A Strategic Approach to Recruiting a Diverse Workforce

A well-thought-out strategy is essential for creating a continuous pipeline of diverse job candidates. The journey begins with the recruitment and hiring process, with management taking the lead to ensure a systematic and consistent approach that drives lasting results.

When analyzing the recruitment process, strategies for developing cultural competencies can vary based on organizational needs. Whether you’re part of a corporation, school, hospital, or government agency, conducting a diversity needs assessment is a critical first step. This assessment should identify challenges, barriers, and strengths related to diversity and inclusion in hiring, recruitment, and retention practices.

Once the assessment is complete, the next step is to establish clearly defined, tailored goals and strategies. These efforts should culminate in a documented diversity and inclusion action plan that aligns with organizational needs and objectives.

My research on diverse applicants’ perspectives highlights actionable strategies for improving recruitment and retention. Following are some insights related to taking action.

Retention During Recruitment
Anuth, a Human Resources Manager and East Indian American, emphasizes the importance of considering retention during recruitment:

“When you are doing the recruiting, you should be thinking about what you are going to do for retention of this person. If you have people from different cultures, they may already be feeling lost, especially if they don’t have a support group of some kind. Do you have some kind of support group in place? Can you get this person introduced to other people? Find them a mentor in your organization who will at least call them on the weekend or something to see how things are going and to maybe get together.”

Casting a Wider Recruitment Net
Juan, an Assistant Marketing Manager and Latino professional, shared his organization’s approach to diversifying their talent pool:

“First, no company should lower their standard. A lot of Fortune 500 companies have top schools that they go to—the same territory that they always go to. [Say] if I go to the top 15 MBA schools. Now say our upper senior management are from schools like Harvard or some school like that. Say you want to diversify. You can’t go to Harvard because, believe it or not, they are not going to have a huge minority population there.

 Don’t lower your standards. A kid with parents who are migrant workers has a much lower shot at getting into Harvard. We look for schools that offer the quality that we want. Michigan has a huge Hispanic graduate population. So, you need to cast a wider net.

 Most colleges have minority groups; go talk to those groups. Those schools exist in every industry. There are top schools with minority populations. If we want diversity, we need to go to those schools. How do we find where these schools are? Look at professional organizations—MBA organizations like National Society for Hispanic MBAs, Black MBAs. Every organization has a conference every year, with job fairs at them. Colleges send minority students to these conferences.”

Considering Physical Accessibility and Inclusivity

An inclusive work environment also requires physical spaces that accommodate diverse needs. This includes accessibility for individuals with disabilities and considerations for people of size.

Mary, a Technical Assistant who uses a wheelchair, highlights a crucial accessibility factor:

“If I can get in the door, can get to my workstation, and get to and into the bathroom. Those are really essential things.”

Julie, a Retail Manager and a person of size, shared her experience:

“Walking into the office and knowing I can sit down on the chairs makes a big difference… I don’t think that a lot of people are aware of this when they design their offices, that the chairs might be too small or that the arms on the chairs might be restricting for some people. I brought this to one interviewer’s attention by saying, ‘I see by the furniture in here that you are not used to people of size.’ This flustered the interviewer, and she said she honestly never thought about that before.”

Connecting Recruitment and Retention

Developing a strategic and inclusive recruitment process goes beyond hiring—it sets the tone for a welcoming workplace. Everyone involved in recruitment, interviewing, and hiring, from HR staff to supervisors and receptionists, plays a role in ensuring candidates feel valued.

These efforts should continue through on-boarding and as new employees integrate into your organization. Every step is interconnected. Moreover, as job candidates and employees share their experiences with others, it impacts your reputation and future recruitment efforts.

By taking a strategic approach to recruitment, hiring, and retention, your diversity and inclusion initiatives will become part of your organizational culture, creating a workplace where all employees can thrive.

 

 

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