Regardless of the type of HCM discipline you work in, there’s a good chance your organization is making some effort toward improving its DE&I pipeline and talent pool. Brandon Hall Group research across all of our practice areas has shown a consistent commitment to improving DE&I regardless of organization size or industry type.
Please Select up to 3 Top Talent Acquisition Technology Priorities for the Next 12 to 24 Months
Some of these priorities are very closely related. Part of having a great candidate experience is in providing a safe, inclusive environment for potential candidates. Likewise, if your organization’s goal is to improve the diversity of your talent pool, that should not come at the cost of diminishing the candidate experience of any group.
The complications inherent in creating a more diverse talent pool are not that much different from those of creating a strong candidate pool regardless of recruiting goals. The top challenge is always a lack of budget, but the complicating factor for many diversity recruiting efforts is in sourcing. Many recruiters may not know or have access to the geography, tools and communities they need to build a truly diverse and inclusive candidate pool, and candidate experience. Technology can help with this, but it also requires strengthening the skills of those on the TA team.
By far the biggest outcome of not creating a more diverse candidate pool is that your organization will suffer the business consequences of not having employees of varied backgrounds and experiences: a lack of innovation, less customer retention and satisfaction, and ultimately less profitability. In terms of talent acquisition specifically, though, leaving capable employees behind, who are missed only because they come from nontraditional recruiting areas, is devastating to your TA efforts. Especially now, when the fight for talent is so fierce, missing out on a large group of candidates simply because an effort is not made is unacceptable .
To increase the diversity of the candidate pool, organizations must know the current status of their candidate pool, then determine what the next steps should be to reach their diversity goals. Key questions organizations should address include:
- What tools and technology are in place to help develop the diversity of your organization’s talent pool now and what is needed?
- What metrics are used to determine progress toward DE&I goals and how will those metrics be monitored and acted upon as development efforts go forward?
- Who are the people responsible for developing diversity in the talent pool and how are they held accountable for their success?
- What learning and development processes at your organization can be used for developing recruiters and other TA team members specifically for diversity?
Let Technology Help Execute the Strategy you Create.
Technology is often touted as a solution to diversity problems through its ability to help remove unconscious bias and scrub messaging for noninclusive language. However, the truth is the technology you use is only as good as the processes and people who use it. While technology can help remove some biases, its real strength is in automating your process and allowing your messaging to reach a broader group of candidates while giving all groups the same high-end candidate experience they deserve.
Diversity Metrics are not the Same as Inclusion Metrics.
Throughout this strategy brief, we have been using DE&I as a single set of efforts — diversity, equity and inclusion. However, they are not synonymous and tracking diversity in the talent pool requires different data than tracking inclusion in the candidate
experience. For instance, seeing how the process may be different for separate groups is really an inclusion metric. Although it may be related to diversity metrics and affect them, the two should not be confused.
Monitor the Effects of Your DE&I Efforts In the Areas You Can Change.
You must first understand your current state, which may require rethinking how you define diversity. Without knowing your organization’s current state, it will be very difficult to determine what areas need improvement and how to go about it. Once those measurement methods are put into place, there also must be a dedicated person or group in charge of monitoring the development and ensuring that the people, processes and tools are used properly, close the feedback loop on any edits, suggestions and changes that arise during the DE&I talent pool growth and ensuring the focus is on areas that be affected by your organization’s efforts.
Make a Business Case for Diversity Recruiting.
The biggest challenge, having access to time and resources, is overcome by showing the value inherent in successful DE&I programs to demonstrate that this is a bottom-line affecting issue and not just a legal requirement. Building a business case with true ROI proves diversity hiring is well worth the time and budgetary concerns — no different than any other business project. Comparing the productivity, collaboration, retention, engagement and other relevant metrics regarding candidates from diverse versus nondiverse backgrounds will show that the budget and time given for developing a diverse talent pool is an obvious win.
