Over the last two weeks, I’ve shared a mix of general and specific hiring objectives. I hope you’ve enjoyed these insights and they’ve been useful in helping you hire the right candidates.
For my final piece in this three-part series, I’d like to shine the spotlight on diversity and inclusion.
Research has shown innovation, financial performance, and stronger and faster decision making are some of the many benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
At Clicks, we have no doubt that our talented and diverse workforce is the reason we’re so successful. This diversity helps us both culturally and commercially. One of the reasons I’m so proud to be a Clickster.
So, what hiring objectives could you focus on to support a diverse and inclusive workforce, and achieve these benefits for your organisation?
Increase the Diversity in Your Hires.
Sam Micich, Chief Operating Officer, is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, and Clicks’ Diversity Champion.
If you were at the TechDiversity conference last year, you would have heard Sam speak.In her public workshops, Sam shares a number of great suggestions that are easy and free to implement. They also have the potential to have a high impact in addressing gender equity in hiring:
- Include women on your hiring panel
- Add the following statement to your job ad “We welcome applications from those returning to the workforce”, as most return to work parents are females
- Be specific about your essential requirements. Reconsider the need to include your ‘nice to have’ requirements, as females will generally only apply for a position if they meet 100% of the requirements
Some further suggestions from Sam include:
Discover and Address Your Unconscious Bias Head on.
Assessments such as the Harvard Implicit Associate Test may help you uncover your unconscious bias. We all have them. Be warned, the results may be confronting!
Help Improve Gender Pay Equity.
Research what a role is worth and pay that. Don’t ask people what they were on, as their current or most recent salary could be below market rates. Research shows females are far less comfortable asking for money compared to their male peers. If you think you could be ‘grabbing a bargain’ because a female accepts a lower salary, she won’t say anything, she’ll just leave when she finds someone prepared to pay her market worth. This will create a loss far greater than the difference in salary you should have paid. Pay fairness is a key factor in employee engagement.
Create More Work for More.
Consider whether you can offer the role on a job share basis. This could be a great way to attract females who are looking for flexibility. You are creating more employment opportunities and could benefit from moving quickly with filling the role. The skills required will be spread across two resources, and you’ll have built-in leave coverage (just don’t approve leave for them both at the same time!).
Finally, Be Clear on Your Onboarding and Induction Experience.
Think about the onboarding and induction experience. How will you set up the new starter for success? How will you familiarise them with your company goals, strategy, direction, ways of working, and company culture? Is your process flexible to ensure success for all?
You’ve spent so much time and effort with the hiring process, you want to make sure everyone has the best experience and is set up for success. We understand that onboarding while working remotely can be challenging, which is why we set up a dedicated landing page with Remote Workforce resources.
We’ve given you plenty of suggestions to consider! I hope you find them helpful enough to include in your hiring objectives this year. You can read more about Clicks’ ongoing work on diversity in recruitment here.
If you are interested in discussing more about diversity, including females in leadership roles, diversity hiring targets, and hiring neurodiverse talent, or any of these topics, please let me know. For contractor support or any hiring needs, please reach out to your Clicks Account Manager or me on 0438 355 792 to see how we can help.
Regional General Manager, NSW & QLD
