1. How to Write the Job Description
Arguably the most important part of the process; it is the act of opening the doors to diverse candidates
Ask oneself, “Does the job posting avoid words that might discourage women, people of color, and other members of underrepresented groups from applying?” (source)
Avoid gendered language
Here are a list of examples of masculine- and feminine-coded language to consider when writing a job description
There are several tools one can use to detect gendered language in a job description: Gender Bias Decoder; Textio; Gender Decoder
Use gender neutral pronouns, such as “they” or “you”
General rules of thumb: avoid aggressive language (e.g. “crush”) and superlatives (e.g. “superior”)
Avoid requiring “[x] years of experience,” which can exclude younger applicants; instead, specify the specific skill required (e.g. knowledge of social media) (source)
Avoid unnecessary dress requirements, e.g. disallowing head coverings can dissuade people from many religious backgrounds from applying (source)
Outline the organization’s benefits
Ask oneself, “Does your company have an official mission statement? How about a stance on diversity and inclusion? What do your benefits packages look like? Do you offer parental leave? Paid family sick leave?” (source)
Also include employee opportunities, such as mentorship programs
Provide the organization’s DEI statement
2. How to Advertise the Job
Demonstrate the organization’s existing diversity (source; source)
On the organization’s website, social media, etc. include photos of diverse employees as well as make their personal stories available for candidates to access (could be a drop-down tab on the website)
Here is a list of 25 diverse job boards where one can advertise the position; includes boards for people of color, women, queer people, disabled people, veterans, older people, and people with criminal records
Connect with diverse organizations, such as HBCUs, groups dedicated to a diverse cause (e.g. an organization for women of color in tech), as well as “nontraditional” organizations, such as rehabilitation centers (source)
3. How to Put Together the Hiring Committee
Ensure those involved in the hiring process have completed implicit/unconscious bias training; for example, Harvard offers its Implicit Association Test (IAT), which one can use to get a better understanding of the biases they currently hold
The Harvard Business Review also offers a breakdown of effective unconscious bias training for those uncertain where to begin
Ensure the hiring committee is itself diverse, with at least three people from different backgrounds involved at each step of the process (source)
By putting together a diverse hiring committee, one has already taken a critical step to ensure biases will be questioned and privilege considered during the hiring process because the different backgrounds of the committee members will be able to “catch” one another
Ask oneself, “Has the hiring committee carefully and thoughtfully discussed the criteria for screening applicants and come to a shared agreement about how criteria will be applied?” (source)
In other words, make sure the hiring committee is on the same page; simple but critical
4. How to Undergo the Hiring Process
Conduct a blind résumé review (source; source)
Exclude items such as name, gender, age, race, education history, years of experience, photos, etc.
Allows for the closest possible scenario of “merit-based” assessment
Always be willing to reconsider the “necessity” of certain degrees
Ask oneself if a level of education is truly required for a position; for example, does a candidate truly need a master’s degree, or would a bachelor’s provide them with the appropriate knowledge?
Ask oneself if a specific degree is truly required for a position; certain majors are often dominated by certain genders (with higher-paying degrees more often dominated by men), and thus a specific degree requirement may limit the applicant pool
Ask all candidates the same interview questions in the same order to allow for more direct comparisons between candidates (source)
5. How to Evaluate Candidates
It goes without saying, but evaluate all candidates using the same criteria
The University of Washington’s HR department provides two different candidate evaluation form templates to help ensure candidates are evaluated fairly, equitably, and with minimal influence of bias (for example, assessing the adaptability of the candidate, how prepared they presented themself as, etc.): Template 1 & Template 2
What to consider during the evaluation process:
Members of the hiring committee should be on the same page about what constitutes a given rating (e.g. on a scale of 1 to 5, the difference between a 3 and 4, etc.); moreover, they should hold each other accountable to remain consistent in how they provide ratings
“Discuss multiple ways candidates can meet or demonstrate the criteria,” i.e. no rating should be limited to the presentation of only one trait
Keep in mind one’s implicit biases, e.g. determined by Harvard’s IAT, such as by asking oneself why one supports one candidate but excludes another
Discuss a candidate’s strengths first, i.e. what skills they as an individual could bring to the organization
Do not let numerical ratings be the sole deciding factor
“Select the candidate that is most qualified for the role. Most qualified does not automatically mean the candidate who is most formally educated or with the most years of experience. It also does not mean the candidate with the overall highest score. The most qualified is the candidate who is able [to] demonstrate they meet or exceed the criteria for the role, and who may also bring a different cultural perspective or unique expertise to the position and department.” (source)
When offering a job, ask oneself, “Has the committee attempted to ensure that new hires from underrepresented groups are not offered less pay or less prestigious titles for the same work?” (source)
Other Tools:
This website provides an editable checklist for undergoing a diverse hiring process; for example, it includes a section to write the relevant job description, evaluate the organization’s diversity statistics, and so on. In other words, it’s a way to lay out much of the information discussed above in a way specific to one’s organization.
