5 FAQs When Hiring for Diversity

 
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5/24/21 by Rich Johnson

In the last year, many companies have leaned into diversity, equity and inclusion by forming councils, allocating funding for training, and facilitating listening sessions. Most have realized that making progress requires a long-term commitment and a renewed focus on hiring practices. But “hiring for diversity” is fraught with misunderstandings, objections and potential pitfalls. 

Here are our responses to five common questions about diversity hiring and the recommendations we offer at sr4 Partners.

1. What is diversity in hiring?

Diversity hiring is hiring that is based on merit with intentional efforts made to value diversity and ensure procedures have reduced biases related to a candidate’s age, race, gender, ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics that are unrelated to job performance. The goal of diversity hiring is to appropriately understand the value that diversity brings to a team (the business case), while identifying and reducing individual and systemic biases that occur in sourcing, screening and shortlisting candidates that discriminate against qualified diverse candidates.

It is critical to recognize that diversity in hiring is only one aspect of living out a company-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In fact, if an organization primarily focuses on diversity hiring, it is unlikely to realize long-term change because companies must prioritize inclusion and a learning and effectiveness orientation in order for people to experience belonging, have what they need in order to thrive, and ultimately choose to stay.

 

2. Shouldn’t we be hiring “the best” candidate?

Yes. The problem is that our understanding and definitions of “the best” are typically shaped by bias, unless intentional effort is made to minimize biased decision making while also recognizing the business value that diversity brings to our company and teams. Here is a common example of how using the “we hire the best candidate,” approach is often biased and prevents the beneficial diversification of your team.

Example: A decision is made to hire the candidate who graduated from an Ivy League school (and who happens to be white), due to either affinity bias or the unproven assumption that an Ivy League education automatically yields a higher qualified (i.e. “the best”) candidate. In making this decision, an equally or even more qualified diverse candidate was rejected because they did not graduate from an Ivy League school. 

Recommendation: Hiring the best and hiring for diversity are not mutually exclusive. Yes, it may require allocating more time for the hiring process, and you will likely need to expand your sourcing of candidates. But overcoming and addressing the long-held assumptions around “hiring the best” and instead expanding your pool of what “the best” may look like is the only way you’ll begin to increase the diversity of your team and experience the benefits. 

3. Is it okay to hire for “culture fit”?

Culture fit can be a valid consideration for hiring, providing it has been defined and each candidate is evaluated based on the same criteria. Unfortunately, the idea of “culture fit” is often used to justify hiring someone based on gut, affinity bias, or shared personal values vs. skills, experiences, and traits that would add value to the company or team. 

Example: A group of final candidates all meet the objectively defined requirements for the job, but the decision is made to hire the person who is seen as the best “culture fit”. In this case, “culture fit” is loosely defined as someone who “feels” like they align to our values and culture. This “feeling” has not been substantiated via a common set of questions or criteria posted to all candidates. In this scenario, a qualified diverse candidate is not hired, when they actually could have advanced the company’s stated value of embracing diversity of thought and experience.

Recommendation: Companies need to define their organizational values and behaviors, then look for candidates who have a track record of demonstrating them. Recognize that adding qualified employees from diverse backgrounds will actually enhance your culture and drive business outcomes such as productivity, innovation, customer engagement and ultimately financial performance.

4. Is diversity in hiring situational (i.e. dependent on the current makeup of the team)?

In hiring for any position, the main focus should remain valuing diversity and removing biases in the process. That said, it can be helpful to consider both inherent and acquired diversity characteristics at the team level when hiring decisions are made.

Example: An all white male senior leadership team hires the first white female they interview because they know that hiring a woman will add diversity to their ranks. Yet, hiring an equally qualified woman of color would bring additional diversity of experience and thought, which is likely to provide additional value.

Recommendation: Companies who are serious about hiring for diversity strive for 2-D diversity on their teams. The research shows that organizations with leaders who have both inherent and acquired diversity traits, will unlock additional growth and innovation.

 

5. What are the key steps to limit bias, value diversity and promote equity in hiring?

It begins with a long-term commitment voiced and lived out from the CEO down to the grassroots level of the organization. Along the way, organizations will need to recognize that explicit or implicit values (such as speed and agility) and existing operational realities (such as high growth), often result in hiring quickly and at the expense of valuing diversity.

Recommendation: The solution requires a thoughtful strategy that incorporates both operations and culture transformation. You will want to set goals not quotas, be strategic and specific with what you want to accomplish, and consider these tangible action steps:

Addressing diversity in hiring is a common challenge and one that needs to be addressed alongside broader DEI education and awareness. This work requires an investment of time and resources, the genuine commitment of your senior leadership, and potentially an external partner to serve as a guide and advisor through this process. What you can look forward to is a return on that investment that will drive business outcomes and help you realize greater equity and belonging.

 
Rich Johnson