Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER JUNE 2019 24 FEATURES IN FOCUS: HR TECHNOLOGY Leveraging tech to build diversity Variety of tools help remove bias in recruitment, boost collaboration and growth By Avery Francis P rime Minister Justin Trudeau often tells us "di- versity is our strength." Yet while racially and ethnical- ly diverse companies are said to outperform industry norms, and jobseekers say a diverse workforce is important when considering work offers, we are still failing at diversity. Diversity is something compa- nies across all industries struggle with. Interview style, job can- didates, how teams are trained, and the onboarding process are all considerations that need to be thought through and implement- ed strategically. Diversity starts with inclusion. It's about developing equitable hiring systems, building inclusive cultures and designing spaces that meet the unique needs of a diverse team. is is how HR can foster a diverse workplace so all people feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. So, how does a company be- come inclusive? A combination of the right people and the right technology. e first area of focus should be on building inclusive cultures, sys- tems and spaces where everyone can succeed. is will effectively attract a diverse set of people to the company and help promote retention amongst underrepre- sented groups. Without focusing on building an inclusive culture first, every ef- fort to become more diverse will fall flat. Using a "build-it-when-they- come" approach on gender-neu- tral washrooms, for example, is not considered best practice when it comes to building inclu- sive workspaces. To be truly com- mitted to building diverse teams, employers should be inclusive without question. e technology industry has come a long way in terms of im- proving the workplaces of the future. Technology empowers people to become more inten- tional with employee experiences to ensure everyone feels included. ere are so many opportuni- ties to operate with inclusivity top of mind and many opportunities to fail at it. Still, how can tech be lever- aged to build a more inclusive workplace? Recruitment Recruitment is where it all starts, with a variety of tools. A good rule of thumb is to start with ensuring all job descriptions use gender-neutral pronouns like "he or she" or "they." Tools such as Textio software can be used for building out job descriptions with inclusive language and "augment- ed writing." Another option is Gender De- coder, which offers a quick way to check whether a job ad has any subtle linguistic gender-coding that can discourage potential ap- plicants — using masculine- or feminine-coded words such as "driven" or "loyal." Employers can't rely on job boards alone to attract great can- didates. ere has recently been a huge shift in outbound activity from recruiters, which can be fan- tastic for reaching out to a more diverse candidate pool strategi- cally. However, outbound activ- ity may leave room for bias in the selection process, too. A tool like Unbiasify can help remove bias from the sourcing process — it hides names and profile photos on social networks so recruiters focus on a person's skill, credibility and career history. And when new employees start, have them complete a work- ing styles test to understand their work and communication styles. For example, the Insights Discov- ery psychometric tool can help employers better understand and appreciate candidate differences. Collaboration and growth Collaboration is key at any com- pany and with internal communi- cation tools such as Slack, it's im- portant to ensure people are being friendly and inclusive. For exam- ple, Alex — an open-source, text- editing installation that works in Chrome and Slack — will catch potentially hurtful language, pro- fanity and even gendered terms. en, the bot will recommend different (and more mindful) al- ternatives for employees to type instead. Growth is top of mind for top talent and often the reason why good people leave to go elsewhere. A great way to keep them is to support their growth. Prosper is a recommended tool for employers that want to offer coaching on a small budget. It is an app that helps people achieve their career goals faster, with guidance and accountability. It can serve as a career guide and help employees navigate salary negotiations, building confidence before a big pitch or asking for a sabbatical. Training To build an inclusive company, it's important to train people on the issue. As an example, Crescendo is a diversity and inclusion education platform that sends personalized learning paths weekly to employ- ees to help them empathize with people who are not like them- selves. e learning path is per- sonalized over time. Employees see real stories from real people sharing their experiences. Each "crescendo moment" is packaged as a two- to four-minute video or article, and is associated with an actionable tip. An ex- ample is talking or learning about privilege. Crescendo provides specific content to help leaders support people in their diversity and inclusion learning journey. Implicit associations can get in the way of inclusive hiring decisions. Resumés with "white- sounding" names (such as Em- ily or Greg) often receive more callbacks than "black-sounding" names (such as Lakisha or Jamal) — even though the resumés are identical. Rejecting someone for a role she could do based on unconscious bias is problematic but fixable. Harvard University in Cam- bridge, Mass., has developed a free online tool called the implicit- association test (IAT) to help the unconscious become more con- scious. It measures the strength of associations between concepts and evaluations or stereotypes, and is a positive step towards building self-awareness and start- ing the conversation. In conclusion, a lack of gender, ethnic and racial diversity can influence an employer detrimen- tally in company culture, profit- ability and diversity of thought. Creating an environment where people of all ages, races, classes, ethnicities, gender iden- tities or expressions, sexual iden- tities, abilities, sizes, nationalities, cultures, faiths, neurotypes and backgrounds can feel welcome and experience a sense of belong- ing is important for any grow- ing business — and it starts with inclusion. Avery Francis is the founder of Bloom in Toronto, which helps companies build diverse teams, equitable hir- ing systems and inclusive recruiting practices. She can be reached at (647) 822-3777 or avery@buildwithbloom. com. For more information, visit www. buildwithbloom.com. Credit: Rawpixel.com (Shutterstock) HR News at Your Fingertips Sign up for the Canadian HR Newswire today for free and enjoy great content from the publishers of Canadian HR Reporter. THE LATEST NEWS Stay on top of essential late-breaking HR news and developments. THE BEST COMMENTARY Access trusted analysis and opinion on the cases and changes that are shaping the HR landscape. 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