SHRM Talent ‘23 - Building a DEI Roadmap in Talent Acquisition

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to present at the recent SHRM Talent conference in Orlando on "Building a DEI Roadmap in Talent Acquisition". The session was attended by an engaged group of talent professionals from the 2,300 conference registrants. It was a pleasure to share insights and experiences gained from leading DEI consulting projects with AMS’s global clients. As being strategic in your DEI approach is incredibly important, it was exciting to see so many people interested in learning more about it.

The session covered practical tips for creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process that attracts and retains historically underrepresented talent.

Here are key takeaways from the presentation:

1. Be open and curious:  To get an accurate assessment of your recruitment process, it's essential to be curious about what's working well and what's not. If you don't have the resources to obtain an outside third-party review, consider asking your TA teams, ERGs, and Hiring Managers for their unvarnished feedback. Their insights can provide valuable information on areas that need improvement.

2. Look for inconsistency and subjectivity in your process:  With the goal of being inclusive to all talent communities, review each stage, including planning, setting role criteria, job postings, screening, interviewing, selection, and onboarding, for example, to identify bias, gaps and areas for improvement.

3. Develop your Roadmap as an action plan:  Once you've identified the unique gaps in your recruitment process, it's time to develop a roadmap. It should outline specific actions and timelines for implementing prioritized changes, based on impact, such as revising job descriptions, establishing diverse interview panels, and providing unconscious bias training for interviewers. The plan should also assign ownership and accountability for each action item.

4. Monitor and measure progress:  To ensure that your DEI roadmap is effective, it's essential to monitor and measure progress regularly. Set clear goals and metrics for each action item, such as increasing the diversity of applicants or improving the offer ratio for underrepresented talent. Use data to track progress and adjust the action plan as needed.

Building a DEI roadmap in talent acquisition requires a commitment to creating a diverse, inclusive and accessible recruitment process. By being open and curious, expecting gaps, developing an action plan, and monitoring progress, you can create a successful roadmap that attracts and retains  talent from underrepresented communities. Remember, building inclusive, equitable and accessible systems is an ongoing journey, and your roadmap should evolve as your organization grows and changes.