Four Key Diversity Recruitment & Retention Strategies

From BusinessTrainingMedia.com Workforce Article Library

1) Focus on retention. Most employers find that it is generally easier to recruit people than it is to retain them. Unless organizations create a climate that welcomes and is hospitable to those who are in some way different from the existing group, costly turnovers will continue as new talent leaves.

2) Develop internal candidates for promotion. Make sure any overt barriers to promotion of internal candidates is removed. For example, is information about position openings and developmental opportunities accessible to all employees through an organization-wide posting system?

3) Build a reputation for being diversity-friendly. The image that your organization conveys to the public will affect your recruitment results. While your advertisements, brochures, and annual reports help to form a certain perception, sometimes information passed informally by word-of-mouth has an even greater impact. If your company is seen as one that offers real opportunities to diverse employees, where all employees are treated with respect and where line/senior management is composed of a mix of people, you will likely find diverse applicants coming to you. This reputation factor is invaluable in stimulating a natural source of job candidates.

4) Build and expand your informal network. Similar to general recruiting, building relationships is even more critical in the diversity management realm. Your recruitment efforts will depend on the quality of the relationships you cultivate with diverse individuals, both inside the organization and outside in the community. For example, in your company, do you know whose nieces and nephews are entering the job market, whose relatives have just completed MBA initiatives, or whose relatives are looking for work in your industry?

Developing mutually beneficial relationships is an important recruitment mechanism. A proactive approach to recruitment can enable you to be more effective in helping your organization achieve its goal of a productive and diverse workforce.