FEATURE included , chances are she ’ ll take a job elsewhere where she feels more welcome and comfortable .
As well as lacking in diversity , hiring only from your network isn ’ t scalable , especially in a candidate-driven market . Companies are already engaging in bidding wars for the best candidates and if you limit your talent pool you will struggle to hire at scale as you try to grow your business . For scaling businesses , who may not have the benefit of reputation and brand recognition , it ’ s harder to differentiate yourself in the eyes of these in-demand candidates and talent acquisition becomes even more of a challenge .
To extend your talent pool you need to be both open-minded and strategic . Working in conjunction with outsourced providers who have experience accessing diverse recruitment pools may help set the balance objectively . A good Recruitment Processing Outsourcing ( RPO ) provider should be able to provide a wide array of candidates , covering both those that may fit the job more traditionally and those that may come at it from a different angle .
They will also learn your business , understand the culture and handpick the right talent to fit your organisation to ensure the best quality hire . By talent mapping , they can gain an understanding of where relevant talent is located and the nature of required skills and experience . With this understanding , you can formulate digital attraction hiring strategies , such as targeting passive candidates using paid media based on skill type .
Try to appeal to a wider variety of candidates Consider whether your job descriptions appeal to different profiles beyond your normal hires . For example , single parents and chief caregivers may not value what are seen as travel ‘ perks ’ by other candidates .
This also means creating job descriptions that aren ’ t off-putting to entire groups . From a gender perspective , female candidates often won ’ t apply unless they feel they meet 90 – 100 % of the criteria . Studies have shown that male candidates may not be so concerned and may apply regardless . If your job description is too daunting , you risk alienating representative groups in the process and hiring from the same pool without even realising it .
Diversity in the workplace isn ’ t a programme or an initiative – it ’ s a cultural definer . A truly diverse organisation will , 100 % attract more diverse candidates . It ’ s a constant cycle that is hard to get into , but once the hard work is done , companies will reap the rewards of having a wider variety of perspectives , a broader skillset and even potentially higher employee engagement and reduced turnover . x
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