Looking for diversity and inclusion in IT staffing unlocks valuable benefits. Here are four strategies that make sense and help you attract the best tech talent to your business.
There is abundant evidence that diversity and inclusion contribute to business success ― from faster decision-making and above-average profitability to increased engagement.
Even if we don’t look at the data, we instinctively understand that diversity and inclusion lead to better performance. And this is true across all sectors, including IT.
It simply makes sense that having varied perspectives and backgrounds on your team results in unique ideas and solutions. Furthermore, forming diverse and inclusive teams allows you to position your brand as one that supports good causes, keeping you relevant in the modern business world.
What are diversity and inclusion? And why do they matter in IT staffing?
Diversity in IT staffing refers to the practices a company implements to support racial, ethnic, gender, and other differences when finding and hiring tech talent. Similarly, inclusion in this context entails ensuring everyone feels belonging and equality in the workplace.
Here are some of the top reasons why diversity and inclusion matter in IT staffing:
- Hiring diverse people allows for different perspectives in your team. As a result, you get fresh ideas and insights from various backgrounds, contributing to your company’s overall innovativeness.
- Implementing diversity and inclusion strategies into your IT staffing process aids in attracting top talent. Most people value working with people different from themselves, making an inclusive workplace appealing to potential applicants.
- Embracing diversity and inclusion is a great way to widen the talent pool and overcome the IT talent shortage crisis. These practices ensure that candidates go through a fair selection, regardless of their gender, skin color, or other characteristics, thereby increasing the pool of skilled candidates from which your company can choose.
Diversity and inclusion strategies for acquiring top tech talent
Now, let’s look at sense-making diversity and inclusion strategies that can improve your IT staffing processes.
Set clear and realistic goals
The first step in implementing diversity and inclusion in IT staffing is to define what success looks like for your company. In other words, you have to set clear goals. Some good practices include setting SMART goals and ensuring that your objectives are realistic, revolve around your company values, and make sense for your business.
Here, being specific about what you intend to achieve is crucial. For instance, will you focus on particular positions, teams, or the entire organization? What types of diversity (e.g., gender, disabilities, minorities, etc.) will you concentrate on improving? How can you prepare to meet those objectives?
Establish an inclusive employer brand
As much as you are looking for top talent, tech professionals are also looking for companies with a good reputation, which promises a welcoming and supportive work environment. Today’s job seekers have many tools at their disposal for assessing your reputation as an employer. Platforms like Glassdoor and LinkedIn provide a wealth of information, allowing candidates to learn about your company long before they even step inside.
That’s why it’s vital to establish a good employer brand. Try to communicate your commitment to diversity and inclusion loudly and clearly. Utilize social media to share your positive opinions and initiatives regarding these topics. Regularly post about your teams and their professional and personal achievements. Creating a company culture that encourages its people and their individualities is the best way to improve your overall IT staffing strategy.
Highlight diversity and inclusion in your communication
This isn’t just sense-making but also a necessary strategy for successful IT staffing. You must ensure that you use inclusive language and content formats in your job ads and website. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are excellent standards to follow, as they provide principles that support web accessibility.
Furthermore, try to communicate in a way that appeals to candidates from diverse backgrounds. Be friendly and inclusive, and make your website and application procedure straightforward and simple to use. You may also take things further by creating job ads with specific demographics in mind and highlighting your current diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Reduce Unconscious Bias
As humans, we are all prone to unconscious bias to some extent. Luckily, there are techniques to address and reduce such issues. For example, you can utilize technology to help decrease bias by working off of a set of specified criteria, minimizing the need for human engagement in the screening process.
Another strategy is to combine anti-bias and diversity training with engaging and enjoyable activities that involve all your teams. Additionally, you can use “blind recruiting,” which entails removing all personally identifiable information from applications, such as names, age, race, and gender pronouns. This “blind recruiting” approach allows recruiting teams to assess candidates based only on their responses and skill sets, thus decreasing the potential for bias in the selection process.
Diversity and inclusion in IT staffing: an ongoing process
These four strategies are excellent, reasonable starting tactics that you can immediately implement to increase your company’s diversity and inclusion in IT staffing. However, it’s crucial to remember that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution. Instead, you must experiment with various approaches to identify the most effective actions for your company.
Therefore, take the time to assess what you’re doing well and where you could benefit from changes. Keep in mind that establishing diversity and inclusion in IT staffing is an ongoing process that demands constant attention and adjustments. But, in return, it gives you a strong brand reputation and top tech talent who are proud to be on your team!
