How Recrooit Helps Companies Foster Diversity and Inclusion [+7 Effective Ways to Diversify Your Team]

Recruiters and Hiring Managers can undoubtedly agree on one thing – a diverse team helps companies in numerous ways. Organizations that foster diversity and inclusion are usually more innovative and creative. Also, they tend to deliver better outcomes. Having various viewpoints and backgrounds within your team contributes to more originality, quicker problem-solving, and fresh ideas. Still, this topic goes way beyond the business aims. True equality is immensely valuable. And here are seven proven tips for employers. Moreover, check out our approach to this subject and see how Recrooit helps its clients diversify.

What Is Workplace Diversity and Why Is It Important to Foster Diversity and Inclusion?

A general definition of workplace diversity implies hiring a wide range of people to add the extra worth to a business. It means ensuring equal opportunities for all, regardless of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. To foster a heterogeneous working environment is the ultimate goal. It goes beyond hiring, too. This topic spreads throughout the entire employee lifecycle within an organization. So, besides recruiting efforts that enhance diverse hiring, the process of promoting equity and acceptance spans to the bigger picture. 

The main benefits of diversity in the workplace are:

• A variety of approaches and perspectives
• Higher innovation and creativity
• Better decision-making
• More rapid problem-solving
• Better employee experience and candidate experience
• Higher employee engagement
• Lower turnover rate 
• Minimized cost per hire and more profitability
• More reputability 
• Improved hiring processes

It is no wonder that diversity and inclusion in the workplace represent one of the hottest HR topics. And much more than that – they are a common goal.

How Do You Include Diversity in Hiring? [7 Proven Tips]

Like every great practice, this one requires focusing on it. Before you make any recruitment strategy or any new decision, make diversifying a top priority. It should become part of your core company values, team culture, and manifesto. This means that each employee should understand its importance and foster it. Recruiters and Hiring Managers, in particular, should always keep it in their minds. Once everyone on your team is ready to embrace diversity and inclusion, make sure you’re ready to take these steps:

• Use data and metrics to follow and improve diversity hiring;
• Implement an employee referral program and offer additional diversity-based prizes;
• Try external referrals and meet more candidates with different backgrounds;
• Expand the meaning of the term “culture fit”;
• Remove unconscious bias from your company, starting with the hiring team;
• Keep your goals in mind when creating job descriptions. 
• Offer flexibility and remote work.

Workforce diversity and inclusion are more than a hot recruiting trend. They positively impact the company and boost employee morale. Also, they provide better results through more productivity, improved communication, enhanced performance, and much more. 

Following the Data and Metrics 📈

Analytics are crucial for you to truly know your workforce. Data mining always gives you interesting and actionable insights. In the case of diversity hiring, too. You must assess where the gaps or obstacles are and develop a long-term strategy to diversify your talent pipeline and organization. Also, you should commence your analysis by picking one specific metric to focus on. For instance, if you wish to hire more female employees in the next period, set your KPIs and monitor the results carefully. Fulfill your exact hiring needs while minding the sources and methods that promote diversity and inclusion.

Building an Efficient Employee Referral Program

Employee referrals are known as the most reliable, effective, and profitable sources of hire. The recommendations that come through your most credible workers are, in most cases, the best ones. However, if you indeed aim for diversifying your team, create a bonus structure accordingly. Most employers choose to give the most competitive rewards to those who close the most difficult to fill positions. Nevertheless, the ones who should be praised are those who recommend diverse candidates. Come up with referral bonuses that adequately depict how significant this aspect is to you.

External Recruiting Allies: Community Referral Program Drives Diversity

Since employee referrals work so well, why shouldn’t you expand the program? External or community referrals bring the same benefits – only on a much larger scale. Once you include more sources, more recruiters, and tech talents into the equation, you’ll have the right recipe for success. More referrers from different organizations (or even parts of the world) are guaranteed to recommend suitable candidates with diverse backgrounds, skills, traits, and ideas. 

What Is the Meaning of Cultural Fit for You?

A little thing called a “culture fit” is something that most companies seek in their prospective employees. However, if you want to set an example of diversity in the workplace, you’ll have to look past it. Sure, you shouldn’t hire someone who doesn’t have the intention to share your goals and values. But still, doing things “by the book” can do you more harm in this case. Setting a strict and narrow definition of your company culture will prevent you from meeting and welcoming some extraordinary professionals. Diverse people will only add to your already established culture and promote it. 

Remove Unconscious Bias from the Recruitment Process

So, what is the first step to reduce unconscious bias? The definition of this undesirable phenomenon suggests that unconscious bias occurs when we form an opinion about a candidate based on first impressions alone. To reduce them, you must:

Additionally: 

You undoubtedly have your diversity and inclusion goals in mind. Incorporate them into every stage of the hiring process. 

Compose Your Job Descriptions Carefully

Job posting plays an essential role in finding talent. It often helps you make the first impression of a company and its culture. Mind the wording and semantics. Researchers have come to the conclusion that using terms that sound “masculine” results in women feeling like they would not fit into your workforce. On the other hand, more neutral phrases like “collaborative” tend to attract more female applicants. If you wish to learn more about this topic and use a language that will help you diversify by hiring more ladies, find software that analyzes your job descriptions.

You can balance by using the same number of gendered adjectives and verbs.

Offer Flexibility and Remote Work

Remote work has countless benefits. Both employers and employees can feel its perks, starting from the financial aspect to more productivity and better results. Moreover, remote jobs foster diversity. Here’s how:

• You would receive applications from different regions and countries
• Your workforce will become multicultural
• More new parents would apply since they often have a hard time committing to a regular 9 to 5 job
• The age gap wouldn’t matter at all, as long as the communication is good

According to some studies, nearly one-third of employees would prefer a flexible working schedule over a salary raise. Keep that in mind and start sourcing from a more extensive pool.

How Do You Ensure Diversity in Recruitment? Recrooit Is Here to Help!

If you want to see what it’s like to be a Recrooiter, you’ll immediately figure out how this concept promotes diversity. Recrooit is a community referral platform that helps everyone prosper. On one hand, it is the most efficient and cost-effective solution for businesses that are on the lookout for tech talent. Also, everyone who applies to recruit tech professionals will add some extra bucks by doing something spectacular and changing the game. The recommended developers and other IT experts will unquestionably change their careers for the better. Additionally, this referral-based platform will help you foster diversity and inclusion: 

• Your Recrooiters could be anywhere and use multiple sources, connections, and methods to reach out to candidates
• Your pool is immense and filled with unique talent with different skill sets, backgrounds, and preferences
• You’d cover various areas and speak to the most qualified candidates from multiple organizations, environments, and even states
• Your whole way will be paved with flexibility
• Removing unconscious bias from your screening process will be a piece of cake since our Recrooiters are in charge of the selection and pre-screening processes
• Our approach relies on tech gizmo and AI, which helps us focus only on what really matters
• And lastly – since the majority of our Recrooiters are keen on remote roles, we’ll bring you the values and advantages of working remotely.

How Do You Foster Diversity and Inclusion?

In addition to making this world a better place, you’d be making your own company stronger, more reputable, and happier. Diversity in the workplace statistics suggest that more than 57% of employees wish to explore this topic and embrace its best practices. Choosing to hire unique individuals and disregarding racial matters, gender biases, sexual preferences, or any other prejudice will keep your current workforce more satisfied. And, granted, you’ll develop a healthy and heterogeneous environment that brings results in several fields.

And if you need a hand with your referral program, let’s get in touch.