Last week we provided 5 Tips to Improve Your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy. As we stated in that article, since studies show that diversity training cannot bear the whole weight of a diversity program, companies must look to systematic changes if they’d like to achieve success.
With this in mind, today we’d like to expand on some useful systematic changes you can make to improve your DEI program:
- Create a real diversity, equity, and inclusion statement.
- Use a number system for resume review.
- Implement hiring matrices.
- Recruit from HBCUs.
- Establish a formal mentorship program.
1. Create a Real Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
You might wonder what we mean by a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement…and some of you may immediately think of that boilerplate compliance language regarding non-discrimination, equal employment opportunity, etc. on all of your job descriptions. Although including that statement is best practice, (and legally required for federal contractors) that’s not what we mean here.
A diversity, equity, and inclusion statement from the company is a statement that demonstrates, in a meaningful way, the company or organization’s commitment to DEI. These statements should guide the company’s DEI program as a whole from recruitment to culture and retention.
DEI Statements must also be legally compliant. Recall that laws intended to protect employees from discrimination ensure NON-discrimination. No matter what, companies and organizations must always look for the most qualified candidate. Please consult with your legal counsel before implementing a DEI statement.
DEI Statements must also be legally compliant. Recall that laws intended to protect employees from discrimination ensure NON-discrimination. No matter what, companies and organizations must always look for the most qualified candidate. Please consult with your legal counsel before implementing a DEI statement.
DEI statements are sometimes added to company job descriptions. Here are some examples of clear, unique statements from companies here in the United States:
IBM
“IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.”
Patagonia
“Patagonia is committed to equity in all we do and to creating a thriving, inclusive organizational culture and workplace that represents our global community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.”
JP Morgan Chase
“We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success.”
Salesforce
“At Salesforce we believe that the business of business is to make the world a better place and that our higher purpose is to drive Equality for all. We strive to build a movement around Equality by engaging all of our stakeholders — our employees, customers, partners, and local communities. Storytelling and content are core to our efforts as we work to empower our employees to be Equality champions and inspire others to be agents of change in their own companies and communities.”
2. Use a Number System for Resume Review
Studies conducted in various settings have shown that discrimination is prevalent in the resume screening stage of recruitment. One such study found that resumes with African‐American sounding names received 50% fewer callbacks compared with those with White‐sounding names. Other more recent studies show the same or similar discrimination patterns caused by ethnic cues revealed in traditional resumes.
To avoid potential name bias, employers can choose a team member NOT involved in that particular hire to remove names from submitted resumes and replace them with a numbering system. Then, the recruitment team charged with selecting candidates for an interview can rank and screen candidates using their number.
3. Implement Hiring Matrices
A hiring matrix is an applicant ranking tool that attributes a score to each of the applicant’s qualifications. In doing so, the matrix helps determine which candidate is most qualified in an unbiased manner.
Usually, the hiring matrix will contain at least three elements (usually columns) for the following purposes:
- List all required and preferred qualifications;
- Indicate whether they meet the qualification or not; and
- Attribute a number score for that particular qualification.
The higher the total numbered score, the more qualified the candidate. A hiring matrix can take many forms. Some employers prefer to create paper documents to make notes on, while others (in fact most) will use an excel spreadsheet.
Want to learn more? Click HERE to view Texas State University’s hiring matrix guide.
4. Recruit from HBCUs
HBCU’s are Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This tip is pretty self-explanatory: if you recruit from a pool of applicants that is statistically more diverse, you are more likely to attract qualified diverse applicants.
Click HERE to view a list of HBCUs compiled by Wikipedia.
5. Establish a Formal Mentorship Program
A formal mentoring program is a program that assigns a mentor to each new hire. The mentor should help the new hire with onboarding and help integrate them into the company culture. Typically, companies will provide the mentor with a budget to take the new hire out for lunch, dinner, or other social outings so that they can get to know each other on a closer collegial basis.
A very recent study conducted by researchers Daan van Knippenberg, Lisa H. Nishii, and David J. G. Dwertmann indicates that formal mentoring programs do help retention, as long as they are executed successfully:
A common saying amongst DEI professionals is that there is no silver bullet for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Progress in this area takes time, real investment of money and people resources, consistency, and most importantly: collaborative oversight. These systematic changes are a great way to get started on that progress.
