How to Source and Build a Diverse Talent Pool

Greg Johnston

As a recruiter, it’s important to source and build a diverse talent pool. A diverse workforce not only promotes innovation and creativity but also reflects the diversity of the community and customers you serve. In this article, we’ll discuss how to source and build a diverse talent pool.

1. Define Diversity

Before you can start building a diverse talent pool, you need to define what diversity means to your organization. Diversity can include characteristics such as race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability, and more.

Let’s say your company values both demographic diversity (like race, gender, etc.) and cognitive diversity (diversity of thought and experiences). You might define diversity within your organization as not only having employees from a mix of racial and gender backgrounds, but also having employees from various educational backgrounds, career paths, and industries.

2. Expand Sourcing Channels

Traditional sourcing channels, such as job boards, may not always attract a diverse pool of candidates. Expand your sourcing channels to reach a wider and more diverse audience.

For example, an NGO aiming to increase gender diversity might post job advertisements on websites like Women for Hire or The Muse, both of which have a predominantly female audience. To reach candidates of different ethnic backgrounds, they could also partner with associations like the National Society of Black Engineers or the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

3. Eliminate Bias

Bias can often creep into the recruitment process, whether consciously or unconsciously. To build a diverse talent pool, it’s important to eliminate bias in all stages of the recruitment process.

For instance, a finance firm looking to minimize bias could use software to anonymize applications, removing information like names that might unconsciously influence the recruiter’s decision. They could also standardize interview questions for each role to ensure all candidates are assessed equitably.

4: Foster Inclusion

Building a diverse talent pool is only the first step. It’s important to foster inclusion in the workplace to ensure all employees feel valued and included.

A company striving for an inclusive culture might create employee resource groups (ERGs) for different demographics, such as an ERG for LGBTQ+ employees or a group for employees with disabilities. These ERGs can provide support, networking opportunities, and a platform to raise concerns or suggestions to the management team.

5: Measure Success

It’s important to measure the success of your efforts to source and build a diverse talent pool. This can help identify areas for improvement and track progress over time.

A company dedicated to diversity might track metrics like the percentage of women and underrepresented minorities hired, retention rates of these groups, and how many diverse employees advance to management roles. They might also use anonymous surveys to gauge employee sentiment about the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts

Sourcing and building a diverse talent pool is essential for promoting innovation and creativity in the workplace. By defining diversity, expanding sourcing channels, eliminating bias, fostering inclusion, and measuring success, you can build a diverse talent pool that reflects the diversity of the community and customers you serve.