Leontien Rutenfrans

Marketing Manager Textmetrics
January 13, 2021

View all blogs

Blogs

Shift your focus to skills and diversity

Ideally, companies want to hire employees who can manage the company’s results. To get this talent in-house, recruiters need to come up with a new plan of action. 

While recruiting new talent, organizations must pay attention to two things: skills and diversity. 

Skills

When employees leave an organization, they take with them their skills and acquired company knowledge. This is not a new problem, and it always leaves a gap in procedures that keep an organization running and growing. 

Forming insights about skill shortages provides a look into the future. It’s all about ‘what do we need’ and ‘which skills are we currently missing’.

Consider what behaviors or capabilities will bring the company success. Honing in on these essential concepts helps companies reach beyond traditional profiles and propels opportunity to the next level. 

Create opportunities that are attractive to talent you want to recruit going forward not to talent that filled those roles in the past.

Reach New Talent Pools

You should consider taking a new path. Dare to go for candidates who may not seem the best choice at first. Don’t just look at diplomas or experience in the same industry. 

Hiring managers and recruiters must start having different conversation when reviewing candidates. Recruiters need to help managers see that nontraditional experience may provide the same level and quality of skills as another candidate, and that can help the organization be successful.

Another way to attract diverse talent is by removing from resumes or applications any demographic indicators (e.g., a name that points clearly at a gender or ethnicity). Instead, focus solely on the candidates’ skills and work experience. Combine that with a direct focus on the job description and conversations develop around the outcomes of employing that particular person, not the inputs.

Be divers and inclusive

Broadening how skills are sought also opens up the chance to increase the diversity and types of talent brought into the organization. In addition to skills disappearing when employees leave, diversity can as well, which can throw recruitment another curveball that may have them looking only at 100% equal replacement based only on one factor. 

Diversity goals and attributes change all the time, and looking at particular quota areas to fill will not ensure that you are recruiting the right talent for an organization. The important part is demonstrating inclusion and willingness to accommodate. Perhaps this means mentioning technology that helps people with limitations, or it might just mean having flexible work hours or schedules or a deliberate emphasis on work-life balance.

Diverse candidates also want to see an organization’s stance on particular issues. On your website and your job postings, include a reference or link to diversity and inclusion policies and practices; this makes it clear to the candidates that you’re not just saying the right things to draw in more individuals, you’re committing to it as an organization.

Traditionally, job descriptions are focused on needs (e.g., we need someone with this degree, certification, or industry experience). All of those “needs” can deter someone qualified from the application process because they don’t specifically see that they meet those basic requirements. Try to focus on what success should look like. What a candidate needs to achieve in the role to make it successful. 

Are you ready to implement AI in your recruitment department? Textmetrics is here to help! Get in touch to find out more.

Your privacy is important to us

We are committed to ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and data. We make every effort to ensure that all data assets are fully protected, following applicable laws, regulations and industry best practices.

Download our ISO Certificate
Read our privacy policy

Happy to meet you at our next event!

At Textmetrics, we love to participate in various events and special occasions actively. We are often present and eager to make new connections and share experiences. We look forward to welcoming you to the upcoming events we will be partcipating in.

Click here to see which events we will be attending!

Share This