The challenge of finding diverse talent in 2021 and beyond

The spotlight on diversity intensified in recent months as Black Lives Matter protests took place across the world.

In this environment, top HR managers are ensuring that their businesses are meeting their responsibility to have diversity in their workforce. The importance of this push for diversity is vital given the moral obligations involved. In addition, studies have shown that diverse organisations are more likely to be productive and innovative. HR experts know that finding diverse talent can be a challenge and they recommend certain actions in order to be successful.

Critically consider your brand

Have you ever stepped outside of your brand and examined it to ascertain how it reflects your attitude to diversity? If not, you could be missing out on top diverse talent because of the message you are putting out there. Take time to analyse your brand and make diversity aware changes where necessary.

As part of this, experienced HR professionals understand the value of being able to demonstrate diversity. They ensure that work around diversity is shared and not just policies or rhetoric.

Think about candidate criteria

Innovative HR teams know that specific candidate criteria can limit the available talent pool. So, they encourage consideration of what really matters in a candidate. For instance, is a certain standard of academic education more important than the ability to think creatively? Also, does previous experience in exactly the same role bring excellence or does it just bring a lack of innovation? Being more creative and open-minded about candidate criteria opens the door to more diverse candidates.

Analyse recruitment processes

In order to develop a diverse environment in a business, recruiting for diversity is essential. There are several vital aspects to this.

• Allowing more time to hire means there is less pressure. This enables recruitment teams to get to know candidates and fully appreciate what they have to offer. Taking this time makes it easier to bring diverse recruits into the organisation.
• Advertising in the right way is essential to hiring diverse talent. This includes examining the diversity of job boards used. It also includes critically examining the terms and words used in the advert to ensure that they are inclusive.
• Including diversity in the interview panel. Knowledgeable HR professionals understand that the business is unlikely to be successful in recruiting diversity if the interview board is made up of people from exactly the same background. Having a diverse panel means that the members are more likely to understand interviewees. Candidates are also more likely to perform well at interview, and accept any offer made, if they feel an affinity with the interview panel.

Taking these steps helps businesses to overcome the challenge of finding diverse talent. If there are any doubts, organisations can also make use of specialist recruiters. This gives them access to a wider and more diverse pool of candidates. Having a pool to consider makes it easier to find the right candidates for a role.

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