Equitable and Inclusive Hiring Practices
Equity and inclusivity don’t begin at the team orientation meeting. They begin with the hiring process itself. In a society where distinctively Black names on entry-level job applications are showing a 2.1% less chance of getting called back, and where white Americans are consistently surpassing Hispanic applicants in higher paying management positions, and where 25% of women say they are being unfairly compensation in comparison with their male co-workers, there is work to do as we desire to promote equity and inclusivity in our hiring practices.
The best way to frame our minds in this conversation is to think of it as more than checking off a “diversity” box in our organization. Instead, a successful team in equitable and inclusive hiring will see this as a continued pursuit to level the playing field, to broaden the perspective on their team, and to experience the true benefits diversity has to offer for everyone!
How can we practice inclusive hiring practices?
Understand the problem: Until your organization has a true understanding of these exclusive hiring issues, it will be difficult to grow or change for a long period of time.
In fact, without proper understanding, changes might even feel trivial or unnecessary. Take some time with your HR team to go over the stats on hiring demographics in the country. What are the pitfalls? What are the negative trends? Then bring it to a more personal approach–surveying your own team. What are your demographics? Spend time reviewing your hiring practices. How are different groups and voices heard within your organization? Is there diversity represented? Asking the tough questions is necessary as you work to truly understand the problem.Work to eliminate bias: This is a critical step in hiring. We read earlier that distinctively Black names have a lesser chance of being contacted for a job. What are ways we can combat this? While this issue, at its core, is stemming from the systemic issues woven into our workplaces and has a long, hard road to get to a healthy place, there are a few quick, practical approaches to fighting this statistic as well. One way is to consider using technology to manage or filter the beginning process of your candidate search. Applicant tracking systems can ease the workload as well as present unbiased filters to retain the right applicants for the job.
Write inclusive job descriptions: Without even knowing it, our job descriptions can come across as exclusive, turning away possible excellent candidates who could fill the roles you’re looking to hire. Have you removed gender-specific language? Can you remove any degree requirements and focus more on the job responsibilities? Are you focused on the role itself rather than stuffy industry lingo that may be clogging or interfering? Each of these questions can help you filter the best lingo for your jobs.
Use a standard interview process: Are you using a guide for your interviews? Keep questions job-related and set a standard scorecard to keep you on track. Remember you’re wanting to know a candidate’s ability pertaining to a specific set of job skills. So keep your interview to relevant, job-related questions. Often, employers who lean toward a conversational and organic approach can, whether intentionally or not, allow bias to overpower the results in hiring. On the flip side, a standardized set of questions will allow your interview to maintain credibility, making your interview what Iris Bohnet would call “an independent data point.” (7 Practical Ways to Reduce Bias in Your Hiring Process)
Create equitable pay scales: For too long, the topic of equitable salary has been taboo in the professional space. Transparency and accountability are crucial factors in moving your team toward equity within your pay scales. An article in Harvard Business Review called Managers, Here’s How to Advocate for Pay Equity, gives really practical ways to set this in motion for your team.
Be upfront about salary in the interview process – your standard is not a previous salary of the applicant and can actually be illegal to question in certain areas. Give a salary range from the start, based on the skills of the job.
Create salary benchmarks – and make them public knowledge for your staff.
Follow up regularly (quarterly or annually) – specifically about an employee’s satisfaction with his or her salary.
As an organization, you can begin to create diverse, inclusive, and equitable spaces of belonging from the beginning in your hiring practices. These practices and others can lead to growth and health for more than the candidates waiting to work for you. Let’s move together toward a diverse and thriving workforce.
