How to Recruit Diverse Candidates

How To Recruit Diverse Candidates

Diversity is the key to a fair working environment and increased creativity and innovation. Creating a diverse team through inclusive recruitment, where employees are selected no matter their sexual orientation, race, age or disability, is something that all companies should strive for.


If you are an employer, you want to cultivate a mindset of equality and positivity. This will allow you to follow an inclusive recruitment plan and to reach all of the best candidates without subconsciously rejecting or repelling quality candidates.


Did you know that
women are less likely to apply for a job unless they meet all of the requirements than men, perhaps because they don’t want to waste the employers’ time — even when they could be a perfect fit! Employers that approach the hiring process with the wrong attitude could be missing out on fantastic candidates.

 

We’ll take you through some steps to ensure your recruitment process enables you to hire diverse candidates.


1. Make your ads accessible

The first step to ensuring diversity and inclusion in recruitment comes when you are designing your job ad. Sometimes job adverts can be unconsciously aimed at a particular age or gender. The Gender Action Portal recognised that adverts that mention desired traits like “dominant” are more likely to appeal to men, whereas traits like “understanding” are more likely to appeal to women.


If you reword your job ads to avoid language stereotypically associated with one gender, you are more likely to receive applications from men, woman, and non-binary people.


To recruit diverse candidates, you need to make sure that they can be easily seen and read by t
hose with disabilities such as blindness. People who are visually impaired can use a screen reader to read the job description. For these people, it helps to add “alt text” to your images, and to write in short, clear sentences and paragraphs so the screen reader goes at a certain pace that is easy to understand and process.


You can even explicitly specify that you are looking for diverse candidates in your ad, to give those of different backgrounds no doubt that you want to see their application.


2. Use a blind interview process

A blind selection strategy allows employers to select the best candidates during the first stage without knowing their sexual orientation, beliefs, ethnicity or disability. You can do this by covering the details on resumes such as name. This reduces bias and enables candidates to apply regardless of these factors and employers can select the best candidates for the job.


Blind interviews are most effective in the earlier stages of interviews as it becomes harder to create a blind interview environment as candidates often need to have phone conversations or video calls to gauge their personality.


3. Shortlist diverse candidates

You can’t hire for diversity if you don’t select diverse candidates. Give a range of people a chance at impressing you in the second stage of your hiring process by selecting them for your second stage interview.


At the end of the day, you will be choosing the best person for the job regardless of their background, however, choosing a variety of qualified candidates for the second stage ensures you give everyone a fair chance.

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4. Create adjustments during the interview and make this known

More than ever, the service industry has opened its doors to those with disabilities. From mobility issues, to hearing difficulties, to those on the autistic spectrum, don’t let your establishment be the one that lets these people down.

Evaluate your interview location:

  • Does it have wheelchair access? 
  • Is it signposted clearly? 
  • Do the signs and lifts have braille to show floor and room numbers? 
  • Are there disabled toilets nearby? 
  • Do you have a hearing loop system or other adjustment for candidates that are hard of hearing?

Consider all of the factors that could cause someone with a disability to have difficulty. Advise interviewees of what the interview will involve, so they can prepare accordingly

You can also ask your interviewee in advance if any adjustments need to be made. This will not only create an equal playing field but also provide your potential candidate with comfort. Consider offering a virtual interview to start with if it is harder for your candidate to travel in.


5. Hire a company to audit your process

Some companies will audit your interview process for diversity and inclusion. Businesses such as The Clear Company assess whether there are reasonable adjustments for employees and support and drive best practices.


6. Retain Staff – Build an inclusive environment

Create a comfortable working environment for those with diverse backgrounds or disabilities. Make the venue is accessible for wheelchairs. Create spaces where people can worship. Allowing appropriate breaks or flexible working during religious occasions such as fasting for Ramadan.


There are also many times during the year you can recognise and celebrate inclusivity and diversity.
Inclusive Employees maintains a diversity calendar that shows not only religious holidays, but also national awareness dates such as Pride Month in June. Ask yourself, what can your organisation do to celebrate at these times?


To take things further, ask your employees what would help them work better and how you can adapt to make them more comfortable. Communication is key. You’ll find that having a diverse range of people works well for everyone, it creates an inclusive atmosphere for both employees and customers who can see the equality of your workforce.



Looking to improve diversity in your workforce? Download the Placed app

Our recruitment app has fairness and equality at its core, and by allowing you to create a brand page you have the power to attract the candidates you want. 


Post a job advert, edit your brand page, tell the world who your ideal candidate is, then wait for the applications to come in!
Try it today.