Today’s talent-seekers are focused on building a diverse, inclusive workplace. Diversity and inclusion bring more ideas to the table and boost out-of-the-box thinking. They improve work culture.
The issue lies in attracting the right talent. What can companies do to ensure their talent pool includes employees who represent a diverse cultural landscape? This article will review the benefits of diversity and inclusion and the strategies for attracting and retaining diverse talent.
The Benefits of Inclusion and Diversity
- Allows for a Wider Pool of Ideas: Companies benefit from bringing in talent that represents various cultures and demographics. Different perspectives help them create out-of-the-box products, services, and marketing strategies. It helps the company appeal to wider audiences.
- Improves the Company’s Consumer Appeal: Today’s consumers want more than great products and services. They want to work with companies that support meaningful causes. A diverse workplace shows you care about human rights.
- Better Work Culture: People who work in diverse environments tend to be more open with their feelings. They feel more comfortable in the workplace. The atmosphere improves comradery and collaboration.
How to Create a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
- Acknowledge Different Cultural Practices: Companies can acknowledge cultural differences by offering floating holidays. Rather than offering a day off for Christmas, workers may have the option of taking a day off for Hanukah, Kwanza, or Diwali. Separate refrigerators for kosher foods and break areas for breastfeeding mothers will promote inclusiveness.
- Audit Your Workforce for Diversity: Companies should audit their workforce to ensure they have an appropriate cultural mix. They should see various genders, age groups, and cultural backgrounds. Companies that are not diverse should consider promoting diversity in the next hiring round.
- Create a Multilingual Workforce: Companies often employ workers who speak various native languages. Outsourcing makes multilingual workforces especially prevalent. Companies can reduce language barriers by offering translation services during international webinars. They can also offer incentives to English-speaking workers who learn new languages.
Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Diverse Talent
Companies can attract more diverse talent by:
- Rewriting Job Descriptions: Review job descriptions and help wanted ads during your next hiring round. Eliminate gender-specific wording. Consider changing verbs and descriptors that may limit your talent pool.
- Rethinking Necessary Skills: Your job requirements may limit your workforce. Beware of requiring skills that may discourage older applicants. Focus more on ‘soft skills’ that make jobs accessible to wider pools.
- Reconsidering Your Recruiting Strategies: Many companies have standby recruiting specialists who connect with applicants within a specific network. Branch out by working with recruiting companies that can connect you with a broader range of talent. You can also change your search criteria on job sites by adding certain demographic attributes to your keywords.
- Reshaping Your Company Culture: Internal recruiters may have a picture of their ideal employee considering company culture. This existing concept may cause them to screen out qualified workers who bring a new perspective to the company. Recruiters should open their minds to create a more diverse culture in the workplace.
Companies can retain diverse talent by creating a more inclusive atmosphere in the workplace. They should consider the following:
- Enforce Anti-Discriminatory Practices: Employers may have different approaches to reduce discrimination in the workplace. They may distribute materials, send out emails, or include their policies in company handbooks. Determine the best methods to send the message to your employees.
- Opening Dialogues About Pay Equality: Gender and culture-based pay inequality is a point of contention in today’s workplace. Employers can reduce concerns by opening communication channels so employees feel comfortable sharing their opinions. Doing so will increase transparency and trust.
- Gain Feedback and Insights: Companies should continually monitor to ensure they are maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. They can conduct employee surveys, host one-on-one meetings, and implement focus groups. They should also review company documentation to ensure they are using inclusive language.
This article was originally published by Stahl Recruiting.
