10 ways to attract and retain diverse candidates

Author: Ross Linnett, CEO and Founder of Recite Me

This guest blog, written by Ross Linnett, CEO and Founder of Recite Me, explores how businesses can attract and retain diverse candidates.

Who is Recite Me?

Recite Me, has been a partner of Jobtrain for several years and is a leading provider of website accessibility software. Together, Recite Me and Jobtrain have been working to make the candidate experience more inclusive.

Through the partnership, Jobtrain customers can empower their candidates to personalise the look and feel of career websites according to their individual needs, using the Recite Me Assistive Toolbar. This tool offers a variety of accessibility and language support options, ensuring that a broader range of candidates can engage with job postings and applications effectively.

Introduction

In today's competitive job market, attracting and retaining diverse talent is much more than a moral imperative or a check-box exercise on your team’s DEI checklist. It’s a business necessity.

Research by Glassdoor shows that 76% of job seekers consider a diverse workforce important when evaluating companies and offers. Plus, there are some significant bottom-line benefits because companies prioritising diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are more innovative, adaptive, and successful than their competitors. According to Harvard Business Review, inclusive organisations are:

• 73% more likely to reap innovation revenue.
• 70% more likely to capture new markets.
• Up to 50% more likely to make better decisions.
• Up to 36% more likely to have above-average profitability.

But precisely how do you go about designing an inclusive recruitment process? Here’s everything you need to know.

According to Fortune/Deloitte’s 2024 CEO Survey, talent acquisition, retention, and employee engagement are among the top barriers to advancing DEI. Here’s an actionable list of ways to overcome those barriers.

Make DEI a top-down consideration

When leaders visibly support and prioritise diversity, it permeates through your organisational culture, encouraging broader participation and commitment. So, DEI initiatives must be driven from the top, with executives and managers actively promoting and participating in diversity efforts. Whether it’s setting clearer DEI goals, assessing processes and progress more regularly, or taking steps to hold leaders accountable for DEI outcomes, C-suite commitment to DEI sets the tone for the entire company. 

Design an accessible website/careers website

An accessible website demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity from the outset, making it easier for diverse candidates to engage with your job postings. Inaccessible websites make your content difficult for visitors with neurodivergent traits, disabilities (whether physical or hidden), cognitive differences, etc., to navigate and read. The minimum baseline for ‘making a website accessible’ is typically based on globally recognised Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards. More specifically, version 2.1, Level AA. Run a free scan and check the accessibility of your website’s homepage here. 

Write inclusive job descriptions

Job descriptions must be carefully crafted if you’re to attract the broadest range of candidates. Best practices include:

• Using straightforward language that is gender-neutral and unbiased towards people of varied ages, backgrounds, and abilities. 
• Making role requirements clear, specific, and behaviour-based.
• Outlining the recruitment timeline.
• Being clear about accommodations available during the application process.
• Letting candidates know what to expect at each stage of the process so they have adequate time to prepare.

Use inclusive imagery and multimedia

Your multimedia content can significantly impact how candidates view your potential as an employer. Including diverse representations of employees across various backgrounds and abilities helps people visualise what a future with your company might look like. You’ll also need to consider the accessibility of the media you use online by providing:

• Alternative text for images.
• Closed captions and audio descriptions on videos.
• Transcripts for audio content.

Build accessible job application forms

Did you know that only one in three job seekers think employers and recruiters make online job applications suitably accessible? Furthermore, research shows that 34% of individuals who start a form fail to complete it successfully. So, what makes an application form inaccessible? Common issues include factors like:

• Poor formatting
• Unnecessary timed tasks
• Non-dyslexia friendly fonts
• Incompatibility with screen reader technology
• Lack of alternative options like plain text or accessible PDF versions

Create an inclusive selection process

Your organisation should develop an inclusive recruitment checklist to optimise diversity and inclusion at every touchpoint. Examples of factors to consider include:

• Training hiring managers on unconscious bias
• Creating diverse interview panels
• Standardising interview questions to ensure fairness 

It’s also essential to evaluate candidates based on their potential and skills rather than their fit into a preconceived mould. Implementing blind recruitment techniques can help with this, as can building and rotating a shortlisting team to ensure decision-making doesn’t consistently fall upon the same person/ people.

Allow for individual adjustments in recruiting, onboarding, and orientation process

Flexibility shows respect for candidates’ individual needs and can help you attract top talent who might otherwise be overlooked. Specific strategies include offering remote interview options, providing accommodations for candidates with disabilities, and being open to alternative assessment methods. This also extends to ensuring your website can be viewed in a way that works best for your candidate's individual needs. Assistive technology, like the Recite Me Assistive Toolbar can allow candidates to customise their website experience, try out the Recite Me toolbar on your website here.

Improve your organisational culture

The work doesn’t stop once you’ve found the best candidates. You also need to ensure they are happy, engaged, and motivated if you’re to foster loyalty and retain them. A positive organisational culture enhances employee satisfaction and retention by creating a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. Specific measures may include:

• Encouraging open dialogue about diversity.
• Providing regular DEI training.
• Celebrating diverse perspectives and contributions. 
• Promoting the use of employee resource groups (ERGs).

Commit to continual monitoring and improvement

A commitment to continual improvement demonstrates your organisation’s dedication to long-term DEI success. You should continuously monitor and assess your progress by collecting and analysing recruitment, retention, and employee satisfaction data to identify areas for improvement. Setting up inclusion metrics, seeking employee feedback, and running regular physical and digital accessibility audits are all essential for making informed decisions and driving positive change. 

Seek expert third-party support

Sometimes, the best way to enhance your DEI efforts is to seek external expertise. Networking with DEI leaders and reaching out to diversity and inclusion recruitment specialists are proven ways to ensure your DEI strategies are practical, effective, and aligned with best practices. You can also reach out to digital inclusion specialists like Recite Me, who offer free accessibility training and dedicated software solutions that can be tailored to your organisation’s needs.