Every Tuesday we share tips with the WomenTech Network to inspire and empower women and companies as part of our mission to bring more diversity and inclusion into the tech world.
We compiled our most popular diversity and inclusion tips from our social media channels to help your company hire and retain diverse talent.
Improve Diversity Hiring
Diversity hiring is a hiring process based on merit and free from bias. It’s structured to give all applicants, regardless of background, an equal opportunity.
Diversity hiring provides many tangible benefits for performance, innovation, and productivity.
To improve your diversity hiring you can:
- Re-word your job posts.
- Source candidates from a variety of sources.
- Offer internships to diverse groups.
- Develop an employer brand that shows workplace diversity.
- Offer workplace flexibility.
- Encourage referrals from minority employees.
- Use blind interviews and resumes.
Commit to Inclusive Job Descriptions
Before being able to write more inclusive job descriptions, audit the postings you've done before. You may notice that some of the language you use is more geared toward a specific demographic or experience level. Here are a few tips for more inclusive job posts:
- Avoid gender-coded words like "ninja", "rockstar", and "dominate".
- Limit the description to the "must-haves" as women tend to apply for jobs they feel 100% qualified to do.
- Avoid using unnecessary corporate speak and jargon.
- Make it clear that you welcome candidates who have the skills & are still learning and growing.
- Highlight your organization’s commitment to an inclusive workplace.
Create An Inclusive Workplace
Diversity isn’t the same as inclusivity. Think of inclusivity as the next step to successfully supporting a diverse workforce: It’s all about creating an inclusive environment that welcomes and includes each employee. These are several things you could improve:
- Make it a point that your team is as diverse as your target. It leads to innovation.
- Recognize bias and develop leadership programs that target not only great talent but the managers who select them.
- Practice inclusive leadership where employees can speak up, be heard, and feel welcome.
- Model inclusive language in all professional communication.
- Create an inclusive workplace task force.
Workplace Flexibility Leads To Diversity
Competitive salary or benefits are no longer the only important aspects in selecting a new job offer for IT professionals. Workplace flexibility has become one of the top priorities for professionals with millennials and generation Z growing into the workforce. Another factor driving this change is digital transformation.
In return, flexibility can make your workforce more diverse:
- Flexibility allows for working parents, especially mothers, to join the workforce.
- It allows you to hire from outside of your physical geographic region.
Use Your Social Network To Promote Equity and Inclusion
Your social network is a powerful tool to use in championing other women in your professional life. There are two main ways you can do that:
- Show your support by broadcasting anti-sexist values: research shows that posting on social media helps you reach many more than your immediate contacts.
- Introduce women to people or opportunities to which they would otherwise not have access.
Follow us on social media for more tips. If your company needs help with diversity hiring and employer branding, get in touch.
