Recruiters have a responsibility to ensure a diverse hiring process, not just because it is the right thing to do but because countless studies have proven that it dramatically increases business profitability.
A diverse workforce means diverse thought and diverse experience, leading to a boost in innovation and idea generation. No recruiter should want to alienate any section of the talent pool and yet some might be unconsciously narrowing their reach to top talent with a recruitment website that doesn’t appeal to a diverse range of candidates. Your website is often the first time a candidate will come across you so if you aren’t making your position on D&I crystal clear and paying attention to the way you present your agency and advertise your jobs, you could be deterring great swathes of talent.
Pay attention to imagery
Take a look at the multimedia on your website. Are a diverse group of people represented? From the images and videos you use, to the testimonials you display, it is vital that diversity shines through. Diversity attracts diversity. Candidates want to see themselves and people like them represented in your imagery to be reassured that they will be treated fairly and represented well to potential employers.
Wording is everything
Ensure the wording you employ on your website pages and in your job adverts is inclusive. The most common biases are gendered language that may deter female candidates from applying. Avoid words such as ‘ninja’, ‘warrior’, ‘rock star’, ’assertive’, and ‘dominate”. Similarly, too much business jargon can put off younger candidates or those from underprivileged backgrounds. Disability or age-related wording also impacts the number of diverse applications a job advert receives. The language used in job ads and on your website should empower all who read it.
Careful content
Just like everything else on your website, what you choose to publish through your blog page should reflect your commitment to diversity and appeal to a broad range of candidates. Feature diversity topics and any diversity-related news, include spotlight stories on a range of different candidate hires and, as with content in all areas of your website, pay close attention to the wording to ensure it is inclusive.
Place your commitment to D&I at the heart of your website
Ensure you have a D&I statement in a prominent place on your website, giving it its own page or even displaying it as a pop-up as you enter the website. Customise your statement so that it is clear that you wrote it and that it represents your business values. A copy and pasted boilerplate statement won’t cut it. Don’t just publish it in one place – incorporate it into your job ads, in your About Us, on social media and in your blogs. This will communicate your dedication to diverse hiring, illustrating the fact that it is fully integrated into your recruitment processes and website.
Candidates want to see that companies are committed to diversity, inclusion and equality and clients that have themselves made strides to embedding diversity into their organisation will want to know that those that recruit for them share their ethos. Your recruitment website is your online ID, it is your virtual shop window and often the first point of contact a candidate will have with you. As such it is imperative that it reflects your commitment to diverse hiring and appeals to all.
