Far from being merely a knee-jerk, expected response to an increased nationwide emphasis on the fundamental “rightness” of true equity for all, having a diverse workforce has become a competitive necessity. Here are a few stats to support that claim:

As reported in multiple studies, companies with higher than average diversity metrics:

Report 19% higher revenue

Reap 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee over three years

Are 45% more likely to report that their firm's market share grew over the previous year

Year after year, studies like the ones cited above continuously populate the growing body of literature supporting the many benefits of diversity in the workplace. To little surprise, search terms centered around enhancing diversity efforts in the workplace have also risen year after year.

Once you've laid the groundwork for a workplace suitable for diverse teams, it's time to take your diversity efforts to the next level.

Below, we'll share a few of the most helpful tips to help your organization attract, acquire, and retain top diversity talent both this year and for years to come.

Set a clear diversity goal

The first step in any effort to revamp or overhaul your approach to diversity hiring is to set a clear, measurable goal to work towards and unite teams.

Ask yourself:

• What, as an organization, do we want to achieve?
• Why do we want to achieve this?
• How can we put it into action effectively?
• When do we want to achieve this by?

By putting in the work to identify what, why, and how you are going to achieve your diversity mission, everything you do going forward will have a clear purpose and help to guide your actions in a meaningful, informed way.

After you agree upon these answers, make sure they are clearly communicated throughout the entire organization.

Audit your job post listings for biased language.

This is a commonly overlooked step. Many organizations may be entirely unaware that the language in their job posts can often be interpreted as discriminatory or biased by certain groups.

Evaluate the language used in your current listings for any unconscious bias or gendered language that seems to indicate you are considering only a specific type of applicant. A welcoming, accessible, and inclusive job post will attract more diverse candidates.

Select for skills, not immutable traits.

When sifting through resumes, many hiring leaders are unaware of the unconscious bias that may contribute to their ultimate hiring decision. There's an easy way to address this and bring about a more objective process.

Have someone in your screening process responsible for masking certain characteristics on resumes like the applicant's name, date of birth, and education level. This way, all that is evaluated for a candidate is their skills, work history, and other relevant information—eliminating the possibility of unconscious bias on the part of the decision-maker.

Partner with a specialized recruiting firm.

As much as you can achieve on your own, partnering with a specialized recruiting firm can dramatically accelerate your diversity efforts. Recruiting firms that specialize in diversity placements maintain vast networks of diverse candidates for a wide variety of roles. Far from just assisting you through the hire, (good) recruiting agencies stay in touch with the candidates they place with you, ensuring a long and fruitful relationship for both parties.

Bear Staffing

Struggling to find the talent your business needs to navigate through uncertain times? Bear Staffing is here to help.

Our team of industry experts has substantial experience connecting organizations with top-tier talent across multiple industries. Call us today to learn more.