2020: a year of uncertainty, change, obstacles, and triumphs. In the midst of a global pandemic and workforce upheaval, racial injustice skyrocketed to the top of our newsfeed and dominated our media sources.
For many, the events of 2020 were a wake-up call, personally and professionally. And while diverse staffing has always been important, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&amp;I) leaders are now looking to leverage last year's momentum to refine how they approach workplace diversity. 
Diversity makes teams and leaders stronger, but it has become an even more impactful issue as people are beginning to understand the <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/advocacy-in-action-erasing-the-opportunity-divide-in-the-workforce" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/advocacy-in-action-erasing-the-opportunity-divide-in-the-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">true divide between expectations and reality</a>. It's no longer enough for organizations to simply express their values or beliefs. They need to develop sponsorships, allyships, and other equitable hiring practices that foster real change in their organizations. 
<h2>The Corporate DE&amp;I Dilemma</h2>
If the reality check of 2020 was meant to be a catalyst for change, why haven't many corporations made drastic DE&amp;I shifts across recruiting, hiring, and workplace education?
Most organizations have an internal Head of DE&amp;I or similar diversity-focused leader. This person may very well be "doing the work" already, by:
<ul>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Building external relationships with diverse staffing partners</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Championing allyships, returnships, and enablement programs</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Committing to DE&amp;I improvements across their organization</li>
</ul>
However well-intentioned these individuals may be, the challenge often lies in going from the enterprise level to the department level. How can DE&amp;I leadership get their recruiters and talent acquisition teams on board? How can they reach their end-user: the person hiring the people?
As your organization's DE&amp;I leader, you may have publicly committed to hiring X number of diverse candidates this year, but have you:
<ul>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Brought external departments and other teams up to speed on your efforts?</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Asked service teams and managers to contribute to your strategy?</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Given these teams the resources and freedom they need to support this commitment?</li>
</ul>
First, it's about articulating the idea of workplace equity to the hiring managers actually doing the recruiting. Then, giving them actionable strategies and reliable resources to follow through on your company's mission.
<h2>Equity vs. Equality: What Does Fair Look Like?</h2>
The term '<a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/equity-vs-equality-a-slight-but-crucial-difference-in-the-workforce" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/equity-vs-equality-a-slight-but-crucial-difference-in-the-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">workforce equity</a>' has gained a good deal of mainstream traction in recent years, but what does it really look like in practice?
While equality affords every person the exact same resources, like access to an online certification course at a 20% discount, equity levels the playing field.
An equitable training solution will take more than the course itself into account: some candidates may need financial support to pay for the course, while others can afford it without hesitation. Other candidates may first need to complete a pre-requisite, or they may need career mentoring to prepare them for the certification class and resulting resume updates.
Equitable recruiting takes multiple facets of each candidate into account, ensuring each individual has a fair shot at success. And it's up to hiring managers and DE&amp;I leaders to implement practices that<a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/rethink-qualified-creating-a-more-well-rounded-workforce" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/rethink-qualified-creating-a-more-well-rounded-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> support workforce equity</a>. 
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It's time to turn your promises into real-world progress.
At CareerCircle, we'll help you design actionable solutions and company culture initiatives that deliver measurable progress against your DE&amp;I goals.
Let's work together to make 2020 the springboard for change that we build upon. Check out the blog, How to Promote Equity in Staffing and Recruiting for some tips on how to get started.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) leaders are looking to leverage last year's momentum to refine how to approach workplace diversity.

The Value of Equitable Hiring Practices

For many, the events of 2020 were a wake-up call, personally and professionally. And while diverse staffing has always been important, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) leaders are now looking to leverage last year's momentum to refine how they approach workplace diversity.

