How to Source a Diverse Pool of Candidates

According to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends 2018 report, 78% of talent leaders and hiring managers say that diversity is the number one trend impacting how companies are hiring this year. It’s also their biggest obstacle. These tactics will help you to broaden your scope to strategically source diverse candidates.

Leverage Employee Referrals

The resolution to some of your diversity challenges can be found right under your nose, and it all starts at home. Capitalize on the network you already have by seeking referrals from diverse employees within your organization and professional network. Diverse employees are usually connected to other diverse individuals, which offers the potential to find some great, new talent. Take advantage of your in-house network by encouraging employees to share job postings within their own networks.

Develop Strategic Partnerships With Schools and Other Organizations

Building a professional rapport with organizations and institutions that cater to specific minority and multicultural groups is a great way to build an ever-running pipeline of diverse candidates. A good way to establish an ongoing relationship with said entities is by creating and organizing internships and leadership programs. Your company can also rally behind sponsorships, develop mentorship programs dedicated to targeting specific groups, and partner up on events that could expand your reach even more.

Use Targeted Keywords When Searching Online

If you’re using programs like Boolean to source talent, expanding your keyword strings to include underrepresented associations, schools and groups can extend your reach past its usual query returns. Experts even advise using lists names to target men and women of different cultural backgrounds as well. If you’re searching for candidates on LinkedIn, you can refer to your list to find potential candidates within your criteria.

Expand Your Promoting Efforts & Showcase Diversity Company Culture

Looking outside of your usual scope of media when advertising or publishing new roles requires you to think outside of the box. Look into promoting roles in places that cater to people of specific backgrounds, religions, ethnic groups and communities. The more targeted your efforts, the more likely you’ll find what you’re looking for. One of the most important things that diverse candidates often consider when applying for roles is how inclusive the company already is. Diverse candidates are more likely to consider organizations that claim to support diversity and also look AND play the part as well. Candidates often look at the amount of diverse employees that can be found in leadership roles, company policies and initiatives that may align with their cultural beliefs and practices and more when looking into roles at specific companies.

Diversity is a significant topic and challenge for organizations looking to broaden the scope and range of their talent. It’s highly-sought-after for the benefits that come along with hiring a range of talent from different backgrounds including innovation, enhanced work culture, competitive advantage and more. Unfortunately, many hiring managers and recruiters are faced with compelling challenges sourcing diverse candidates for roles.