Diversity is a much talked about topic in today’s business world and with good reason. Not only that, but having diverse teams creates more opportunities for innovation and progress in your company. Modifying your hiring process to better allow for diversity, however, is easier said than done. Here are some tips to help you to hire diversely:
Minimize Bias
Unconscious bias makes it so much harder for you to hire a diverse team. One way to minimize this bias is to go in blind. Consider doing a blind personality and aptitude test for candidates early in the screening process. Additionally, you can create a list of standard, open ended questions to avoid asking biased ones.
Bringing in third-parties can also help you identify unconscious bias. If you are trying to decide between two candidates and aren’t sure if bias is impacting your decision, bring in someone else to get their perspective.
Don’t Make it About Improving Numbers
Sure, a 15% increase in diverse employees in your company might look good on a spreadsheet, but viewing diversity in this way won’t actually help you improve your organization. Focus more on hiring people for their talent and experience, and not just to fill a quota.
Avoid Reactive Hiring
Only hiring when you absolutely have to makes it hard to create a diverse workplace. If you’re on a time crunch, you’ll have a hard time thinking through your unconscious biases. Try to hire new people before it becomes a desperate need. Make sure to have employees in your company that can fill necessary responsibilities if there becomes a need.
Following these three tips will help you to create a better hiring process and a more diverse workforce.