Building the Workforce of the Future: The Value of Equitable Hiring Practices

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&amp;I) leaders and hiring managers are actively looking to turn the challenges of 2020 into equitable hiring strategies for the future. However, putting these diversity and inclusion plans into action requires more than pure intentions and accurate goal setting.
Your hiring staff and DE&amp;I teams already balance an ever-growing number of internal tasks, plus the occasional firefight or last-minute requests from higher-ups. And adding new DE&amp;I initiatives to their already-full plates isn't always a viable option.
So, how can you put your high-level plans for workforce equity into practice?
You need ongoing support from a reliable talent acquisition partner. <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/top-staffing-and-recruiting-companies-have-these-five-qualities-in-common" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/top-staffing-and-recruiting-companies-have-these-five-qualities-in-common" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The right staffing agency</a> can champion various recruiting projects and promote equitable workforce development across your organization.
In this post, we'll highlight three ways a staffing agency can support your ongoing DE&amp;I initiatives and help you build an equitable workforce.
<h2>High-Value Network Partnerships</h2>
It's impossible to interview and hire the right candidates if you can't find them in a growing sea of available talent. As recruiters look to diversify their sourcing strategies, they'll likely look to non-profits and other organizations that support underrepresented talent.
Unfortunately, it's not as simple as calling up a local non-profit employment agency or career mentoring program and asking for a list of contacts. These partnerships take significant time and trust investments to build and maintain &ndash; which makes outreach a daunting task for most internal hiring or DE&amp;I teams who would need to manage:
<ul>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Outreach to identify best-fit partners</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Trust development through resource sharing, events, and other ongoing activities</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Consolidating candidate information from multiple groups into a single database</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Following up with non-profit partners after hiring affiliated candidates</li>
</ul>
The good news is, a staffing agency or similar talent partner can manage various non-profit relationships simultaneously, gaining access to new candidates and fostering long-term pipeline sourcing from underserved communities &ndash; like veterans, BIPOC, and moms re-entering the workforce. As a staffing agency acquires new partners and diversifies its network, recruiters get access to the resulting talent sources and candidate connections.
<h2>Nontraditional Candidate Assessments</h2>
The workforce is evolving as recruiters move away from traditional, resume-based evaluations to <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/getting-ahead-of-the-talent-deficit-5-ways-to-improve-your-staffing-and-recruiting-efforts" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/getting-ahead-of-the-talent-deficit-5-ways-to-improve-your-staffing-and-recruiting-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">source right-fit candidates.</a> A more holistic approach to hiring doesn't just humanize job seekers and save recruiters hours of paperwork &ndash; it also gives diverse, nontraditional candidates a better chance at connecting with the right employer. 
However, it's not always realistic for recruiters to sit down with each candidate for an hour-long interview in place of an online application.
And when candidates hear, "You're more than your resume," they need an alternative way to showcase their personality and intangible skills &ndash; like work ethic, passion projects, and past experiences.
That's where a staffing partner can help on both sides of the aisle. They use personalized assessment tools to give job seekers a leg up and help recruiters match candidates to careers efficiently through:
<ul>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Short video introductions</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Personality assessments</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Career assessments</li>
</ul>
These and other similar tools give candidates a chance to personalize their applications. Plus, they can show off their soft skills and make a real, human impression on hiring managers before their first interview or formal evaluation.
The best part? This approach scales internally, too. Rather than coordinating a long agenda of introductions, creating a new candidate questionnaire in-house, or letting personal preference come into play, recruiters can use their staffing partner's tools to create a holistic &ndash; yet scalable &ndash;approach to the evaluation and hiring process.
<h2>Accessible Training Resources</h2>
As employers, employment agencies, and other organizations explore workforce equity they're realizing that simply offering a single training tool or course to every candidate isn't enough. Each person has unique needs, constraints, and career goals that should inform how employers and other partners support their journey.
Tools like <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/upskilling-yourself-for-tomorrows-economy" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/upskilling-yourself-for-tomorrows-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">upskilling courses</a> and online certifications help candidates stand out in a crowded job market. But simply offering up an available course doesn't mean everyone who's interested will get to attend. Some may need financial support, access to a computer, or pre-requisite mentoring to complete their certification or simply get through the course in the first place.
However, it's not feasible for individual employers to offer these resources to every job seeker in their industry or talent pipeline. They likely don't have the time to connect with and curate solutions for each candidate, and taking on the extra expenses themselves would drain their hiring budget in record time.
Top-tier staffing agencies work to get ahead of this deficit and set candidates up for success long before employers start to narrow down their list of prospects. They can offer accessible upskilling courses and source financial aid from their own partner networks.
Additionally, they'll work with industry leaders in IT and other high-demand fields to offer certifications at a discounted rate, or implement ongoing mentoring programs for job candidates. This collaborative approach builds trust between hiring teams, staffing agencies, and top technology brands. Plus, it further supports a diverse, qualified talent funnel for partnered employers.
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CareerCircle offers upskilling resources, candidate advocacy programs, and career matching tools to help connect you with diverse, right-fit candidates and support the future of workforce equity. Our specialized IT upskilling produces the workforce leaders of tomorrow, while holistic candidate-to-career matching ensures applicants are an excellent fit for your organization.
<a href="https://www.careercircle.com/contact" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/contact">Reach out to our team today</a> to learn more about our talent marketplace and <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/impact" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our commitment to creating equity</a> in the workforce.

