Inclusive hiring is the practice of minimizing bias and creating an equitable recruitment, application, interview, selection and offer process for a diverse set of candidates.  It’s critical for attracting and retaining a diverse, engaged and innovative talent pool. It’s also where many companies go wrong.  Achieving workplace diversity and equity requires intention and focus in order to overcome systemic and individual biases that have marginalized all too many members of our society.

Here are some tips you can begin implementing right now to make your hiring process more equitable.  

Job descriptions

Bias can creep in at all stages of the hiring process, starting with job descriptions.  As Marsha Ross-Jackson, Esq., MPA, Senior Lecturer and Associate Dean of DEI at Chicago-Kent College of Law, explains, “What type of job are you trying to fill?  What are the requirements?  What are the preferred qualifications?  How are you wording those job descriptions so that they attract (or discourage) a diverse set of candidates?  Take a look at the language you’re using.  For example, does any of your language have the potential to be viewed as seeking candidates who are more masculine or youthful?  Are you implying a preference for people without disabilities by including requirements like, ‘must be able to walk certain distances’ as opposed to ‘must be able to move items certain distances’?” 

TIP: Engage a diverse group of individuals to create and revise job descriptions.  This is a great first step toward attracting the best talent, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

TIP: Audit the language of your job descriptions to ensure that it’s as inclusive as possible.  Tools such as Gender Decoder may be helpful.  You can also check out these lists of masculine-coded and feminine-coded words.  

TIP: Include an Equal Employment Opportunity statement and a listing of your company’s benefits.  This will demonstrate your commitment to building an inclusive company culture and investing in employee well-being.

TIP:  List salary ranges.  This will convey that you have a culture of transparency and a focus on equity.

Would you like to learn more?  

Join Joel Lesko and special guest Marsha Ross-Jackson, Esq., MPA on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m PT for a powerful webinar titled “Want to Succeed?  Stop Hiring People Like You!” – part of our new “DEI Discussions” series.  It will feature tips for eliminating bias when it comes to:

• Recruitment
• Candidate screening
• Interviews
• Selection
• Promotions

And make no mistake.  Inclusive hiring is not simply the right thing to do.  There’s a strong business case.  Diversity in the workplace fosters innovation and creativity.  A variety of life experiences leads to greater problem-solving, and, as any modern salesperson or marketer can tell you, solving customers’ problems is at the heart of business.  Companies that tend to identify, understand and solve problems innovatively and creatively stand out from the crowd.  This is supported by abundant research, including McKinsey & Company’s 2015 Why Diversity Matters report, which revealed that companies in the top quartile for gender, racial and ethnic diversity tend to have higher financial returns compared with the national industry medians.

Click here to register for this free webinar, or use the QR code below.  You won’t want to miss this hearty discussion filled with actionable insights.  Joel and Marsha will also explain the option for booking an Inclusive Hiring webinar exclusively for your organization. 

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