While there is an abundance of resources guiding job seekers on interview preparation, the spotlight often bypasses the crucial aspect of interviewer training. While Human Resources professionals may receive instruction on interviewing techniques, there’s a gap when it comes to others on the interview team, especially hiring managers. This gap results in a scenario where some job applicants may outshine interviewers in terms of skills and preparedness. In today’s landscape, interviewers must possess both skill and cultural competence, ensuring that the interviewee’s preparedness does not hinder the hiring of top talent.

Interviewers should demonstrate proficiency in several key areas, contributing to the success of diverse hiring practices:

1. Recognize and Manage Personal Bias: Acknowledge personal biases and work to eliminate them during the interview process.
2. Cultivate Cultural Awareness: Expand your understanding of various cultural groups, gaining awareness of both shared traits and distinctions among them.
3. Create an Inclusive Environment: Make diverse applicants feel at ease, encouraging open discussions about their skills, knowledge, and job-related abilities.
4. Ask Structured and Inclusive Questions: Ask well-defined questions that are culturally inclusive and directly linked to the job description, ensuring a focused and fair interview.
5. Assess Strengths and Weaknesses: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of all applicants in relation to the job requirements, ensuring an unbiased analysis that avoids the influence of cultural traits, thereby preventing inaccurate assumptions.
6. Respond to Sensitive Questions: Appropriately address unexpected questions or answers from applicants, particularly those related to diversity, fostering an inclusive interview experience.
7. Base Evaluation on Qualifications: Evaluate all applicants based on their actual qualifications for the job rather than on their interview performance.

The benefits of building a strong diversity hiring framework and enhancing cultural awareness in interviewing extend beyond just identifying the most qualified candidates. Culturally competent interviewers and hiring managers create an environment where all applicants feel comfortable discussing their attributes. This positive experience not only attracts potential employees but also leaves a lasting impression that they are likely to share within their communities, which can affect future diversity recruiting.

Developing cultural competencies and refining skills for hiring a diverse workforce is an ongoing process. At DiversityIntegration.com, we offer a foundation for this journey. Explore our online training on Integrating Diversity & Inclusion into the Hiring Process. These research-based programs guide your interview and hiring team through recognizing unconscious bias, developing cultural competence, and evolving into interviewers capable of actively contributing to your organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

 

Copyright © 2024 Lila Kelly Associates, LLC. Reproduction without written permission from Lila Kelly is prohibited. Since 1992, Lila Kelly Associates has been dedicated to integrating diversity into hiring, interviewing, recruitment, and retention. This article features excerpts from Lila Kelly’s online training and books available at DiversityIntegration.com. Stay updated on the latest from Lila Kelly Associates LLC & DiversityIntegration.com by subscribing to our newsletter.