Creating a diverse and inclusive workforce is a major part of the hiring process of several companies over the last few decades, and a substantial amount of resources have been devoted to diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives. Workplace diversity and inclusion, therefore, have been a topic of discussion for several years, particularly in 2020 as more companies release their diversity numbers and hold up to their pledge of becoming more inclusive.
In today’s day and age, diversity and having a multicultural background are very important factors to consider during the process of recruitment, and this is evidenced by the growing number of people asking about it. It is extremely pertinent to effectively communicate this commitment to inclusion and diversity in order to attract the best possible candidates.
In a survey conducted by Glassdoor, more than 50% of the incumbent employees wanted the workplace to dedicate more resources for enhancing of diversity, and employer diversity was found to be important during the assessment of employment prospects by 67%. Recruitment can be further enhanced by using data from interviews to make better decisions regarding the hiring process.
Before jumping straight to the answers, it is important to understand why diversity must be measured in the interview/recruitment process. To start with, diversity in the workforce is known to lead to better performance in the company. A diverse set of people increases the quality of ideas, perspectives, and overall vision. It improves dealing with different challenges better, increases innovation, and helps with the accuracy in the achievement of goals. Moreover, the goal of diversity is the correct thing to do. We must learn to unlearn our unconscious biases and choose people based on merit, qualifications, and regardless of any form of discrimination.
Now, let us discuss how to measure a company’s diversity.
Track essential data
Such as representation using necessary data sources: Companies must track the composition of their workforce so they can increase diversity in the hiring of future candidates by analyzing the current members.
Tracking of retention rates such as the attrition rate of men vs women should also be done. Metrics that can span the entirety of the hiring process from the applicant pipeline diversity to the hiring conversion rates. Data sources such as an HRIS and ATS can be used to achieve the structuring of data for a thorough analysis of the diversity ratio in the workplace. Use video interviewing tool which is specially designed to track interview data
Scoring Systems
Since interview scores basically allow you to see if there are any systemic differences in the scoring of candidates across different areas such as demographics, their team, etc, score differences can be a source of bias in the procedure of hiring. Scoring systems can take the average of scores acquired on the multiple skills which were being tested in the interview, with each skill respectively aligned to each role for a relatively accurate result. Statistical approaches such as a t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) can be used if there is a large difference between the sample candidates such could help narrow the skill categories and achieve an answer.
Communicate clearly
It is necessary to measure diversity in a transparent and respectable way and to communicate in a manner that puts the candidates at ease. This can be done by conducting a survey. The way in which that can be done is:
- Openly communicating the purpose of the survey- for diversity and inclusion
- Ensuring anonymity in the survey and data collection
- Make the survey an optional aspect of the job application- and state clearly that it would not change the status of their job application process in any way.
Usage of careful and respectful survey language
The different elements of the identity of your candidates that you should be careful asking in the survey should be included but not limited to:
- Sexual Orientation
- Race
- Religion
- Sex/Gender
- Ethnicity
- Neurodivergent behavior/disabilities
- Socio-economic status
The language used to measure the diversity of your candidates must be thoughtful, respectful, and inclusive based on the above-mentioned criteria. In order to be more inclusive and promote diversity, all communications in the hiring process (& later) should be inclusive. Learn how to write inclusive job descriptions.
Analysis of the Survey
Establish a standard for diversity
- Comparison of the numbers in each pipeline stage from the initial job applications received to the final candidate selections and final hires. (top of the recruitment funnel to the bottom of the recruitment funnel)
- Identify any form of inconsistencies in the promotions, perks given, and advancements based on different characteristics.
- Identify any form of gaps or differences in the benefits, perks, pay, and bonuses given so that every candidate has equal opportunity and feels valued as a member of your company.
Thus, Diversity Equality and Inclusion (DEI) is an extremely pertinent and crucial aspect of business strategy and to help ensure a fully diverse and equitable working environment, Barraiser is committed to helping you out and furthering your DEI efforts to ensure an inclusive workforce using the correct procedures. At Barraiser, we strongly advocate and believe in equality of opportunity, and therefore we wish to discuss how much diversity truly matters to job seekers and employers.
People also asked
What metrics are used to measure diversity and inclusion?
- Representation: This measures the proportion of underrepresented groups (e.g. women, people of color, and people with disabilities) in the workforce.
- Hiring rate: This measures the proportion of job offers that are extended to underrepresented groups.
- Applicant-to-hire ratio: This measures the ratio of applicants from underrepresented groups to the number of hires from those groups.
- Employee retention rate: This measures the proportion of underrepresented employees who remain with the company over time.
- Promotion rate: This measures the proportion of underrepresented employees who are promoted within the company.
It is important to note that these metrics should be used in combination with other methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups and other qualitative methods to get a comprehensive understanding of diversity and inclusion in the hiring process.
What are the three factors to consider while hiring for diversity?
Some of the most important factors include:
- Job requirements: It is important to evaluate job requirements and ensure that they are truly necessary for the role, rather than being based on stereotypes or biases.
- Recruiting processes: Organizations should review and assess their recruiting processes to ensure that they are inclusive and do not perpetuate bias or discrimination. This includes developing inclusive job postings, creating diverse interview panels, and ensuring that all candidates are evaluated fairly.
- Diversifying the candidate pool: Organizations should actively seek out candidates from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented groups. This includes reaching out to community organizations, attending diversity job fairs, and leveraging employee referrals. Additionally, organizations should consider using blind resume reviews to remove unconscious bias during the initial review of candidates.
It’s worth noting that diversity is not just about race and gender, it’s also about diversity in thought, experience, skills, and background. Also, the organization’s culture, policies, and practices should be inclusive and support diversity, equity and inclusion.
How to design an interview scorecard?
- Define competencies: Identifying the key competencies required for the role and the specific skills, experience, and qualifications that are needed. For example, a customer service role may require strong communication skills and the ability to work well under pressure, but not necessarily a specific degree or background.
- Develop evaluation criteria: Create evaluation criteria that are aligned with the competencies and are based on job-related factors, avoiding criteria that may perpetuate bias or discrimination. For example, not using GPA or school attended as criteria for the evaluation.
- Assign weighting: Deciding on the relative importance of the evaluation criteria by assigning weighting to each one, This will help to ensure that the most important competencies are given the most consideration during the interview process.
- Consistency: Ensuring that the same evaluation criteria and weighting are applied to all candidates, regardless of their background or demographic.
- Review and update: Regularly review and update the scorecard to ensure that it remains aligned with the organization’s diversity and inclusion goals and that it does not perpetuate bias.
