3 Tips to Start Attracting a More Diverse Talent Pipeline
Posted September 4th, 2017
Vacancy announcements and job ads are often one of the most powerful methods for attracting candidates to open positions. But, depending on how you craft these sources of information, you might inadvertently be hurting your chances of developing a diverse talent pipeline. Everything from the job boards you rely on to your word and image choices to your requirements lists affects who does and does not decide to apply. If your goal is to attract a more diverse group, here are three tips to help you get started.
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Make Smart Language and Image Choices
The words and pictures you use in your job ads actually play a larger role than you might think when it comes to attracting diverse talent. If you focus on inclusion, you can make the company and position more attractive to a wider range of people. But, if your announcement includes language or images that seem to favor a particular gender, ethnicity of age group, you’ll see an impact.
For example, using masculine pronouns as your default choice when describing the person’s role may lead women to shy away from applying. Similarly, terms like “guru” or “ninja” may carry gender connotations and even be viewed as culturally insensitive. If you include images of employees working, showing only one race or gender may infer a lack of diversity currently, making the workplace less attractive to other groups.
To help overcome these issues, aim to use gender-neutral language and choose images that show a diverse workforce.
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Expand to Different Job Boards
When reaching a more diverse group of candidates is your goal, using the larger job boards might not be sufficient. While you can certainly continue to use these sources, consider branching out and placing listings on niche job boards that are either viewed as highly inclusive or that target specific minority groups. This gives you access to a larger pool of potential applicants that may otherwise have been untapped, which may make your diversity goals easier to achieve.
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Watch Your Requirements Lists
Not everyone realizes that the length of your requirements list can actually impact the level of diversity you see in the applications. Often, men are more open to applying for a position as long as they meet the majority of the requirements listed. However, women often won’t apply unless they meet 100 percent of the qualifications. This means, the longer your list, the higher the chance that women are screening themselves out even if they could reasonably perform the work.
While posting a requirements list is often necessary, it is generally wise to limit it to the true essentials. You can also reframe certain items by concentrating on what the selected applicant will be accomplishing in the role instead of creating a laundry list of hard skills.
Often, just a few adjustments based on the tips above is enough to allow you to start attracting a more diverse talent pool. If you’re focused on increasing diversity in your workplace, the professionals at Bayside Solutions can connect you with top candidates in their fields. Contact us to see how our services can help you reach your goals today.
