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5 Ways to Increase Talent Diversity as You Grow Your Startup

Posted by Neha De

December 24, 2018

According to a study by McKinsey, companies with more diverse workforces perform better financially. Companies with a diverse talent base are also more productive and have employees that show more initiative.

As you grow your startup and continue the hiring process, diversity will be important to your hiring strategy.

Increasing diversity and inclusion at your startup takes a commitment from the top down and the bottom up, and it has to start with you.

If you’re ready to make the commitment to increase diversity, check out these five ways to increase talent diversity as you grow your startup.

#1: Increase Awareness

As you start your diversity planning, you want to include the current members of your team.

Your messaging must be company-wide, so consider bringing in someone to help you get started and to provide training.

Your first step is increasing awareness among your current employees. This shouldn’t be hard as you’ll most likely find they want to be part of the effort.

For diversity hiring to be a success, you want to make it a team effort. As a startup you are uniquely poised to set the tone for your startup.

You can include diversity into the very fabric of your employee culture.

#2: Recruit with Purpose

If you’re looking to increase your talent diversity, you want to look to business and universities in your area. For example, if you’re looking to hire more women, and there is a women’s college near you, reach out to their offices and start a dialogue.

Begin and nurture relationships with those who can help you grow your diverse team.

#3: Take a Look at Your Hiring Practices

Ask yourself if your hiring tactics unintentionally exclude certain groups of applicants.

Without meaning to, you might be excluding people either based on your application, your application process, your timing, or a number of other factors.

#4: Use Inclusive Wording

When posting your open positions, be careful of your wording. Why? You may find that because of your job descriptions, some candidates may self-select themselves out of the running.

For example, some experts say gender-biased wording exists. So, be conscious of the words you use if you want to attract more diverse candidates. Focus on your company values and the criteria that’s important to the job at hand. Also, avoid emotional working.

#5: Do Blind Resume Reviews

Whether you know it or not, reviewing resumes with personal information can create bias.

For example, if you get a job application from a 20-year old, a 40-year old, and a 60-year old, who are you going to automatically put to the side regardless of their qualifications? In addition, ethnic sounding names may cause bias as well.

Consider looking at resumes without names or personal information like birth-dates or addresses. A blind resume review helps relieve you of any subconscious bias.

Final Thoughts

Weaving diversity based hiring strategies into your startup are good for business. They impact your workplace in many ways.

You’ll find that the more diverse your startup, the better able you are to attract top talent which in turn makes happier employees who serve your customers better.

Go ahead and take some of these tips and start embracing diversity in your startup. Value each team member’s opinion and the differences they bring to your team.

When it comes to finding a diverse talent base, you want to make it priority from the beginning. Hiring correctly should be priority number one.

As a whole, each piece works together helping grow your startup and increase your success.

Are you a new startup ready to succeed? Are you looking to get your new business off the ground and watch it rise to success? We are here for you. We can help answer your questions and guide you through the process. Outsource your HR duties, finances, payroll and more to us. Contact Escalon today to get started.

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5 Ways to Increase Talent Diversity as You Grow Your Startup

#1: Increase Awareness

#2: Recruit with Purpose

#3: Take a Look at Your Hiring Practices

#4: Use Inclusive Wording

#5: Do Blind Resume Reviews

Final Thoughts

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