Two Voices: Creating a Diverse Workforce One Hire at a Time

According to an article on LinkedIn, LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise 2022: The 25 U.S. Roles That Are Growing in Demand, diversity and inclusion management positions are the second fastest growing jobs right now. Diversity efforts have gained momentum after several high-profile court cases addressing gender identity rights and fair pay for women, in addition to some state and federal EEO-1 reporting modifications to identify potential race and gender pay gaps.

Long before hiring a candidate, diversity and inclusion efforts appear in job descriptions, job postings, and the interview process. According to Willis Towers Watson’s Talent Attraction and Retention Survey released in August 2021, 39 percent of employers feel that improving the employee experience helps attract and retain talent. Part of that experience includes creating a diverse work environment encompassing experience, education, and creativity.

What do MRA recruiters say about the impact that diversity and inclusion efforts have on creating a great talent bench? Erika Brown, HR Generalist – Talent Management and Kathy Seidel, Recruiting Business Partner Lead at MRA share their thoughts.

Q. What noticeable differences does incorporating DE&I efforts into recruiting make for companies?

Erika: Incorporating DEI efforts is very noticeable. An article by the recruiting firm Prince Perelson and Associates entitled The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace, highlights the reasons well. It points out that strong diversity efforts correlate directly to greater innovation, increased productivity, reduced turnover, and the ability to form connections with a wider range of customers, resulting in increased revenue.

Q. Is promoting yourself as a DE&I-focused company done solely for compliance reasons, or are there other benefits?

Kathy: There are many good reasons to promote yourself as a DE&I-focused company. Candidates are looking for a company where they feel safe and appreciated. Having a strong DE&I strategy or mission will make you a preferred employer. Applicants research companies and prioritize applying to and working for companies that align with their values and beliefs.

Q. If employees and candidates feel a company’s diversity efforts are not authentic, how can a company overcome that?

Erika: Inauthentic efforts ultimately lead to high turnover. Making sure that leadership has mechanisms in place to monitor the hiring of diverse candidates, having open discussions with employees, and implementing meaningful changes over time help to educate employees on the company’s efforts. Here at MRA, the diversity team, iLEAD, hosts a quarterly training for employees and regularly engages in community efforts that align with the diversity goals of the group and company.

Q: What is a good starting point for companies just starting to incorporate diversity efforts into recruiting strategies?

Kathy: Diversity efforts need to be a company-wide strategic initiative that has a strong backbone of support from senior leadership. When setting up the initiative, there are several things to consider. • Find ways to target diverse populations. Looking to local colleges, partnering with local community groups, or posting to diversity-focused boards changes the talent pipeline.

• Avoid making hiring decisions that favor a protected class. A more diverse talent pool can lead to more diversity in your organization, but extend offers based on the candidate’s qualifications.
• Understand the make-up of the local population and set goals for metrics and expectations based on those numbers.
• Create a relocation policy to start attracting talent to the area.
• Recognize that diversity is more than just race or gender. Strive to include and recognize all diversity groups.

Erika: Utilizing qualified consultants, such as MRA recruiters, to assess your strategy can help if you feel overwhelmed. Diverse hiring practices can vary for each company, so finding one that fits your organization is important.

Q: How can creating a more inclusive workforce help a company and what is the most common challenge?

Kathy: Implementing diversity-focused policies attract diverse candidates and can help retain top talent. It frequently leads to new ideas, perspectives, and efficiencies in the products or services a company produces. More and more customers are choosing to work with companies that align with their views, so this could lead to new customer pools as well.

The most common challenge is a lack of buy-in from leadership or the employees. When senior leadership fully supports these initiatives, others are encouraged to establish and implement changes throughout the organization. In companies where this is a big culture shift, training like MRA’s Unconscious Bias course or offering lunch-and-learns on the initiative can foster employee buy-in.

Several members of our recruiting team will be spending time this year to become accredited Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiters. This certification consists of a full day of learning, material review, and exam, ultimately providing the team with strategies to help them work with members to improve member diversity and inclusion talent acquisition practices.

For more information about the Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter certification, contact Kathy Seidel, Recruiting Business Partner Lead, at Kathy.Seidel@mranet.org, or 262.696-3376.