Your employees want a diverse and inclusive workplace that allows them to experience a flood of new ideas from people who have a wider breadth of perspectives to learn from.
According to research by Deloitte, 83% of millennials feel that they are actively engaged when they believe that their organization fosters an inclusive culture. And research by Glassdoor found that 57% of employees with their companies should be more diverse.
But often, unintentional bias in recruiting practices leads to a lack of diversity. It isn’t something companies mean to do, but instead it is a side effect of some common mistakes. A recent article from Entrepreneur shares some places that unintentional bias can creep into you hiring process.
The job description
Is your job description using exclusionary language? Watch for the use of he or she pronouns and job titles like “salesman” or “tradesman.” Even using words like “superhero” “rock star” or “ninja” can have a gender bias due to their male-leaning connotations. Also avoid using language like “young, vibrant team: which could lead older applicants to feel they wouldn’t be welcome.
The job posting
Are you only posting the job on university job boards, or other exclusive networks? You may be missing out on finding employees that just aren’t there. In addition to niche sites and your own internal network, reach out using major job boards like Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor to reach a wider audience.
The interview process
There are a number of places that unintentional bias can take place in your interview process. Make sure to have a standard interview process that includes the same set of questions for all candidates. This limits the chance of bias affecting each interview.
Also, be sure to include a diverse group of people in your company in the interview process. People don’t try to be biased, but it is easy to like people who are like us. Including a variety of people in the hiring process allows you to benefit from the perspectives of others.
Unintentional bias occurs so often. And just like the name implies, we don’t mean for it to happen. But these things not only impact the diversity of your workforce but can also be places where discrimination (likely unintentional) can occur. Identifying places where bias may occur in your company’s processes is the first step. Then look for ways to limit or remove the chance of bias.
Looking for more information about diversity and recruiting? Check out our easy-to-use toolkits on each of these subjects: