Summary
Having a diverse workforce means a set of employees who have similarities but also differ in terms of age, ethnicity, background, and other characteristics (SHRM, 2016). There are multiple methods that an HR manager can use to attract a diverse workforce, and this paper will detail 4 of them. This paper will discuss ways of increasing diversity, as well as some laws and regulations that address proper hiring practices and confidentiality of employee data.
Recommendations
Firstly, it is necessary to review the source of talent and consider including other mediums. For example, if an HR team consistently uses the same set of listings, websites, Linkedin groups, and other sources, it is a good idea to include other sources of talent. Moreover, Martic (2019) recommends reviewing the set of characteristics that the HRs consider when reviewing candidates’ responses and “proactively sourcing and adding veterans, autistic people, ex-offenders, LGBTIQ people, people over 40, people with disabilities” (para. 4). This inclusion matters because HRs can reserve to use the strategies that have worked for them for years and dismiss candidates that do not suit the typical choice criteria. One option to increase diversity would be to proactively reach out to communities that unite people who would bring diversity to the organization and ask if they have potential employees with a certain set of qualifications. Therefore, the first recommendation is to enhance the talent pool by advertising the position on different platforms and broadening the criteria for the candidate screenings.
Next, HR can incorporate diversity into the company’s strategy for talent recruitment, which is why it is also important to voice this approach to recruiting. One way to achieve this is by including a diversity statement on the company’s website and discussing in detail how the organization achieves diversity. This will show the potential candidates that they are welcome to send their resumes since the business recognizes the value of diversity. The same idea can be applied to job descriptions and posts about the organization since it is important to show that the HR manager is proactively looking to diversify the workforce.
The next recommendation is to leverage the websites and websites with job postings that specifically target a diverse workforce. According to Martic (2019), currently, there is a number of resources that unite people with particular characteristics and are suitable for HRs who want to diversify their workforce. For example, the Hire Autism website is specifically designed for candidates with autism, which means that HRs can use this website to incorporate a person with this condition into the workforce. Alternatively, Hire Purpose is designed for veterans and former military officials who are looking for a job. Hence, contemporary HRs can take advantage of the technology and the fact that there are multiple internet resources that help people from different backgrounds find a job. Thus, after recognizing the need for diversifying the workforce, and HR can advertise the job on these and other platforms, which will allow them to have a broader and more diverse candidate pool.
The final recommendation is to actively promote diverse hiring by educating the recruiters on the basis and ensuring that they understand how to hire a diverse workforce and what methods to use. Education is the key to this recommendation because all people have biases and stereotypes that control their behavior, and in the case of HR, the recruiting decisions. One way to overcome these biases is through self-education and by noticing the patterns and barriers that may obstruct the recruiter from choosing different candidates. Thus, the promotion of hiring diversity begins with recognizing the thoughts and stereotypes that may obstruct one from considering different groups of people when reviewing candidates.
Laws
When recruiting a diverse workforce, it is important for HR to adhere to the employment recruitment laws to avoid discriminating against the talent pool; the basic requirements for data protection require following the “legal obligations, such as data-breach notification requirements and privacy laws” (“Why is confidentiality critical to human resources?” n.d., para. 1). The legal system has clear boundaries for the type of information that employers should and must collect and what hiring practices are considered discriminatory.
As for employment opportunities, the United States has several policies that regulate the recruitment process and enable a fair opportunity for people applying for job positions. Mainly, those are the “Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), Patriot Act, and equal employment opportunity (EEO)” (“4.2 the law and recruitment,” n.d., para. 1). First and foremost, the legal system sets clear boundaries regarding the employee’s immigration status as it is against the law to hire people who are not staying in the country legally. Hence, although the practice of workforce diversity encourages hiring individuals from different states, HR still must ensure that they are legal immigrants under IRCA. This policy prohibits any illegal work, including that done by temporary employees or individuals hired by a subcontractor (“4.2 the law and recruitment,” n.d.). To make certain that the hiring process is done following the IRCA the HR should screen the applicants and ask if they are legally allowed to work in the state before inviting them for an interview.
The second law that relates to workforce diversity is EEO, which is a set of regulations that aim to ensure that there is no discrimination based on personal characteristics during the hiring process (“4.2 the law and recruitment,” n.d.). Typically, companies have an EEO statement in their job postings that highlights the fact that there is no discrimination based on personal characteristics. For workforce diversity, EEO enforces the idea that recruiters should examine a broad pool of talent consisting of people of different ethnicities, ages, gender, and varied backgrounds. Hence, if an HR manager were to dismiss a candidate solely on the basis of their age, for example, the candidate would have a legal group to file a lawsuit against this business.
Both laws require companies to collect information about the talent they are screening. EEO requires businesses that employ over 15 people to collect information that can be later used by agencies when investigating discrimination claims (“4.2 the law and recruitment,” n.d.). These policies, therefore, also concern employee data privacy and information sharing since although businesses have to collect and maintain databases of employee information, it should be secure and protected from unauthorized access. Hence, EEO relates both to workforce diversity and the protection of employee data.
Confidentiality and Privacy
It is vital to understand that HR managers have access to the personal information of the employees and candidates, and this entrusted data should be under protection. As was mentioned in the previous section, businesses are legally obliged to collect information about their workers under the EEO (“4.2 the law and recruitment,” n.d.). One implication of this need is that in case a person files a complaint due to workplace discrimination, the investigators can access the data and examine the evidence. However, these databases contain personal and private information about individuals that should not be accessed by others, which is why organizations must have systems of data protection in place. Confidentiality and privacy must be protected by having appropriate IT systems where candidates’ data is stored. Access to this information must be restricted to ensure that only the HRs can review information. Moreover, if the company collects data on paper, it should be stored and protected appropriately as well, for example, in the office of the HR manager. When hiring a candidate, HR may need to share information with other employees or managers, and it is essential to clearly highlight the necessity to confide in the data that is being shared.
Overall, this paper focuses on diversity in the workplace and addresses three methods that HR can use to recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds. First, it is vital to recognize and communicate to the talent that the organization and the HR team welcome diversity. With this, the HRs should review their screening criteria and consider talent pools with characteristics of a diverse workforce, such as people of different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
References
4.2 the law and recruitment. (n.d.). Web.
Martic, K. (2019). 10 ways to attract and hire diverse candidates. Medium. Web.
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (2016). Employee job satisfaction and engagement: Revitalizing a changing workforce. Web.
Why is confidentiality critical to human resources? (n.d.). Web.