consider the following steps to help advance diversity and inclusion efforts at your organization:
- Provide proper training. Give recruiters and hiring managers sufficient training to help them recognize their own biases and promote inclusive hiring practices. This will help ensure candidates are treated fairly and evaluated equally based on their qualifications.
- Explore new channels. Work with various community groups, universities and niche talent communities to identify new channels for targeting diverse talent.
- Invest in the right tools. With the growing number of HR tech designed to eliminate bias, identify the solutions that can help address specific roadblocks at your company.
- Collect feedback. Conduct candidate surveys throughout all stages of the recruiting process to assess the fairness of the hiring journey.
- Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging. Diversity and inclusion go hand in hand. In addition to attracting talent with varying backgrounds, ensure you’re building an inclusive culture that helps those individuals feel welcome, respected and valued once on board.
The value of a strong diversity and inclusion program is clear to most companies today. To gain the full benefits of a diverse workforce, companies must work to eliminate any unconscious bias in their hiring processes. As more tools to address this issue become available, businesses can better attract and hire the diverse talent to help them achieve their goals.
