​Workplace diversity is not a new concept nor is it a HR stint to look good in the public eye. However, companies often hire the same people with similar personality traits time and time again. The concept regarding hiring mirror-like employees leads to a severe lack of diversity in your workforce as the majority of employees have almost identical backgrounds in education and career history. In some instances, this may not be a conscious efforts for companies hiring the same people to drive the same success, all hiring managers and senior leadership teams want to see new hires achieving what previous employees have.

Not only does this limit the growth potential of the organisation, but limits the creativity and innovation amongst the workforce. A diverse workforce brings fresh perspectives, challenges existing internal infrastructure, and creates new ideas to contribute towards the future of the firm. The benefits of a diverse workforce speak for themselves, Gartner reported a study reveals that employee performance in diverse organisations is 12 percent higher than employee performance in companies with no inclusivity efforts. 

As mentioned above, diversity is a key factor when building and scaling successful teams. Check out our tips below! 

Start from the top. 

Ensure C-Suite professionals 'lead from the front' with the diversity initiatives. Senior leadership teams must show their commitment to diversity in hiring by acknowledging their lack of diversity is an issue and what it could mean for the business. Educating from the top down is a great way to make informed hiring decisions across the wider organisation. 

Re-define the hiring process. 

Your entire process should be broken down and re-considered. Job descriptions is great place to start as relaxing the mandatory requirements for jobs can lead to a more diverse pool of candidates to go through the screening process. Diversify your own interview panel! Hiring managers are more likely to look for potential employees who are similar to themselves, mitigate the risk through ensuring the employees on the hiring panel are diverse. 

Set goals. 

Attach goals and numbers to your diversity requirements to ensure the organisation stays committed to hiring a diverse team. Rather than simply saying to 'increase', set specific aspirations that are achievable in the given time frame. Set SMART goals.  

Value is key. 

Make sure diversity hiring efforts are valued and not seen as a tick-box exercise to look good in the public eye. Employee recognition programmes, rewards systems, and progression opportunities can all contribute towards employees sense of value within the organisation. 

Looking for help to build out your teams in the tech sector?

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