Are your job ads free of bias? So much so that you succeed in building a diverse and inclusive workforce? Then you’re doing a great job. Unfortunately, though, many companies still struggle with this side of recruitment. They find it hard to hire people from different backgrounds, genders, and ages. The answer to this problem lies in a diversity recruitment strategy. A diversity recruitment strategy aims to eliminate bias from the hiring process. You want to recruit candidates in a more diverse and inclusive way. Inclusive hiring is an important first step towards a more diverse workforce. A workforce that reflects society and welcomes everyone.
How to kick-start your diversity recruitment strategy
It can be challenging to develop your diversity recruitment strategy. These three tips will help you on your way.
- Proactively reach out to underrepresented candidates
You can make the greatest difference in the first stages of the recruitment process. A more diverse workforce starts with hiring from a diverse pool of candidates. If these people don’t apply, you should actively look for them. You can search for people on LinkedIn, for example, and invite them to apply for your job.
- Reduce bias in the recruitment process
Gender and age bias often stand in the way of building a more diverse workforce. Older people, for example, get invited to interviews less often than their younger colleagues do. The same goes for women versus men. Although they should be treated the same, they are not. Men still have more chances of being invited for an interview and hired for a job. But everyone deserves an equal chance to be interviewed and hired!
- Tailor your message to the entire target group
Job descriptions are often not written to appeal to everyone in your target group. Bias plays a role here too. Without you even knowing, job ads regularly contain more masculine words. These words discourage women from applying. They are also frequently aimed at younger people, leaving older people feeling that there is no use in applying. These things stand in the way of becoming more diverse. You should try your best to tailor your message to your entire target group, without excluding anyone.
Use Textmetrics to kick-start your diversity recruitment strategy
You can use the Textmetrics platform to kick off your diversity recruitment strategy. Using algorithms based on artificial intelligence, it reads and analyzes your content. You’ll then receive real-time suggestions for improvements. These improvements will help you write jobs ads using more inclusive language, so they are free of bias. They’ll have the right tone of voice to appeal to everyone in your target group. Just what you need for a successful diversity recruitment strategy.
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