How to Create the Recruiting Plan Behind the Diversity Commitment
CEOs are making bold public commitments to increase diversity. But how?
This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly series sharing best practices for employers who want to implement effective diversity recruitment programs. With the many public commitments CEOs are making to increase diversity among Black and LatinX employees, we'll talk about concerns to backing up this commitment + share a few ideas! Have ideas about what we should discuss in future newsletter editions? Let me know in the comments using #IncreaseDiversity or email me at JenniferTardy@gmail.com.
In light of #BlackLivesMatter, I have observed numerous employers standing in solidarity with the Black community. Within these conversations, there are bold commitments to make change. And I’ve noticed a pattern, that with each action plan. Increasing diversity is almost always on the list. Among the many CEOs, some of these statements that stand out are those from Chip Bergh, CEO of Levi Strauss, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google.
Although I appreciate all the organizations that have made bold, public commitments to increase representation among both Black and LatinX hires, I am concerned about the execution of these commitments.
In general, statements have been made like...
“We have an X-fold plan of action...”
“We will recruit more Black and LatinX candidates into our company...”
“We have made targets...”
“We have made diversity recruiting mandatory...”
“We will track these results...”
I hear you. Your message is clear. But a major component of your action plan is to increase diversity among hires, right? What are you willing to do differently to follow through on this commitment?
What are you willing to do differently to follow through on this commitment?
Yes, in case you didn't catch the theme, this is a conversation about recruiting.
More specifically, there are three unaddressed areas to these plans to increase diversity that inspired me to speak about this concern in this week’s newsletter. And don’t worry, it’s not just the JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, Google and Levi Strauss organizations that leave me worried, it’s all of the companies with good intentions but no system or plan to hold themselves accountable to effectively change recruitment.
Let’s unpack this.
Concern #1: Ownership. There is a lack of ownership over current policies, practices and behaviors that led to underrepresentation. A good question to ask is this: How has our organization historically contributed to the underrepresentation of Black and LatinX hires?
How has our organization historically contributed to the underrepresentation of Black and LatinX hires?
Challenge: Develop a list of the unwritten rules to be successful at your company. For example, do you need to know the right people, fit into the right circles, have a certain look or presence in order to get access to the best positions at your company? Are all your positions posted publicly? Are the qualifications written for the need of the job or for a person pre-slated for the job? Is meaningful, relevant, and timely feedback a requirement before selection decisions are made?
Concern #2: Acknowledgement. There is no acknowledgement of practices that must end immediately. Ask yourself, your team, your department, or the organization: What do we need to STOP doing in order to increase diversity?
What do we need to STOP doing in order to increase diversity?
Challenge. Implement systems to track candidate data and audit the data for impact. Data tells you what areas of your hiring process may be negatively and disproportionately affecting specific candidate populations. Even if you are able to source and attract Black and LatinX candidates, make sure these candidate are not getting ignored by recruiters, unreasonably rejected by hiring managers—and make sure that you find out if there are patterns causing competitive candidates to withdraw (e.g., a negative interview experience).
Concern #3: Support of Recruiters. There is a lack of support to help your recruiters feel qualified, capable, and comfortable with diversity recruiting. A good question to ask is this: Who do our recruiters turn to when they struggle to increase candidate pool diversity among women, people of color, veterans, people with disabilities, and the LGBT+ community? To whom are they asking questions? And, are they getting best practice answers?
Who do our recruiters turn to when they struggle to increase candidate pool diversity among women, people of color, veterans, people with disabilities, and the LGBT+ community?
Challenge. Connect your recruiters to experts who can show them best practices in diversity recruiting. Try to avoid recruiting practitioners that are not experts in inclusion, equity and diversity and try to avoid inclusion, equity and diversity practitioners who are not experts in recruiting. Neither expertise, alone, will give your team the depth of learning they need to accomplish the work.
Remember, without the work, commitments mean very little to increasing diversity at your organization.
Now, I would like to hear from you. At your company, what work are you doing to follow through on public commitments to increase diversity?
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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 me and learn about our flagship Diversity Magnet Recruiter Bootcamp + Diversity Recruitment Consulting Services.
✅ Want even more #IncreaseDiversity? I broadcast LIVE weekly from my LinkedIn profile page. I will discuss important issues affecting employers who are working toward increasing diversity.
✅ Up Next in #IncreaseDiversity: The average hiring process can feel like an obstacle course for individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds. I am going to share a composite case study about this obstacle course and what employers and career coaches to do to help better support individuals while on their job search.