Embedding DEI In Your Hiring Process
Embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into your hiring process is a must-have for creating a diverse workplace. When DEI is integrated from the start, it means your company attracts a diverse pool of candidates.
28th Apr 2024
DEI is all about the acknowledgement, celebration, and respect for the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that individuals bring to the table. And its importance in your hiring process cannot be overstated.
Embedding DEI in your hiring process will not only allow you to build a more inclusive work environment but also unlock a world of benefits that contribute to company success.Why is it important to embed DEI into the hiring process?
Embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into your hiring process is crucial for creating a fair and diverse workplace. When DEI is integrated from the start, it ensures that your company attracts a diverse pool of candidates. This not only reflects the broader community but also brings in varied perspectives and experiences, which can lead to better problem-solving and innovation. Additionally, embedding DEI into hiring helps mitigate unconscious biases, promoting fairness in candidate evaluation. By prioritising DEI in hiring, you demonstrate your commitment to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and has equal opportunities for success.Evaluate your current hiring process
It's essential that all companies invest time in evaluating their current practices. Doing so allows you to carry out a thorough assessment of existing hiring policies, procedures, and metrics to identify areas for improvement and address potential biases and barriers.
Here are 3 steps you can take:1) Review your existing hiring policies and practices
This first step involves carrying out a comprehensive assessment of your hiring guidelines, job descriptions, interview protocols, and candidate assessment criteria. Pay attention to where you advertise your company and your roles too, both good and poor diversity starts far higher up in the hiring funnel than you may realise.
Reviewing your existing policies will allow you to identify potential biases or exclusions that may be unintentionally present in your hiring processes.
Remember, it's important that all policies and procedures promote fairness, equal opportunity, and inclusivity.2) Assess your diversity data
Take a deep dive into your demographic data; look at applicants, candidates and new hires. By reviewing these metrics you can assess whether you're attracting a diverse pool of candidates and if there is equitable representation throughout your hiring process. It will also help you understand where the problem is, if there is one. Is it that you are getting applications from hundreds of diverse candidates and not hiring them? Or is it that diverse candidates never see your company as an option to start with?
This evaluation helps identify areas where targeted efforts may be required to improve your diversity and representation.3) Identify potential biases and barriers
Addressing potential biases and barriers is a critical part of evaluating your hiring practices to identify any implicit or explicit biases that may exist. This includes recognising potential barriers that certain individuals or groups may face during the hiring process.
Common biases and barriers can include unconscious bias in CV screening or interview assessments, limited accessibility for candidates with disabilities, or systemic barriers that prevent candidates from underrepresented groups from progressing in the hiring stages. Identifying these biases and barriers is vital for implementing strategies to mitigate their impact and promote a more equitable process.Mitigate bias and build a more diverse and inclusive candidate pool
Remember, diversity and inclusion should be integrated throughout the entire hiring process, from sourcing to selection.
Here are key strategies for you to consider:Expand your sourcing channels
To attract a diverse range of candidates, it's important to go beyond the usual methods of sourcing. Consider using Flexa, an Employer Branding tool, to showcase what makes your company a great place to work.
Flexa has proven to be a valuable tool in expanding the candidate pool for companies, resulting in a significant 65% increase in the representation of diverse talent. Discover how Amplifi successfully utilised Flexa, leading to an impressive pipeline of 750+ aligned candidates.Build relationships with diverse communities
Building connections with diverse communities and organisations is key to creating a more inclusive candidate pool. Get involved in networking events, sponsorships, partnerships, and diversity-focused initiatives to actively engage with these communities.Implement blind CV screening
Unconscious bias can affect the hiring process making it crucial to implement blind CV screening in your hiring process. This means removing names, gender, and ethnicity from CVs during the initial screening stage.
By focusing solely on skills, qualifications, and experiences, recruiters and hiring managers can mitigate biases and promote a fair evaluation process.Create a structured interview process
Having a structured interview process ensures fairness and consistency in evaluating candidates. Develop a set of standardised interview questions that assess key job-related skills. Train interviewers on unbiased techniques to avoid asking questions that may introduce bias. It's also worth considering diverse interview panels to ensure a range of different perspectives and reduce bias.Provide equal opportunities and accessibility
Consider the needs of individuals with disabilities or health conditions and provide necessary accommodations throughout the evaluation process. This commitment to accessibility demonstrates inclusivity and makes sure that all candidates have a fair chance to showcase their skills and potential.Onboarding and integration
To create an inclusive environment from the start, DEI training should be included in the onboarding process for new hires. This training will help create awareness, educate employees on diversity-related topics, and set the expectations for inclusive behaviours and practices to build a strong foundation for a diverse and inclusive workplace culture.Continuous evaluation and improvement
Tracking diversity metrics and representation is just as important to measure the effectiveness of your diversity and inclusion efforts - you can use our DEI audit tracker to collect and analyse data.
Also consider utilising our employee satisfaction tracker to gather anonymous feedback from current employees, new hires and hiring teams.
Remember, it's crucial to continuously assess and refine your practices so that they align with your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.Embedding DEI principles into your hiring process is not just a checkbox to tick, but a powerful commitment to creating a truly inclusive and equitable workplace.
From evaluating current hiring practices and addressing biases to creating a strong Employer Brand, expanding sourcing channels and including diverse perspectives, each step contributes to building a more diverse and inclusive candidate pool.
By prioritising DEI, you can have a positive impact on your company's culture, employee satisfaction, and overall success.