Employing a diverse workforce is a must for companies hoping to thrive in the modern business world. Inclusivity helps improve employee morale, which provides an important boost in your company’s retention rate. It also helps you attract the top IT candidates the organization needs for continued success.
What follows are a few of the best practices to build a diverse workforce in your office. Leverage these insights to position your company for continued growth in 2021 and beyond. It’s the right approach to inspire the necessary innovation to successfully compete in today’s technology landscape.
Foster a Culture Focused on Inclusion
Building a company culture where every employee feels valued helps foster inclusion. This process actually starts when sourcing candidates. Emphasize your company’s inclusivity during job ads, on your website, and when active in the community. The onboarding process also provides a great opportunity to give each new hire a true sense of belonging.
Your Leaders Need to Show Empathy
An empathic leadership team also helps to make every employee feel valued. Sabrina Clark, associate principal at SYPartners, a business specializing in transforming businesses, commented on this approach. “You have to make sure leaders are equipped to make the (diversity) story their own, feel it within themselves and be able to explain why they care, why it matters, and why it should matter to their direct reports,” said Clark.
When this kind of attitude comes from the top, it easily spreads throughout the organization. It ultimately plays a key role in transforming the company's culture into one more diverse and inclusive.
Don’t Rely on Hiring Quotas
Hiring quotas, while well-meaning, shouldn’t be the focus when building a diverse workforce. While the numbers might hint at diversity, retaining employees becomes difficult without the right culture. Of course, the recruiting process must change to source diverse candidates. However, all corporate processes need to transform to match the new company culture.
Inclusion is an Ongoing Process
Don’t assume providing some diversity training to your employees is all that’s necessary when building an inclusive workforce. It remains an ongoing effort, thus the importance of ingraining it into your culture. Consider making this approach the responsibility of your HR director or another executive. It’s the best way to ensure inclusivity becomes an important part of each employee’s workday.
If you need advice on building a diverse team at your organization, speak with Technology Partners' experts. As one of the top IT staffing companies in St. Louis, and a certified Women Business Enterprise, we provide great candidates able to make an impact for you. Connect with us as soon as possible.
