Conclusion
Creating and sustaining change is always hard work, and D&I initiatives are no exception. You need buy-in from leadership at all levels of the organization. You need a robust strategic plan and an infrastructure to scale your efforts. And you need resources. Companies serious about moving the needle on diversity hiring must dedicate serious time and money toward achieving progress.
For companies making a true commitment, our research reveals significant opportunities to move the needle. Unfortunately, these opportunities are often not being properly utilized or even ignored altogether. Most companies have made a commitment to improve, but many lack follow-through. Beyond public accountability, sustaining change requires internal dedication of actions and resources.
Don’t be discouraged. The biggest gaps in your diversity hiring plan provide a focused road map for making gains. Set a realistic baseline. Then take action to close the gaps, and elevate your efforts to meet them.
Our research shows that companies can improve communication around their initiatives, and deliver a concrete plan for creating and achieving realistic goals. Put resources behind diversity outreach to develop more diverse — and robust — talent pipelines. And recognize that what you’re seeking may be right in front of you, should you take the time to look. When recruiting for open roles, give existing underrepresented talent your attention. Elevate your entire workforce by making decisions based on skills and qualifications — not arbitrary identifying factors.
Companies are looking for solutions that bundle people, processes, and results together to improve their overall outcomes. But there’s no technology platform that can do the work for you. Success comes from developing a strategy for diversity hiring and supporting it with transparent processes. It’s about putting people first. Once you have the framework in place, bring systems and tools in to support that transparent model, drive better diversity hiring and ultimately improve business outcomes.
We know it’s hard. Progress is a journey, and SmartRecruiters is here to help. We bring together the thought leadership, collaborative approach, and market-leading technology platform you need to incorporate targeted goals into specific hiring processes and, ultimately, hiring success. Take concrete steps toward attracting, hiring, and promoting diverse talent to turn your good intentions into a lasting impact so that the next time you assess where your company stands, you’ll be able to witness genuine progress.
SmartRecruiters Diversity Talent Advocates
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