6 Hiring Practices to Build Inclusive Teams

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Building an inclusive team is crucial for any organization that wants to succeed in today’s diverse world. Inclusive teams bring innovation, productivity, and engagement, as they can better serve a diverse customer base and community. Research has shown that diverse and inclusive workplaces lead to higher revenue growth and greater readiness to innovate. Here are some tips on how recruiters can build a more inclusive team:

1. Start with a culture of diversity and inclusion: Building an inclusive team starts with creating a culture of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This means that your company should be committed to diversity and inclusion at all levels, from the leadership team to the front-line employees. Start by setting and communicating clear goals for inclusion.
2. Source diverse skills, experiences, and voices: To build an inclusive team, you need to source candidates with diverse skills, experiences, and backgrounds. You should look beyond traditional recruiting networks to actively seek out candidates from underrepresented groups. WAIV technology uses a holistic approach to match candidates to open positions.
3. Use inclusive language in job descriptions: Language is an important part of building an inclusive team. Use gender-neutral language and avoid terms that may be biased or exclusionary. For example, instead of using the term “rockstar” to describe a candidate, use more neutral terms like “high-performing” or “talented.”
4. Educate your team: Educating your recruiting team on the importance of inclusion is crucial for building an inclusive team. Provide training on unconscious bias, cultural competence, and inclusive recruiting practices. This will help your team to recognize their own biases and to make more informed and inclusive hiring decisions.
5. Involve diverse people in the hiring process: Involving diverse people in the hiring process can help to ensure that your team is inclusive. You want to organically show that you are not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. This means including diverse employees in the interview process, and seeking out feedback from diverse candidates. This will help to ensure that your team is inclusive and welcoming to all employees. 
6. Build an inclusive talent pool: Building an inclusive talent pool is an ongoing process that requires continuous effort. This means that you should be constantly seeking out new sources of talent, and actively engaging with diverse candidates. 
7. Acknowledge unconscious bias: It is important to acknowledge that everyone has unconscious biases and actively work to overcome them. 

By following these practices, your organization can attract and retain a range of talented candidates, foster a culture of inclusion, and ultimately drive innovation and success. Inclusive cultures help people feel valued and proud of their work. Inclusive companies are more likely to create a workforce that reflects a variety of backgrounds and experiences, which aids in targeting messages to the desired audience. It is crucial to acknowledge that diversity and inclusion are ongoing processes that require continuous effort and awareness. Embracing diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do, but it can be a strategic advantage in today’s competitive business landscape.