How to Show Candidates Your Company Values Diversity

By Kailey Walters on October 7, 2019

When it comes to attracting new job candidates to work at your company, you want to make sure you’re offering an appealing package. A few things that many prospective employees look for in a company may include attractive benefits, time off, company culture, and company values, among many other things.

One value that perhaps tends to get overlooked is diversity — yet it’s so important to company culture and can really be a huge factor in getting candidates to consider your company. After all, 78% of employees want their employers to be inclusive and promote equality in the workplace. But how do you communicate to candidates that your company values diversity when it’s sometimes such an intangible thing to show? Read on for a few suggestions.

via Pexels

Identify what diversity means in your company.

The word “diversity” is fairly broad, which is why it’s crucial to identify what diversity means, particularly within your own company. Are you talking about racial diversity? Gender? Skills and backgrounds? All of the above, plus more? Narrowing it down and figuring out a goal that you want to work towards is the first step in becoming and portraying the diverse company you want to be. As with all goals, you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew, so it’s important that you implement a working strategy to help you get there.

Give examples.

A very straightforward yet effective way of communicating the importance of diversity in your company is by simply sharing examples. During interviews with job candidates, make sure to highlight your company’s focus on diversity. Devoting time to talk specifically about what your entire company — from upper management to individual employees — is doing to promote diversity in the workplace reveals a great deal about the company as a whole and what the culture is like. What’s more, sharing specific examples with a prospective employee during an interview can go a long way. Maybe you can talk about how gender-neutral bathrooms are being installed in the office, or how new hires are being given greater chances to speak up and offer their opinions during meetings. Doing so will give candidates a clearer picture of what your company is like, which can encourage them even further to want to be part of the kind of culture you’re offering.

Show diverse employees in web and print materials.

Strategy is a critical part of showing candidates that you value diversity, which is why it’s important to think about how the company is presenting itself to the world. After all, even if your company is doing a lot to encourage diversity among employees, how will outside sources find out if you don’t actively promote the importance of diversity?

One effective way to showcase diversity is to present photos and voices of diverse employees in both web and print materials. A good place to start is your company’s website, which is where every job candidate is sure to look at some point if they’re truly interested in getting hired. This is a great place to include lots of visual and auditory content that showcases the genuine diversity within your company — from photos of various employees at company gatherings to videos that include employees of unique cultures, ages, genders, abilities, backgrounds, and insights.

Present diverse interview panels.

Another great way to promote diversity is to include diverse employees in the interview process — such as underrepresented individuals and racial minorities. Doing so will signal to candidates that your company is receptive and a big proponent of diverse ideas, opinions, and backgrounds. What’s more, having diverse interview panels helps to decrease unconscious bias during the hiring process, which in turn helps to welcome even greater numbers of diverse employees into your company.

Be open-minded.

A huge part of being inclusive and welcoming to people of all backgrounds is having an open mind. In promoting just how much you value diversity, your company should not make assumptions about anyone, whether about their private lives or their backgrounds and personal experiences.

In a survey aimed at understanding what professional millennials look for in a place to live, results found that one thing millennials desire is a welcoming and progressive culture. The workplace is an ideal setting in which to start, as your company can provide the sort of welcoming, inclusive atmosphere that many job candidates are looking for. Of course, doing so involves approaching the hiring process with an open mind so that interviewers can look at candidates as unique and interesting individuals who each have something to offer to the company.

Presenting your company as one that values diversity is crucial for attracting new candidates and representing your company in a good light. And of course, taking the time and effort to actively promote diversity in the workplace will certainly go a long way.

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