Improving your Diversity Recruitment Strategy

As a recruitment agency, we understand the need for diversity in all professional jobs and know that it is a smarter way to do business. It is well understood that diversity in the workplace drives revenue and profits, but it also creates a more creative and innovative workplace culture, contributing to better performance.

As a recruitment agency in Sydney, it is our belief that diversity goes above and beyond workplace results. It’s about building the best team for you and your employees regardless of demographic characteristics such as race, sex and age, and acquired diversity such as education, experience, knowledge, values and skills. So, in essence, you’re gaining a broader range of skills and experience for your team as well as increased language and cultural awareness.

What is recruitment diversity?

In a nutshell, recruitment diversity is about hiring employees based on merit. This means the recruiter makes a decision free of bias related to a candidate’s race, religion, sexual orientation and other personal characteristics that aren’t integral to the position they are applying for.

So, let’s explore how we can improve on a diverse recruitment strategy.

Explore a new recruitment tool, such as using a boutique recruitment agency. 

Using a specialised recruitment service is a great way to immerse in a new recruitment tool because we understand how powerful advertising can be if it’s done right. We know how to use the right words for ads, by not implying that our clients are looking for a candidate from a particular background. This means the difference in attracting a diverse range of clients to your workplace. Naturally, this is something we know how to do right and already have access to a diverse candidate pool which means we can offer our clients more choice when it comes to finding the right person to fit their team.

Create workplace policies that appeal to diverse candidates.

Having the right workplace policies towards diversity is another way to transform your diversity recruitment strategy. Research has found that candidates are attracted to a flexible workplace and that having policies that offer work from home or flexible work hour options increases the likelihood of more diverse applicants for a position. Additionally, having policies in place that observe religious and cultural observances, mental health issues, disability, woman, parents and carer requirements, will enable you to strengthen your brand with a more diverse workforce.

Consider your selection criteria and job adds to carefully attract diverse candidates.

When deciding what to put in an add to welcome new people to your workplace, think about the language you use and be sure to capture and articulate the skills you are looking for. Be mindful of not using too much jargon and alternate between stereotypically gendered words to create a balance, or avoid reference to gender at all. Additionally, women often only apply for a job if they feel they 100% fit all of the criteria, while men are far less reserved about it. When crafting an ad or selection criteria, avoid mentioning specific qualification levels or years of experience to allow for more flexibility in suitability. This includes encouraging potential candidates to apply even if they don’t meet the full criteria.

Teach your recruiters about diversity and how to avoid bias.

As a recruitment agency, our team are well versed in how to avoid bias when gathering potential candidates for a position, and we encourage you to do this for any of your staff involved in the recruitment process. All teams, especially those involved in hiring, should have access to training on diversity. Additionally, streamlining your interviewing process so that it is standardised for all, including icebreakers, will put all applicants on the same playing field. Focussing on the skill set of an applicant will give you greater insight into their abilities and is a known accurate method that leaves no room for bias.

Regardless of the diversity-friendly strategies, your workplace has in place, as a recruitment agency, we often see how unconscious bias can affect your recruitment strategies. It is essential to be mindful that hiring diverse applicants isn’t a passing fad, it is actually a smarter way to do business. To remove bias, whether unconscious or conscious from your hiring team, be sure to arm them with as many tools and as much training as they need to gain clear insight into candidates performance and skill set rather than focussing on demographic characteristics or acquired diversity.

Need an unbias approach to recruit your next team member? We have a diverse range of candidates that are professional and highly experienced. Please contact us on 02 8086 3444 or contact us via our website.