Happy 2024! There is something about this new year that has ramped up the alerts and invitations I receive to apply to positions leading diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts, or to leadership roles within organizations that cite DEIB among their core values or key strategies. One thing that, to me, stands out for the organizations that walk their equity talk is transparency. Transparency throughout the recruitment and hiring process is vital for fostering diversity and inclusion. The following is a non exhaustive breakdown of components in invitations and job postings that make companies' DEIB commitment believable to potential candidates.
Salary: They post the target salary or range. Of course regional markets vary, other fringe benefits impact whether a salary is acceptable to a candidate, and there are many variables that determine a position's salary with a specific organization; but whatever it is, post it. "Competitive" is not quantifiable, and if there is reluctance to share salaries to avoid possibly adjusting existing staff's salaries fairly, that is a loud inequity alarm. The bottom line is, strong candidates are not going to want to go through strenuous interview and preparation processes only to find out the salary range is not anywhere near what they are willing or able to accept.
Flexible benefits shared up front: Organizations that foster inclusion and belonging are reshaping the way they approach paid time off (PTO). For example, community-oriented companies are offering volunteer and community service hours allotments that allow employees to actually serve and be visible in their communities. This is a win-win for both job satisfaction and companies' community impact. In addition, equitable employers are offering generous or even unlimited PTO allowances. For example, some offer PTO that is not labeled as sick, personal, or vacation time, rather time to be used at team members' discretion. As well, I've heard from organizations that are focusing on project-based approaches versus "hours" for salaried positions and offering unlimited PTO packages to go with that structure - evaluating progress and contributions rather than specific work day lengths and amounts.
Remote work supported and encouraged: If there is work that can be done off-site, flexible and remote opportunities are rightfully increasingly available. For organizations seeking to reap the benefits of a diverse team, this provides broad access to qualified talent without the limitations of local commutes. In addition, remote opportunities foster inclusion and belonging by providing employees numerous benefits such as flexibility, independence, and better work-life harmony.
Clear, honest job descriptions: Descriptions that are a succinct representation of general responsibilities, including what percentage of a candidate's effort will likely be dedicated to each outlined expectation, feel most honest. An attractive job title will attract prospective team members to read the description or possibly apply, and knowing how much of their time will be dedicated to different responsibilities will solidify interest and extend to job satisfaction and retention. Sharing a laundry list of things that may or may not be frequently supported by the target position gets overwhelming and confusing. Further, clearly listing a job's physical requirements allows people of all abilities to request proper accommodations if necessary.
Value candidate time during the application process: Access begins with eliminating barriers. An unnecessarily time consuming application process is a barrier to attracting a broad pool of qualified applicants. Organizations can eliminate redundancy by not asking applicants to repeat information from required documents (such as résumés) to be hand-typed into multiple places. Additionally, companies should consider deciding what is essential information for an initial application and what can be requested when a candidate progresses beyond a first interview phase. Requiring things like multiple recent letters of recommendation for a particular position in the screening portion of a hiring process is a time-consuming barrier for applicants that is highly dependent on multiple people's availabilities. Let's be real, most of those letters won't even be read in detail when looking at an initial, large pool of applicants. References are usually reviewed and confirmed closer to the time of making an offer.
Transparent recruitment is essential to job satisfaction and retention. In 2024, talented potential team members are keenly aware of policies that speak to a culture of trust and professional respect (or those that don't). Organizations fostering grind- driven cultures of busy work as a measure of employee's worth, rather than trusting that people earn their salaries by contributing to major projects and working towards the organization's mission, will continue to experience talent shortages and mass exodi of existing team members. A more inclusive approach treats professionals as such, leads with trust, and provides tailored personal and professional development opportunities to support all team members' growth. When the culture is inclusive, built on trust, and respectful of peoples' value and expertise, people perform better, support one another, and willingly do more than expected. Consequently, transparency and inclusivity are truly good for business.
Thinking of liberation this and every year,
Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims
Co-owner and Principal Consultant
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