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​​You want to improve the diversity of your company but you don't know where to start...

1. Recruit with Representation 

People in marginalised groups naturally feel more comfortable around people who are also from marginalised groups. 

To recruit more staff you need to have better representation in your interview process. This may sound like a chicken and egg situation (how can you have better representation if the reason you are looking to attract more diverse talent is because you currently lack adequate representation) but you can seek outside involvement to do so. 

You should have representation at every stage of the process. You can ask external people whose values align with your own to join you throughout the recruitment cycle if you need to. 

2.Advertise Effectively 

Where you advertise vacancies has a huge impact on the candidates you attract. 

Almost 60% of LinkedIn users are between 24 and 35 years old, so if you are only advertising on LinkedIn your diversity will be affected in the attraction phase. 

You should consider the demographic for everywhere you currently advertise and aim to supplement it with a few additional platforms. 

You can also consider specific online communities and forums for marginalised groups. 

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3. Show up on Socials 

Research suggests that Gen Z applicants are likely to qualify organisations DE&I commitment and culture via their social presence before they apply. 

You need to present yourself in a way and highlight yourselves as having a diverse employer brand, in an authentic way. See our article Creating a Diverse Employer Brand for more information on how to do this. 

4.Words and Unconscious Bias

To hire more diverse talent, you want to remove the opportunity for unconscious bias wherever you can. 

Implementing a ‘name blind’ application policy has been shown to minimise race based bias during the selection process of recruitment. 

You also need to neutralise the language in your job descriptions and job adverts to remove bias. For more on this, read our article Job Adverts without Bias.

Focus your descriptions, adverts and assessments on skills first, allowing the hiring staff to be as objective as possible. 

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5. Flexibility impacts Diversity 

Recently, flexibility at work has become a huge driving factor in a candidate's choice in employment opportunities. 

Flexibility will impact some groups more than others, for example, single parents, more mature workers, caregivers and people with physical disabilities. 

If you are not offering flexibility or you are not highlighting it in the job advert then your talent pool will be limited, meaning that large groups of people will be underrepresented in the workforce. 

6.Pay Matters

Candidates know their worth, why don’t you? 

You have to list the pay in the job advert. It is absolutely fine for this to be a bracket dependent on experience but if you do not stipulate pay and the package you will give the impression of a secretive, sub-standard pay. Not stipulating pay also opens up opportunities for bigger pay disparities and pay gaps. 

7.It’s in the Invitation 

You want to make everyone feel comfortable to be their authentic self. To do so, include dress code and specificity around natural hair, religious dress and traditional dress in your invitation to interview. 

Invitations with ambiguity can make candidates feel uneasy and uncertain about attending an interview. 

8.Addition of ‘Appointment Audits’ 

Utilising the power of hindsight, adding appointment audits following the interview process will provide an opportunity for the hiring team to reflect on decisions made during the process. 

An organisation can ensure that the right candidate was chosen and no external factors or biases prevented other candidates from getting the role. 

If a hiring manager shows a repeated pattern of behaviour, perhaps unconsciously and un-noticeably without retrospect, this can be addressed. 

9.Feedback to push Forward

You should always aim to provide feedback to both successful and unsuccessful candidates on their performance in an interview. This benefits both the individual and the organisation by creating an ‘open door’ approach to recruitment, where talent can come back in the future. 

You should also ask candidates for feedback on the process so that you can continue to develop. 

Having a two fold feedback process will drive a positive reputation of your organisation when it comes to sites like glassdoor. 

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10. Promise Progress 

People will always appreciate honesty and transparency, if your business lacks diversity be open about it and let people know how you plan to improve it. 

You can share your progress promise, with clear steps outlining how you plan to achieve positive change, on your website and on socials.

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If you need help making more diverse hires, please email elle@caminopartners.co.uk and she can connect you with the relevant person.