Hiring for diversity: the challenges

Diverse recruitment can present several challenges for businesses, stemming from various factors including biases, systemic barriers, and misconceptions. Overcoming these challenges requires a varied approach that involves awareness, education, policy changes, and ongoing commitment from leadership. Companies need to actively address biases, revise recruitment strategies, foster inclusive company cultures and provide equal opportunities for growth and advancement to candidates from all backgrounds
Employers may face challenges in finding diverse talent due to several reasons:

1. Limited Outreach and Networking: Some employers may not have robust networks or connections with diverse communities, making it challenging to reach and attract candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
   
2. Unconscious Bias in Selection: Unconscious bias during the candidate selection process can lead employers to overlook diverse talent or favor candidates who resemble their own backgrounds.
   
3. Narrow Search Criteria: Employers may have specific and rigid criteria for job requirements that inadvertently exclude candidates from diverse backgrounds who possess different but equally valuable skills and experiences.
   
4. Competitive Job Market: In highly competitive industries, diverse candidates might receive multiple job offers and may be more selective in choosing employers that prioritize diversity and inclusion.
   
5. Lack of Inclusive Employer Branding: Companies that do not actively promote their commitment to diversity and inclusion in their employer branding may struggle to attract diverse talent.
   
6. Inadequate Recruitment Channels: Employers may rely on recruitment channels that do not effectively reach diverse candidate pools, such as exclusive job boards or career fairs.
   
7. Location and Relocation Constraints: If an employer's location is not diverse or lacks resources to support relocation, it can limit the diversity of the applicant pool.
   
8. Limited Educational Access: Diverse communities may have limited access to quality education and training opportunities, leading to fewer qualified candidates from these backgrounds.
   
9. Inclusive Culture Perception: Some employers may have reputations for not having an inclusive workplace culture, which dissuades diverse candidates from applying.
   
10. Unattractive Perks or Benefits: If an organization's benefits package does not address the unique needs of diverse candidates, it can deter them from considering the job.
    
11. Lack of Internal Diversity Initiatives: If a company does not prioritize diversity and inclusion internally, it may not have the necessary support systems in place to attract and retain diverse talent.
    

To overcome these challenges, employers must take proactive steps to improve their diversity recruiting efforts. This includes establishing partnerships with organizations that promote diversity, leveraging inclusive recruitment practices, broadening their candidate sourcing strategies, and cultivating an inclusive company culture that values and supports diversity at all levels. Additionally, transparently promoting diversity and inclusion in their employer branding can help attract diverse talent and create a more diverse workforce.
The Bristol Women in Business Charter works with its Signatories to breakdown and overcome many of these challenges and our upcoming event will focus on this difficult task.