Driven by the growing desire of socially aware employees and consumers that businesses ‘ do better ’ on issues around diversity , many organisations have pledged commitments to tackle these from within . And it starts with the hiring pipeline and process , says Liz Wessel , Founder of early career diversity hiring platform WayUp .
What prompted you to start a business focused on diversity hiring ?
In college , I frequently saw first-hand how those without connections in an industry or within a company were rarely set up for success to get their dream job . I had always heard about the ‘ glass ceiling ’ and other systemic issues in the workplace that would hold back women and people of colour , but to see first-hand that these disparities were so obvious before people even were able to enter the workplace made me eager to do something .
Fast forward a few years , I went to work at Google ; my [ WayUp ] co-founder , JJ , went to work at McKinsey . We both saw how two incredible companies were struggling with recruiting more diverse talent and we thought , “ if top companies like ours are struggling with this , then who ’ s not struggling with it ? Let ’ s build a tool that can help ”.
Virtual platform WayUp exists to help employers achieve their diversity goals , specifically around hiring . We focus mainly on the early career stage – individuals with 0-5 years of experience . This is done in a variety of ways : diversity sourcing , employer branding , candidate screening and funnel analytics , plus an end-to-end solution to hire top entry-level talent .
We ’ ve always said that if you recruit virtually , you will get more diverse applicants
How are your clients changing mindsets around diversity hiring approaches ?
One of our clients , Insight Partners , used to have a ‘ core school ’ approach where they only recruited from a handful of top schools in the country . After looking at the data – including where their most diverse but still qualified candidates were coming from – they decided to expand their school approach . They recognised that school diversification ultimately leads to a stronger , more diverse group of candidates .
We also have clients who have dropped their Grade Point Average ( GPA ) requirements because they realise GPA has a high correlation to socio-economic status which , unfortunately , in the US has a high correlation to race and ethnicity . We have companies changing their practices daily .
How has the pandemic affected approaches to diversity sourcing ?
We ’ ve always said that if you recruit virtually , you will get more diverse applicants . Up until recently , some companies felt they wanted to stick with a traditional career fair approach . But in the new virtual world enforced by the pandemic , companies didn ’ t have that option .
Another catalyst which threw workplace diversity , equity and inclusion into the spotlight was the horrific murder of George Floyd . For the first time in seven years , I have seen companies commit to putting money behind diversity . Recruiters are finally being heard and are being given budget to actually invest in diversity and inclusion practices to take action .
For the first time in seven years , I have seen companies commit to putting money behind diversity
What does success in DE & I look like ?
First , it ’ s about recruiting a workforce that represents either the customers you sell to or the world around you . Second , it ’ s ensuring that once you bring these people in that you are able to retain and grow that talent . It really doesn ’ t matter whether you recruit 50 % women or 30 % black and Hispanic candidates if they all quit after a year .
Three steps to achieving diversity hiring success
1Put budget behind diversity goals
Make sure you have a proper budget for diversity and inclusion . You can ’ t just expect to say “ let ’ s partner with more diversity groups on campus ”. Consider how you can find a partner to help you identify gaps and take proper , committed action . The technological innovation around this stuff is so exciting , but you have to invest in it .
2Don ’ t put a sticking plaster on the problem
There are easy solutions which might contribute to diversity goals in the short-term , but they won ’ t help create meaningful change for your business . For example , saying your entire solution to recruiting more black people is sponsoring and visiting HBCUs ( historically black colleges and universities ) is a sticking plaster , not a long-term solution to creating more equitable workforces .
3Understand your numbers
So many companies I speak to that struggle to recruit diverse populations are just not sure where they ’ re falling down in the hiring process . It could be that diverse candidates are just not applying ; they could be applying but being lost at interview stage ; or they could not be accepting offers for whatever reason . Strong analytics can help you identify this .
If you ’ ve committed budget to this already , it ’ s crucial to understand your hiring process in its entirety so you know where to invest that budget . Otherwise you ’ re playing ‘ whack a mole ’ with diversity .