One of the most beneficials things you can do when running a business is diversify your workforce. Having a diverse workforce is a good way to have a healthy company and is directly linked to such benefits as increased profitability. Your business will thrive from having the various perspectives that a diverse workforce comes with, as coming from different backgrounds can often mean seeing the world in a different light than others. What are some of the best ways to go about this, though?
Remove Bias
While many companies may project the belief “we are an equal opportunity employer” on their websites, it does not necessarily mean the hiring manager is free from bias. As the leader of your business, it’s vital that you look into ways to ensure bias is at a minimum when looking for potential employees.
Gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds among many others should never be factors when hiring prospective employees – what should matter are the skills that they bring to the table. A good way to avoid any bias prior to meeting a potential recruit is to make sure the hiring team isn’t taking unnecessary information into account, such as photos or gender. It’s also extremely helpful to provide training for your hiring managers to help them overcome any of their own personal biases that might exist.
Look Everywhere For Diverse Talent
When you’re looking for new talent, it’s important to avoid consistently looking in the same places for employees. While you may be tempted to hire graduates from your alma mater, it’s important to look into other institutions to ensure you’re not constantly pooling too many like-minded people. It’s crucial to understand that while some applicants may have gone to lesser known or smaller universities, this does not mean that they aren’t equal or even more qualified than those that attended more prestigious schools.
Diversity Should Be At Every Level
While having a diverse workforce is effective, it is just as important that your leadership is diverse as well. Diversity must be at every level of your organization, otherwise it won’t truly be diverse. For example, if your leadership team is composed of only men, you’ll be doing yourself the disservice of limiting the unique perspectives that come with having both men and women on your team. This also goes down the ladder – if you have a diverse group of leaders, you’ll have a stronger influence on your workforce overall.