Racial, gender, and ethnic diversity has become an essential topic of discussion in recent years, and there is increasing emphasis on hiring more people from various backgrounds. Have your company’s minority hiring tactics evolved with the times?
Businesses must implement diversity hiring strategies because it is no longer just a passing trend. Why? Because hiring diverse applicants has many advantages, including increased innovation, better decision-making, and improved performance.
Why do Companies Need to Take a Closer Look at Underrepresented Talent
Becoming more diverse as a company and finding underrepresented talent is very important. You might be thinking: Why?
Lower Employee Turnover
No individual likes to feel alone, whether in society or a company. Yes, it is nice to feel included with a different group of people, but it feels safer to have people like you around you as well. When an individual feels included and represented, they are likely to be happier within a company, allowing improved employee retention. High employee retention is excellent for your company’s brand.
Increased Creativity
When the same type of people with the same backgrounds works together in a place, yes, there is familiarity, but there is no creativity. Why? Because people with the same mindsets will come up with the same ideas. There is no room for innovation because everyone thinks the same way. Because of a lack of diverse thinking, a company and its brand aren’t likely to grow because it is kept in a box.
With a diverse workforce, one individual can challenge another view. Such conversations spark debates and bring up new ideas within a company.
Improved Culture
This point follows the first one. A diverse workforce has improved culture. Underrepresented talent has its name for a reason, and it’s a talent more deserving of being found. When it is brought into a company, culture is likely to improve.
Ways to Find Underrepresented Talent
Analyze Recruitment Process
Does your company have fewer diverse applicants? Sometimes the way a company represents itself changes the type of people who choose to find a career in the company. If you want to find underrepresented talent, it is essential first to assess your talent acquisition program. See whether the way you have phrased online assessment questions or whether your whole talent acquisition strategy is slightly biased or not. Even your company website plays a huge part.
Create Purposeful Diversity Programs
Diversity programs have existed for a long time. But many of these initiatives are underused and do little to encourage genuine bonds between coworkers. When creating or reviewing a diversity sponsorship program, consider how you can better involve and promote the involvement of underrepresented team members. As sponsors or mentors, seek out diverse leaders within your company and equip them with the knowledge and resources required to be influential allies.
Collaboration with Institutions
You could connect with members of organizations that help individuals from underrepresented groups by getting involved with them. These entities might include organizations for women, different races, and other minorities in the workforce.
By providing employees with reimbursements for joining these organizations and attending events, you can encourage participation from the rest of your workforce.
Allow Remote Work
Depending on where your workplace or corporate headquarters are located, you might not have access to varied talent resources in your neighborhood. Additionally, requiring applicants to travel to an office daily and reside in a specific area may discourage many qualified, eager candidates from applying for your open position.
Diversifying your sourcing tactics may involve more than just collaborating with a new group of local hiring partners. By allowing remote work in your company, you’ll have access to a much wider group of applicants from all walks of life and backgrounds who aren’t constrained by geographic location.
Challenges Faced by Underrepresented Talent
Bias
Unconscious bias may still cause underrepresented workers to be passed over for advancement chances despite increased awareness of diversity in hiring and promotion practices.
Low Engagement
It doesn’t necessarily have to be intentional in corporations, but underrepresented workers are less likely to speak out. When senior positions don’t represent many community members, the diverse group of employees may feel like they have fewer opportunities for success and may be less likely to engage in conversation, taking up more responsibility. it promotes a sort of complacency in a culture.
Conclusion
Think beyond hiring and consider the complete employee lifecycle if you want to maintain a thriving, diverse workforce. By keeping these suggestions in mind, you can review your current diversity strategy and look for ways to assist underrepresented employees better.
Also read: Follow These Simple Steps To Choose The Right Career Path For Yourself
