Top 5 Mistakes of Corporate Recruiters When Diversity Recruiting

While it has become imperative that organizations be able to develop a more inclusive work environment and attract a more diverse workforce through various diversity recruiting tools and strategies, it is equally essential for them and/or their recruiting teams as well to be aware of some of the common pitfalls to avoid when diversity recruiting that cause them to fall behind their goals, competitors, and even lose market share.

Following are the top 5 mistakes to avoid as gathered from high-caliber HR specialists/experts:

1. Absence of an EEO Statement

Whether targeting candidates from diverse backgrounds or not, it is important that an EEO statement be included. Its absence could send a message that perhaps the organization does not value diversity.

2. Company photo diversity

The organization only considers the visible dimensions of diversity primarily race, and gender. The company photo looks good but everyone thinks the same. Differences that include sexual orientation, geographic background, thinking and communication style, work function, ability and disability, religion, and work style are not valued and are even discouraged. This is a very narrow definition of diversity and offers little or no value to the organization in terms of new ideas, creativity and innovation.

3. Diversity in Numbers

Demographics reflect the outside community but it is only at the lower levels. (Production, and unskilled labor) There is little or no diversity as you move up into management. Every year they have good “numbers”, but the people are constantly changing. Employees leave and get jobs where there is a value of diversity at all levels and they are encouraged to move up in the ranks.

4. Antiquated approaches to diversity recruiting

Less than 10% of the firms that actually set diversity goals ever reach them. The diversity tools and approaches that are routinely used were developed in another century and are ineffective at best. Most fail to apply any of the principles sales professionals have learned about selling into micro populations over the past 15 years.

5. Advertisements that may hold greater appeal to minorities who have less education, and ads with the word “qualified”

Doing so could have these potential job applicants feeling that the advertisement is stereotyping, which often leads to resentment at being targeted with these advertisements. With the new power and reach of the Internet, word can rapidly spread, and the organization could be labeled as one that is racist. Moreover, using the word “qualified” in ads suggests to the minority professionals that the organization is targeting that they are thought to be generally not qualified.

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