When we talk about diversity in the workplace, we often think in terms of demographics. Do women make up a certain percentage of your company’s leadership? Are you recruiting more candidates from underrepresented backgrounds than in the past?
A diverse workforce is one in which people of all genders, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, abilities and more feel welcome, but “diversity” and “inclusion” are more than just criteria to be met. These are critical elements of the employee experience that can also make companies more innovative and successful.
If diversity goes beyond simply having employees of different backgrounds, how can you truly make hiring more inclusive? We’ve got some suggestions for how to incorporate diversity and inclusion into recruiting and facilitate positive workplace experiences.
Partner with outside organisations to meet new candidates
If you want a more diverse workforce than you have now, you’re going to have to try something different. While it may be tempting to rely on the same sourcing strategy that has worked for you in the past, this may ultimately be limiting your company’s ability to recruit a larger — and more diverse — pool of candidates. Partnering with organisations in your industry that represent people of diverse backgrounds is a great way to discover candidates you may never have met otherwise.
