Increasing Diversity 101: 3 Reasons Why You May be Losing Applicants

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💥This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly newsletter + monthly workshop series sharing best practices for employers who want to implement effective diversity recruitment programs. To see previous editions, visit JenniferTardy.com. | IG: @IncreaseDiversity 💥 

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You’ve set a new initiative to increase workplace diversity. During your initial efforts, you see a sharp increase in diversity among applicants. But then something happens. Those numbers start to decline, and you can’t figure out why or what you are doing ineffectively.

Here’s a key that many organizations frequently miss. Before you begin sourcing, the first step in increasing diversity is auditing your hiring process for impact. In other words, you must understand how your hiring process impacts all candidates. 

Here are three reasons why you may be losing applicants in the hiring process.

Reason 1: Your organization is screening out underrepresented individuals. This is why looking at your hiring data from previous years is so important. How can you hold yourself accountable if you don’t know the full story? A few areas you will want to look at with a critical eye are your job descriptions and your recruiting team’s strategy. For example, are your job descriptions unrealistic? Are all the qualifications necessary to the success of the position? What about your recruiters? Are they assessing candidates based on personal preferences and appearances rather than qualifications?

Reason 2: The individual screens out your organization. It is possible that the challenge may be within your employer brand or candidate experience. Somewhere along the line the message being sent causes a candidate to withdraw. This could be the experience they have during the application and interview process. A candidate’s experience with your company is going to tell them a lot about what it will be like to work with you. It’s important to ask yourself how you are selling the company to applicants. Have you adjusted your social imagery and website to showcase the power of diversity? Does that extend to senior leadership positions?

Reason 3: Your organization’s conversion programs are using up your headcount. I’m all for conversion programs, especially if you are being intentional about how you fill your talent pipeline. A great example is if you convert contract staff into regular full-time roles. It’s crucial to your diversity efforts that you are intentional about increasing diversity in those programs and pipelines too.

Your diversity efforts are going to require you to intentionally create processes that support those goals - from start to finish. When you adjust your lens, you can find holes that were previously missed. Increasing diversity within your organization requires growth. That growth includes reframing what diversity means. Diversity is not a buzzword. It is a way of business, it is systematic, and it is ingrained in an organization’s culture. A diverse organization brings diversity in experiences, culture, opinions, and so much more.

 Join us in the comments: Why do you think organizations are struggling to increase diversity?

 
 
 
 
 
 

✅ 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.

 
BJennifer Tardy