Illuminate Opportunity: Equity in the Workplace - Reading Materials - Chapter 03: Recruiting & Hiring – Inclusion
Introduction
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not only relevant for corporate strategy, HR policies or people practices.
In fact, while an organization may have all the policies and processes in place that best practice dictates, their impact will be limited if they are not backed up by an inclusive work culture.
For skilled candidates interested in applying for a job in your organization, HR professionals and hiring managers may be the first face they see. Both have an important responsibility and a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate how committed the organization is to DEI. This can be achieved both by acknowledging and accommodating differences in recruiting, onboarding, and engaging employees, and by demonstrating your values through your actions. This will help your organization stand out and make a positive impression on job candidates who are placing increasing value on DEI in their career choices.
Think about your approach from the perspective of the job seeker—are you communicating inclusion through your behaviours?
Supporting Resources
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Inclusive Hiring Tips for Managers
Hiring managers have a huge influence on talent decisions in an organization. By using a more equitable approach, they can make a critical contribution to attracting and hiring top performers from a diversity of backgrounds.
Gen Z and DEI: Are you ready?
- Gen Z will soon surpass Millennials as the most populous generation on earth, at more than one-third of the world’s population.
- US research indicates that this group defines and prioritizes diversity along different lines than those before them—across race, gender, and orientation.
- Gen Z is also the most likely generation to have individuals that identify as non-binary/third gender.6
The Inclusion Imperative
Diversify Your Network: Make new contacts and be open to different approaches: different perspectives bring new ideas and fresh approaches.
Address Limiting Beliefs: Challenge your assumptions about candidate capabilities and interests, be aware of both unintended systemic barriers and unconscious biases in the application of people practices.
Re-Think Possibilities: Be aware of different communication styles in interviewing. Be open to transferable skills and non-traditional experience to grow the diversity of your team.
