How to Attract Diverse Talent
Author: Ross Linnett, CEO and Founder of Recite Me
This guest blog, written by Ross Linnett, CEO and Founder of Recite Me, is the second in a two-part series focused on attracting diverse talent. In this instalment, we’ll outline actionable steps your business can take to build a more inclusive workforce. Missed the first part? Catch up on 7 Benefits of a Diverse Workforce where we discuss the wide-ranging benefits of embracing diversity.
Who is Recite Me?
Recite Me, has been a trusted partner of Eploy for several years and is a leading provider of
website accessibility software. Together, Recite Me and Eploy have been working to make the candidate experience more inclusive.
Through the partnership, Eploy customers can empower their candidates to personalise the look and feel of career websites according to their individual needs, using the Recite Me Assistive Toolbar. This tool offers a variety of accessibility and language support options, ensuring that a broader range of candidates can engage with job postings.
Introduction
Attracting diverse talent is more than just a hiring trend—it’s an essential consideration for businesses looking to foster innovation, growth, and market leadership. What’s more, with 75% of employers reporting challenges in filling roles, expanding the parameters of recruitment drives to make opportunities available to the broadest candidate pool possible is an organisational necessity.
But precisely how do you attract diverse talent? Here’s a list of the top strategies to follow.
6 Ways to Attract Diverse Talent
Checking the box on diversity hires is not enough. That’s also a very inefficient recruitment method in the first place, because diversity isn’t limited to visible factors like ethnicity, age, and gender. Rather, it extends beyond those parameters to include religion, disability, sexual orientation, and more.
By taking a holistic approach and considering the varied factors that make up diverse talent, it becomes much easier to attract a broader pool of candidates and create an environment where everyone can thrive.
Here’s how to get started.
Make DEI a Top-Down Priority
To effectively attract diverse talent, DEI initiatives must be championed by leadership. When leaders actively champion DEI, it sends a powerful message throughout the organisation, influencing attitudes and behaviours at every level. CEOs and other C-suite executives should take an active role in embedding diversity goals into the company’s core mission and values. This may involve developing and reevaluating:
• Equal employment policies
• Culture change strategies
• Hiring and retention goals
​Build an Accessible Website and Careers Website
Your website is often the first point of contact that potential candidates have with your company, so your digital content must showcase your commitment to diversity and inclusion. Inaccessible websites make it difficult for candidates with neurodivergent traits, disabilities, cognitive differences, etc., to navigate and read. Top tips for improved accessibility include:
- Developing online platforms that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA standards.
- Using tools like the Recite Me Accessibility Checker to run audits and make continuous improvements.
- Displaying an Accessibility Statement to let site visitors know what they can expect now and what you’re still working on to improve their future online experiences.
Create Inclusive Job Ads
If you’re to draw from the widest talent pool available, your job postings must pique as much interest as possible to encourage the maximum number of people to apply. A few best practices include:
• Making role requirements clear, specific, and behaviour-based.
• Using accessible language that is simple, gender and ability-neutral, and doesn’t assume specific prior knowledge.
• Including inclusive imagery and multimedia that represent employees across various backgrounds and abilities.
Expand Your Sourcing Channels
Relying on the same old job boards limits your access to diverse talent. To attract more applicants, you should consider expanding your reach by posting vacancies in places where underrepresented talent is more likely to see them. Examples include:
• Diversity-focused niche websites.
• Inclusive recruitment specialist listings.
• Community network groups.
Provide an inclusive Candidate Journey
Did you know that 54% of job applicants say they’ve encountered hurdles at multiple stages of the recruitment process? Here’s how to eliminate some of those roadblocks and improve your DEI processes:
• Design well-formatted, accessible application forms with clear instructions. Before publication, test your forms for screen reader accessibility to ensure all elements are easily navigable.
• Avoid timed tasks that disadvantage individuals with disabilities, neurodivergent traits, and applicants grappling with technical challenges.
• Offer flexible interview scheduling and be open to alternative interview formats.
Promote an Inclusive Company Culture
Candidates often research your company before
applying, and research shows that a positive company culture is a top priority for many job seekers. Looking for ways to celebrate individual differences and showcase your commitment to inclusivity? Here are some suggestions:
• Encourage the use of employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a platform for diverse voices to be heard.
• Become a Disability Confident Employer.
• Implement collaborative decision-making systems and feedback mechanisms to make it easier for employees to contribute to organisational development.
Key Takeaways
• Creating a diverse workforce isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic advantage that can drive long-term success.
• Attracting diverse talent requires intentional, well-executed strategies that focus on inclusivity from the top down.
• Every aspect of the recruitment process, from initial awareness to applications and interviews, should be designed with inclusivity in mind.
Explore the current state of accessibility and inclusion in recruitment with Recite Me's 'Breaking Barriers: Inclusive Hiring for All' report. This comprehensive guide uncovers the online barriers slowing down efforts to attract diverse talent, outlines the challenges faced by underrepresented candidates, and shares a vision for a future of truly inclusive hiring.