Technology continues to play an increasingly important role within the talent acquisition landscape, and there are noteworthy ways it can aid in your diversity hiring efforts. In this blog we will look at some of the ways that tech tools can help enhance your hiring process at different stages.
It's important to first point out: there is no one tool that will attract and build a diverse, balanced pipeline of candidates for your company. A strong diversity approach should be layered onto each step – finding the right technology tools and platforms can help streamline and inform the activities that are part of your approach.
Sourcing
The answer to many of those asking, “How do I hire more diverse candidates?” often starts at the top of the funnel with sourcing. If you are building a more diverse workforce, you will want to begin by finding a diverse slate of candidates.
If you are advertising for your open positions to attract active job seekers, then you are familiar with job boards. But you may not be aware of that there are many established and emerging talent communities and job boards that specialize in reaching diverse candidates. Often, these boards are focused by demographic and or industry, so a thoughtful strategy is necessary to be most useful.
A true game changing sourcing technology advancement has come with the advancement of social search tools which are great for reaching passive candidates. These tools use information beyond online candidate profiles and resumes to provide deeper insights into candidates. These tools are taking the manual work out of identifying diverse candidates, providing insights into job markets so talent professionals can actively source candidates, and expanding your talent network.
Engagement Tools
There have been great tools developed to help mitigate the potential for biased language. One critical part of any engagement, especially in terms of attracting diverse candidates, is the job description. LinkedIn’s Language Matters Gender Diversity report, proved that the adage “words matter” is absolutely true when it comes to candidate engagement. The report outlined in stark terms just how specific words like “aggressive” and “demanding” affect who applies to the role.
There are tools now available that will help hiring managers and recruiters write universal job descriptions and craft communication to candidates. These tools use algorithms to flag words or phrases that are skew masculine or feminine and suggest neutral words. These tools can also be used when crafting communication to candidates.
Screening and Selection
AI and machine learning tools are becoming increasingly popular to screen candidates because they automate ranking how well candidates align with a role. However, depending on the criteria on which they are built, they can carry forward bias or unintentionally filter out those with a gap in employment or change in career. Video interviewing tools that have advanced analytics that measure candidate’s engagement and other emotions based on facial expressions and tone of voice may not account for differences in cultures and race.
Assessment tools based on skills can be incredibly useful to avoid bias while evaluating a candidate. Assessments can be custom built based on the actual work required by the role (i.e. writing code, using Excel, replying to a customer, etc.) The result is that candidates who have a high level of competence but whose experience may be slightly different from the norm, will rise to the top.
An important feature offered through many of these tools is the ability to anonymize candidates, meaning removing information that would identify a person’s name, gender, or race. Studies suggest that having a blind application process leads to the selection of more candidates from underrepresented groups, leveling the playing field.
Technology Alone Will Not Transform Workplace Diversity
The tech tools developed to help talent acquisition teams attract, recruit and retain a diverse workforce are only part of the solution. A long-term commitment from business leaders, talent teams and hiring managers will require bias training, and diversity metrics will need to be tracked and analyzed at each phase.
Need Help Getting Started?
Taking the first step of understanding where you currently stand and what tools you have available to you, is a great place to start. Understanding your workforce demographics will help determine how you can begin taking steps to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. At LevelUP we are experts in guiding practical strategies for all types of talent challenges.
Contact us at information@leveluphcs.com to speak with someone about your recruitment challenges.
