When it comes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), many organizations tend to follow a checklist approach. Often, this involves setting quotas, recruiting a specific number of employees from underrepresented groups, and publicizing these efforts. While these steps are significant, they only scratch the surface of what truly inclusive hiring looks like. For HR professionals, diversity officers, and business leaders, the challenge is clear: how can we go beyond quotas to create workplaces that are genuinely inclusive?
This blog explores why diversity hiring requires more than filling checkboxes and how businesses can adopt strategies that prioritize equitable opportunities and long-term cultural transformation.
Why Quotas Aren’t the Full Solution
Quotas Build Awareness, Not Culture
Quotas are effective for creating awareness. They can help shine a light on underrepresentation issues and encourage organizations to take action. For example, if women only make up 10% of leadership roles in a company, setting a tangible hiring goal for gender diversity is a logical first step.
However, hiring to meet quotas alone can come across as superficial. Employees hired under such mandates may feel tokenized, leading to disengagement. For true inclusivity, initiatives must move beyond surface-level statistics and focus on the employee experience.
Performance Never Thrives in a Non-Inclusive Environment
Even if you meet diversity quotas, the lack of an inclusive work culture can significantly impact how well diverse employees perform. A McKinsey study shows that companies in the top quartile for diversity are 36% more likely to outperform those in the bottom quartile. However, without an inclusive culture, feelings of exclusion and lack of belonging will erode morale, undermining this business advantage.
By making inclusivity central to company culture, organizations can harness the talent and creativity that a diverse workforce brings to the table.
Inclusive Hiring Practices That Go Beyond Quotas
1. Redefine Job Descriptions
The language in job descriptions can unintentionally exclude diverse candidates. Using overly masculine, jargon-heavy, or biased language might deter certain applicants from applying. Tools like gender language checkers can help rewrite job descriptions to ensure they’re neutral and accessible to a broader audience.
Additionally, focus on emphasizing transferable skills rather than strictly listing credentials or years of experience. For instance, instead of requiring candidates to have ten years of experience in marketing, consider emphasizing skillsets like creativity, analytical thinking, or campaign management.
2. Reassess Recruitment Channels
If you’re consistently hiring from the same job boards, universities, or internal networks, you could be excluding sources of fresh talent. Expand your recruitment channels to community organizations, affinity groups, and industry-specific diversity job boards. Partnering with organizations that focus on underrepresented communities can greatly diversify your talent pipeline.
Example resources:
- Women in Tech Networks for STEM hiring.
- Employers’ Network for Equality & Inclusion (ENEI) to refine your best practices.
- Job boards like POCIT (People of Color in Tech) specifically cater to underrepresented groups.
3. Address Unconscious Bias
Unconscious bias is a significant barrier to inclusive hiring. Often, decision-makers unintentionally favor candidates who share similar cultural backgrounds, schools, or professional experiences. Training HR teams and hiring managers to identify and confront these biases is critical.
AI tools can also assist here. For instance, anonymizing resumes by removing details like names, genders, and even educational institutions can help teams focus on qualifications rather than background.
4. Prioritize Equity Over Equality
There’s often confusion between equity and equality in hiring. Equality involves affording everyone the same resources or opportunity, whereas equity acknowledges that individuals have different needs and barriers.
An equitable hiring process could mean providing accommodations for candidates with disabilities, such as accessible interview spaces or extended test times. For those transitioning from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, it might involve mentorship programs or access to apprenticeships.
5. Build Inclusivity Into Onboarding
Beyond hiring, how new employees are onboarded sets the tone for the inclusivity of their experience. A robust onboarding process can make employees feel valued and supported. Pair diverse hires with mentors from similar lived experiences to encourage a strong sense of belonging. This helps foster long-term retention and satisfaction.
6. Measure Inclusion Beyond Metrics
While it’s important to track diversity metrics, true progress is reflected in the stories and experiences of your workforce. Regularly conduct internal surveys that gauge how included employees feel and use this data to guide improvements. For example, an employee engagement survey might reveal that certain groups feel less heard during meetings, prompting managers to adopt more inclusive facilitation techniques.
What Truly Inclusive Companies Look Like
Inclusive organizations don’t just hire a diverse workforce; they create spaces where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. These businesses:
- Encourage collaboration by celebrating diverse perspectives.
- Actively address systemic issues like pay gaps and promotion discrepancies.
- Foster dialogue through cultural appreciation events and diversity workshops.
Truly inclusive hiring is about recognizing people’s unique identities and transforming organizational behavior to support them.
Driving Change Through Commitment
Building a culture of inclusivity is not without challenges, but the rewards make the effort worthwhile—from attracting top talent to improving team innovation and business outcomes. For HR professionals and business leaders, fostering a workplace where all employees feel they belong and can thrive signifies an organization that’s positioned for long-term success.
About Darnell Technical
Darnell Technical Services is an engineering design firm with extensive experience in a vast array of projects. Our headquarters are located in Santa Ana, California, and we have an office in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Contact us today by telephone (714-285-0082 (CA), 702-945-2899 (NV)) or through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to learn more about all the technical instruments and materials we put at your disposal.
