After almost a decade of consulting with talent acquisition teams across the US, one topic was always at the top of the list: diversity recruiting. The call of need came from the CHRO to the individual recruiters. The sought out solution was almost always a greater net to funnel more diverse candidates to their posted positions.

However, most clients were surprised when we showed them the diverse candidate pool they were already receiving. They would scratch their heads in wonderment of why they were not hiring more diverse candidates. It became clear the funnel was not what needed to be fixed. They could have doubled their diverse candidate applies without denting their hiring. If you are posting on a major job board, you are already gaining an incredible diversity exposure.

The roadblock was often not their external reach, but rather their internal gatekeepers. Recruiters are human and like most humans, they harbor unintentional or unconscious biases. Unless one has been developed to be aware of their own personal biases, it is hard not to allow them to influence their decisions. A recent Harvard University study proved how our unconscious biases are dramatically impacting our candidate selection decisions. The talent acquisition team can be overwhelmed with applications. Their initial approach to the incoming pile of resumes is to find those that do not fit usually with less than 60 seconds per resume. The second gatekeeper defense is the hiring manager. In their busy environment, it is easy to make snap judgments based on their prior experiences. Without development on this issue, it will be extremely difficult to move that needle.

If you are finding you have adequate diversity reach, but are still not reaching the desired hiring results, it may be time to think about providing some Unconscious Bias Interviewing Skills development for your recruitment and hiring manager team. The Dagoba Group is a leader in Unconscious Bias training. Please feel free to contact us to discover if it is the right fit for your team.