Recruiting in 2020: Focus on Diversity & Inclusion.

The goal is to always judge someone for the “content of their character” over any other physical trait. Diversity is tough to achieve in a competitive hiring environment. However, hiring is more personal, transparent, safe, and flexible than ever before. In 2018, “diversity” was marked as “the biggest game-changer and most embraced trend” for hiring companies worldwide, according to a LinkedIn report. Today, there is no reason to believe that trend has faltered.

So, how do you hire while focusing on diversity? Many companies tout being most diverse or having hard stances against bigotry, but not many will tell you how or why. One of the most effective ways to start a diverse recruitment plan is to focus on a diverse career marketing scheme.

Job posting should not be a secret. Instead, companies should enact marketing plans aimed at increasing exposure of said job posting. For example, a job application might live on a dedicated webpage called “Our Team.” The webpage would promote a hopefully already diverse employee base, open opportunities, as well as that particular company’s stance on being an “equal opportunity employer.” From there, a business should use an in-house marketing team or third-party to promote the job post using a mix of print and digital tools. Promoting this message not only works to expose the job to a wide audience, but it also promotes the growth and well-being of the company.

A Professor of Marketing 101 asks students: Who is the target audience? Recruiting begs the same question. Hiring managers must be clear about the type of person necessary for the position and also for a well-rounded team. Whether the company is searching for college students, university alumni, working individuals, recently unemployed, etc.; these are all characteristics of possible audiences to consider. Businesses should define their target audience for hiring in order to market the career opportunity accordingly.

First, a hiring manager must define the skillset and characteristics necessary for the job in question. Using this information, the company can advertise the job posting with social media, news outlets, job boards, employment community groups, talent agencies, and more. Choosing the specific medium to help boost the job posting would rely on information the hiring team has gathered about the target audience. For example, one job might ask for a “well-read” candidate who is a “strong writer.” In this case, the hiring manager would post the job in print and digital classified ads. Or maybe an audience of this type exists in book club groups — the hiring manager might take out ad space on a book club newsletter. This same formula can be used whether a business wants to find a website developer or simply someone who is interested in the outdoors to balance a team full of tech-nerds.

In 2020, there are more ways to find jobs than any hiring manager or job seeker might have ever imagined. Platforms like Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, and ZipRecruiter are examples that have improved career information distribution. Now, both hiring managers and job seekers must enact marketing plans to help sort through this information in order to find the best possible candidate or job. Going forward, companies that focus on diversity and a well-rounded employee base will attract the best and brightest individuals regardless of demographic.