Inclusive Hiring

Inclusive hiring is the approach where you as an employer need to make sure that your workforce is inclusive for all people, no matter their age, background or ethnicity. I am sure we can all agree that discriminating someone during the hiring process based on factors like age and ethnicitiy is not done, yet we still see it happen all around us.

How often does workplace discrimination happen?

In 2020 alone, the EEOC (US Equal Employment Oppurtunity Commission) reported more than 67.000 claims of workplace discrimination. An astounding number that proves the importance of an inclusive hiring process. You would think that with the recent movements like Black Lives Matter and Women Who Code, the equality and fairness in the workplace would improve but don't be fooled. The amount of workplace discrimination reports around the world is on the rise.

What forms of discrimination are most common?

According to research by EEOC, most reports for discrimination are about retaliation. This refers to, for example, not granting accommodation to people with disabilities or for religious practices. It is important to grant the right accomodation to a candidate if they require it. It may be as simple as allowing them to use translation software or a screen reader.

Retaliation is closely follwed by disabilities and ethnicity. Not considering someone for a position can not be based on disabilities or ethnicity, this does not fit in an inclusive hiring strategy. People with a disability or from a different ethnicity than yours can bring value to your company in ways that you may have not thought about.

Slightly lower on the list are discrimination based on sex and age. Sadly these forms of discrimination are still very common in many STEM companies. Women in STEM are still rare even though the amount of talent they bring to the table is incredible. We notice a similar trend with young people who are often denied a job based on lack of experience. During our many interactions with amazing young people we are disgusted by the applications and interviews they have had with companies, only to be declined last-minute based on age.

Many older people are also having trouble finding a new job. When someone loses their job after 50, many companies don't longer consider this person as a valuable candiate. Even though they bring significant experience and value to the table.

How can my company adopt an inclusive hiring strategy?

Adopting an inclusive hiring strategy doesn't have to be difficult. It doesn't even require major hiring process changes. Putting your personal feelings and opinions aside during the hiring process is enough to make your entire hiring strategy more inclusive. It is those personal opinions that often create unfair hiring processes, having a prejudice against a certain person because you have had a bad experience with someone similar to them is very common but absolutely not acceptable in an inclusive hiring strategy.

If you want to show the world that you are adopting an inclusive hiring strategy, you can start hiring through a fair hiring platform like Onboarded. Platforms like Onboarded guarantee your candidates that your using a fair, transparent and inclusive hiring strategy.

Ready to become a fair employer? Post your first position!