Recruiting a diverse workforce is about much more than filling quotas or running ads with pictures of diverse employees. From our perspective, true diversity starts with a mission to gain strength as an organization by attracting a variety of outstanding people with varied backgrounds, skills, ideas and cultures. While it may seem daunting at the outset, you can get there. And, we believe that a change in thinking can help you recharge your efforts.
#1. Seek frank answers to tough questions. Is your organization's current culture welcoming and inclusive? Is it welcoming to everyone, including often-overlooked populations such as the disabled and older workers? Identifying your cultural weaknesses is an important step in improving your environment so that recruitment efforts aren't thwarted by high turnover rates among minority employees.
#2. Become familiar with the particular needs and values of individual groups. Don't look at all of your prospective minority candidates as a single group - each particular target will likely have unique needs. We know from our work with Hispanic audiences that they place a high value on family and the support system it offers. You need to think in their terms: What will this job mean not only to me but to my family? Look at your organization through their eyes: How is this workplace an extension of my family? Will I be able to work in a supportive team environment?
#3. Ensure support for diversity initiatives is present throughout all levels of your organization. This is particularly important at the executive and upper management levels - the actions of senior managers must reflect your diversity policies, especially among those individuals involved in hiring and managing employees.
#4. Establish benchmarks for success. How will you measure the success of your diversity recruitment programs? Think in terms of both long and short-term goals and specific outcomes that may not be as tangible - like being known in your community as "a great place for minorities to work" - as outcomes such as "specific number of African American hires during a six-month period."
#5. Determine ways to integrate diversity recruitment initiatives and messages into all communications. Diversity recruitment goes far beyond a series of ads meant for specific groups of people. Make sure that your diversity messaging is woven throughout all of your employment information.
An article by Dougles Chan - An expert recruitment business mentor that trains individuals on how to start a temporary employment agency effectively and and grow their business profitability.
No comments:
Post a Comment