Agencies, your half-hearted attempts at diversity in the workplace are inexcusable. Diversifying your workforce or promoting inclusivity in your office is not a trend – it should be a company value. Among the list of your company’s long-term goals should be maintaining a diverse workforce and inclusive community. So how are you going to accomplish that?
First, agencies should drop the optics. It isn't meaningful to your staff, recruiters, or candidates to say your company values diversity. Nor is tacking a poster on a wall in a low-traffic area.
Second, agencies should ensure the executive tier and hiring managers understand the company's directive in sustaining workplace diversity, which means that all members should understand what diversity means, why it is crucial, and their role in upholding its value and directives.
Third, agencies must act. Once is not acceptable. Occasionally remembering these directives is not good enough. Agencies must constantly work toward maintaining -a diverse workforce – of individuals of different ethnicities, identities, and cultures – if they do not already have one.
Suppose an agency doesn't know precisely where to start. In that case, I recommend they immediately hire a diversity inclusion consultant or coordinator that will pinpoint where the agency goes wrong in the hiring process. A diversity inclusion consultant can identify and address harmful biases. In addition, they may create or enhance company strategies for diversifying the workforce or workshop with company leaders. If you know your agency is falling short in any of these areas, a diversity inclusion consultant is a worthwhile investment.
I know that while I may not be ethnically diverse, I came through the ranks of the industry when women were struggling to get a seat at the table. I understand the massive and minor obstacles that many ignore and stand in the way of ethnically diverse candidates. Regardless of whether executives or hiring managers like it, everyone must have a seat at the table.