Creating a Baseline of Effective Language to Use in Diversity Recruiting
2021 Increase Diversity Workshop Series | Creating a Baseline of Common Language to Use in Diversity Recruiting | January 14th at 1:00 pm est.
Today, let’s have a conversation about having conversations.
Let’s start with those conversations that come up and we totally avoid them. When was the last time you avoided a conversation?
Remember that time when “that” topic came up and you felt your heart beating faster, your body heating up and you felt your palms get a little sweaty due to nervousness and fear? Maybe you feared that the consequences of saying the wrong thing would lead to cancel culture. Maybe you were nervous that if you used the wrong word or accidently said something offensive that you would not know how to deescalate the conversation.
With those consequences, it is likely that you avoided the conversation altogether. Maybe you decided to politely disengage and fall back in order to let someone else lead.
In reality, I have those moments. Most people do. As a matter of fact, leaders at all levels have “that” topic that they likely avoid, if possible and it is usually in areas they do not feel qualified, confident, or comfortable they have the right language to use. The truth is that we do not have to engage in every topic.
But here is the challenge that I see often in the workplace. In our professions, there will be conversations where we must fully engage—no matter the level of discomfort or nervousness—in order to deliver successful initiatives.
One of those conversations is about the initiative to increase diversity.
In order to increase diversity in your workplace, your employees on the front line (i.e., recruiters and hiring managers) do NOT have the luxury to fall back or disengage when they do not feel qualified, confident, or comfortable on topics related to diversity. However, that is exactly what is happening!
It is a part of the problem—as a matter of fact, it is a foundational piece to your company’s struggle to move the needle to increase diversity. Many of your recruiters and hiring managers disengage and fall back on topics that make them uncomfortable—including topics about diversity. And if your hiring teams will not even talk about it, imagine how much action goes behind diversity recruiting efforts? Little.
Many of your recruiters and hiring managers disengage and fall back on topics that make them uncomfortable—including topics about diversity.
Something has to change. If you are on the front lines of increasing diversity at your organization and your first reaction is to avoid topics and conversations about diversity, here’s what I want you to do:
Quit turning away or skimming the surface; lean in. It is very intentional that our first workshop in the Increase Diversity 101 series is about language. It is a critical step in diversity recruiting. Creating a Baseline of Effective Language to Use in Diversity Recruiting helps to anyone on the front lines of increasing diversity to feel more qualified to lean in to conversations about diversity.
Create common language. This is as simple as a recruiting leader saying, “Team, here is the language we will use on our team when engaging in conversations on diversity recruiting.” It is an actual starter list. Understanding that it is not a catch all—but it gets the conversation started and the "common language list" can continue to grow and build over time.
To be effective, be intentional. Say exactly what you mean. Messages get lost in too much political correctness. It is the difference between saying that we want to increase diversity and saying that we want to increase representation among Black women in operational leadership roles. Knowing that it is acceptable to say, “Black women,” for example, in conversations at work may seem elementary, but it is powerful.
It is undeniable that the language we use is powerful and we are all sensitive to the impact of words. A prime example is the terminology used to describe BLM protests versus the recent attack on the White House. If we continue to ignore conversations about diversity because we do not feel qualified or confident, history will only repeat itself and underrepresentation will continue to be pervasive.
Now for those of you who may be thinking, “What if I mess up and become another narrative in the workplace?” Here are a few areas of advice for you:
Release perfectionism. You will make mistakes. We all do. It is through our mistakes that we learn and grow. Think of it as a journey. A journey takes time. You will trip along the way, your shoelaces may come untied, and you might get a flat tire. You have the power to overcome those adversities, just as you do to lean into conversations about diversity.
Show gratitude. Find gratitude when mistakes are brought to your attention and use it as a gateway of building more effective language. If you recognize in the moment that you made a mistake, correct yourself and move forward.
Do research. Let’s say you are preparing for a presentation or meeting where you will be discussing areas where increased representation is needed. If you don’t know the appropriate language, Google is your friend! As an example, take a few minutes to read about whether it is more effective to say Black or African American, or Asian or Asian American. This is a learning opportunity, so treat it like one.
Measure progress. Is your team, department, or the organization making improvements in effective language use? For example, when soliciting feedback from interview candidates (hired or not), ask about language. Did you feel that the language used during the hiring process was inclusive and effective? Why? I also recommend measuring the level of comfort employees feel when engaging in topics about diversity.
As a hiring leader, you have access to one of the most powerful systems that affect the outcome of people’s lives: the hiring system. Therefore, I repeat, you DO NOT have the luxury of not participating in conversations just because you don’t feel qualified or confident on the topic. It is you who is accountable for helping build an equitable and inclusive hiring process. So, as a first step, recognize the power of language and start establishing a baseline of effective language.
We will be talking about all of the above and more in our upcoming workshop. Register and join us on Thursday, January 14 for our Increase Diversity 101 Workshop. This month’s topic: CREATING A BASELINE OF EFFECTIVE LANGUAGE TO USE IN DIVERSITY RECRUITING. We will be diving deeper into and having a candid conversation about effective (+inclusive) language in diversity recruiting.
Join the conversation in the comments.
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✅We will use the weekly #IncreaseDiversity newsletter platform to do five things:
Challenge organizations to dig more deeply when it comes to diversity recruiting and retention programs
Clarify misconceptions or demystify complex topics related to diversity recruiting
Share best practices in diversity recruiting and retention
Answer frequently asked questions related to diversity recruiting and retention
Build a safe learning community for hiring professionals
✅ Need support implementing an effective diversity recruiting program at your organization? Visit www.JenniferTardy.com to learn about consulting and training programs.