Workplaces are experiencing seismic shifts in how they tackle diversity and inclusion. Use this template to demand a recruitment process free of bias.
Joanna is a journalist and documentary producer who started her career in local newspapers before moving into digital media, where she has worked with The Guardian, BBC and Esquire. In 2016, she was part of a transatlantic organizing effort at VICE Media tackling equal pay, discrimination and work-life balance. She has since gone on to work with staff, from small start ups to global companies, as a silent advisor on their unionization efforts.
In an era of #MeToo and BlackLivesMatter movements, we are experiencing seismic shifts in how workplaces tackle diversity and inclusion, often attempting to fix grievances when they arise rather than understand the root of them.
We’re calling on [Company] to step up and implement recruitment strategies that are transparent, intentional and free from bias in order for us to be able to actively seek out talent from underrepresented backgrounds.
For us to achieve a diverse workforce it needs to be an ongoing process and not an afterthought. We believe making diversity integral to how [Company] recruits for entry-level through to leadership roles brings us closer to shaping our workforce into one that is representative of the world we live in.
Over one million workplace discrmination complaints have been made to the US government since 2010, outlining cases of discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability and more. Additionally, 67% of active and passive job seekers said that diversity is an important factor when assessing a potential employer.
If we as a company continue to allow biases in the recruitment process to go unchecked it will disfigure the culture of our workplace and lead to discrimination further down the line. Candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often face additional socioeconomic and geographical barriers into the workforce, before they’ve even reached the recruitment stage. We must take this into account.
We believe [Company] can redress this imbalance by acting now to begin fostering an environment where everyone, no matter their background, feels both valued and engaged by [Company] , rather than simply included. But we need your help.
Our vision for a more diverse [Company] goes beyond political correctness or reputational management. We must take action now to ensure going forward that [Company] , at all levels, reflects our society rather than just the privileged few. We know that true diversity encourages innovation and higher engagement but this should not be the driver. Our mission is to build a workforce that is diverse and fair not for the byproduct benefits but because it is the right thing to do. We must strive to build an [Company] that uplifts every worker.
In order to do this these are the proposed steps we are asking you, our friends and colleagues, to support in making [Company] a better place for everyone.
Awareness training: We call on [Company] to provide regular awareness training on unconscious biases in the recruitment process for all workers, this must include management. By doing this we can equip our workforce with both the education and tools to recognize biases, as well as open us up to a company wide conversation on diversity.
Increase the reach of recruiting initiatives: We need to use job boards specifically for underrepresented groups. We need to offer higher incentives to [Company] workers who refer candidates from underrepresented groups. Finally, we must ensure neutral language is used in job adverts and start to take into consideration non-traditional, non-college degree routes into our workforce such as public and community college education.
Transparent diversity reports: We call on [Company] management to publicly release their policies on diversity and inclusion with regards to recruitment. Providing regular data reports on new hires will help us identify and address blind spots at [Company]
Mentoring program: Our company has to do more to amplify diverse talent in the first stages of their careers. We need [Company] to implement a paid mentoring program open only to candidates from underrepresented groups.
Flexible working schedules: Rigid schedules are no longer in keeping with the world we live in and unfairly impact underrepresented groups. We need [Company] to overhaul their scheduling policies to take into account religious holidays, working from home and flexible start times.
Compulsory exit interviews: We call on [Company] to implement thorough and compulsory exit interviews when any worker leaves the company, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. We need these to be conducted without fear of reprimand. Our workers experience of [Company] when they leave is just as crucial as the recruiting process.
Implementation of regular diversity and inclusion pay audits: As a matter of urgency, we ask that [Company] conduct transparent and thorough audits of our workforce to identify pay gaps. All our workers, whatever their background, deserve to be fairly compensated, equally compensated and with zero exceptions now and in the future.
Now more than ever we need to not only accept and understand differences between us but to value them too. We hope our fellow workers can help us build a [Company] where diversity is front and center.
If you have experienced discrimination at [Company] and would like to share your story confidentially, we’re here to listen.
In solidarity,
Workers of [Company]