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Some companies try so hard to get the diversity recruiting strategy right that they suffer from analysis paralysis. As a result, no meaningful DEI actions were taken.
in one of the episodes Human Resources Morning News In the HR Voices podcast, Anna Lenhardt, former chief people officer at Tomorrow Health, shares her insights on overcoming common diversity recruiting strategy challenges and building a more inclusive workplace as the company grows.
DEI analysis paralysis occurs because companies are overwhelmed and afraid of making mistakes, she said. She says it’s more important to start and make progress than to wait for everything to be perfect.
“There’s been a lot of information, data and research done on how…diversification improves productivity, improves business results, drives the next round of financing and better valuations,” Lenhardt said.
Data-driven decision-making
But before you educate your leadership team on DEI, you should first collect and analyze current workforce demographics. This way, you can identify specific areas where your organization can improve. After forming a working draft of a diversity recruiting strategy, the data can be used to set goals, track progress, and measure impact.
“Where do we compare to national benchmarks? How does that align with who we are as an organization? How does that relate to what we believe in… the values of the type of company we want to build?” she said.
Lenhardt gave an example of how a corporate DEI report at Tomorrow Health found women were underrepresented in leadership positions and how the company collaborated to close the gender gap.
“It’s (closer) to 25 percent, but we have a significant number of women and female-identifying people who are not represented on the leadership team. … We set the expectation for every recruiting manager that we can To do that within their teams, within their recruitment plans, they need to seriously consider bringing in more female representation and leadership. … For every department leader, every senior executive, we do data analysis and presentation,” she said.
Since then, the company’s leadership is now 55 percent female, according to Lenhardt.
Opposition to Diversity Recruitment Strategies
Since the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in education, organizational education initiatives have lost significant momentum.
So if the mention of a diversity recruiting strategy elicits an eye-roll, here’s what you should respond, according to Lenhardt: “What are the five to seven key skills or traits you’re looking for throughout your organization? … Then you can go back to that leader and manager and say, “Let’s define this role and what these skills look like for you. “And then from there, then go back to the talent acquisition team and say, ‘Okay, we need diverse candidates who meet these skills and criteria. Let’s figure out the best way to find them (and) acquire them.”
Once managers see a variety of candidates checking all of those boxes, a symbolic light bulb goes on above their heads.
“They are often…pleasantly surprised by the quality and caliber of talent they see,” Lenhardt said.
Include follow-up actions
Once diversity benchmarks are met, it’s important to create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and valued.
“I think that’s something you have to continue to put in the work … by listening, getting feedback, and figuring out how to not only create the right space for a diverse group of people, but to make everyone feel like they really fit in and belong in that environment,” Lun Hart said, citing the example of bringing in a consultant to ensure female leaders are seen and heard in meetings.
Tomorrow Health effectively retains a diverse workforce through employee resource groups for LGBTQIA+ employees, female leadership candidates and working parents. Additionally, during the onboarding process, the company has a buddy system that pairs new employees from different departments.
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