Diverse Recruitment

Robert Walters is a specialist professional recruitment consultancy, working with businesses of all sizes as a trusted recruitment partner. They have conducted in-depth research based on a survey of over 450 employers to serve as a tool to explore strategies to develop a company culture that embraces diversity and address the hurdles faced when creating a collaborative, diverse workforce.

Based on their data, employers are increasingly coming to recognise the value of improving the level of diversity and inclusion within their workforce. Recruiting professionals from a wider range of backgrounds provides a company with access to an abundance of viewpoints and perspectives at their disposal. Statistically, companies that have operated with a staff from diverse backgrounds have outperformed firms that have stuck to conventional hiring practices. 

Despite 85% of employers and hiring managers saying that increasing diversity in the workplace is a high priority and that embracing diversity was essential to ensure that they were doing business ethically only half of them have programmes in place to implement these changes.

STEPS TOWARDS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:

Firms must be prepared to open up new recruitment channels and recognise that their persistence in their current channels are delivering similar candidates. They must consider whether they will find non-graduates and job-seekers with uniques skills in their usual channels. 

To reap the benefits of a diverse workforce employers must have a means of measuring diversity within the workplace. They must ensure that recruitment strategies reach candidates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or socioeconomic background. There is often confusion over where the responsibility lies for developing a diverse recruitment strategy. Senior managers, HR and marketing departments will need to collaborate to ensure that any strategy is effective, with clearly defined goals and desired outcomes to measure success.

Strong change can start from the very top, achieving diversity at senior levels is generally perceived to be more challenging than sourcing diverse candidates for junior roles. This highlights the importance of creating a talent pipeline which is inclusive of professionals from all backgrounds, as well as considering professionals from overseas for high level positions and those with a background in other industries who possess transferable skills.

ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION IN A DIVERSE WORKFORCE 

Once a diverse workforce is in place, companies will likely be faced with the challenge of achieving cohesion and collaboration between team members due to the wide range of perspectives and opinions involved. In order to take advantage of those benefits, strategies that encourage collaboration must be put into play.