We'll highlight three ways a staffing agency can support your ongoing DE&I initiatives and help you build an equitable workforce.

How Staffing Agencies Promote Equitable Workforce Development

In this post, we'll highlight three ways a staffing agency can support your ongoing DE&I initiatives and help you build an equitable workforce.

The Power of Partnership: How Staffing Agencies Promote Equitable Workforce Development

The majority of organizations genuinely care about workplace diversity and promoting equity in recruiting; they just don't know how to get started.
Hiring managers and DE&amp;I leaders likely know they need to improve, but it takes more than an idealistic vision or even mutual motivation to get the wheels turning internally. These teams need tools that can help them:
<ul>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Find a diverse talent network</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Support candidates in that network</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Assess skills and aptitude effectively</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Address internal change management</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">Dissolve longstanding bad habits in their organization</li>
</ul>
Fostering true workforce equity requires <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/getting-ahead-of-the-talent-deficit-5-ways-to-improve-your-staffing-and-recruiting-efforts" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/getting-ahead-of-the-talent-deficit-5-ways-to-improve-your-staffing-and-recruiting-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a personal approach to hiring</a>, not a one-size-fits-all solution or an automated resume sorting tool.
Yes, everyone can apply for an open position, but will they get an opportunity to present their skills in unique ways? If not, hiring managers will miss high-value candidates due to mismatched keywords and atypical past experience that won't pop up in a traditional search.
In this post, we'll explore the current state of corporate DE&amp;I, touching on common challenges and offering attainable solutions for hiring managers looking to put their commitments for equity staffing into practice.
<h3>1. Start at the top of your staffing funnel.</h3>
First and foremost, consider which candidates are finding your organization, and how. If your referral base or talent pools aren't diverse, your candidates likely won't be either. And if the candidates entering your talent pools look exactly like your existing staff, you'll end up moving backward instead of forward.
It takes intentional work to shift that top-of-funnel resource. You'll likely need to work with external organizations, like non-profits and other underrepresented groups, to find and connect with a new, diverse set of job seekers. Additionally, you may consider <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/top-staffing-and-recruiting-companies-have-these-five-qualities-in-common" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/top-staffing-and-recruiting-companies-have-these-five-qualities-in-common" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">partnering with a staffing agency</a> to seek out new talent pools or even foster high-value non-profit relationships through a trustworthy third party. 
<h3>2. Optimize your sourcing and vetting processes.</h3>
Once qualified, diverse candidates make it into your recruiting funnel, you need an equitable way to identify potential matches and evaluate their skillsets. Generic job boards and automated applicant tracking systems (ATS) are often ineffective since the wrong keyword in a resume can mean the difference between a right-fit employee and a missed opportunity. 
Instead of relying on legacy tools or outdated vetting processes, look for new ways to identify and evaluate talented candidates. You may choose to ditch the resume requirement in favor of a chat over the phone or Zoom. You could also request a quick video introduction or give candidates the creative freedom to choose how they present themselves to hiring managers.
Remember, you're not just <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/hiring-vs-workforce-development-stop-patching-holes-start-preparing-for-tomorrow" data-gc-link="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/hiring-vs-workforce-development-stop-patching-holes-start-preparing-for-tomorrow" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hiring someone for how they look on paper</a>; you need a talented, highly motivated team member that will mesh well with your existing staff and align with your company culture. Giving candidates the chance to show you the best sides of themselves &ndash; like their unique life experiences or passion projects &ndash; offers you both a better chance at success. 
<h3>3. Prioritize equitable access to resources.</h3>
Upskilling and training programs help connect the dots between candidate skillsets and the technical expertise required for a job. And offering relevant upskilling resources to high-value candidates is a great way to ensure they'll thrive inside your organization.
But it's also essential to consider how you ensure each candidate can access the resources and tools they need to succeed. If you're offering a certification course with help from a third party, have you considered the additional details and constraints that may prevent candidates from taking advantage of them? Simply offering the course isn't enough. Equity staffing means exploring:
<ul>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">How to find financial support for candidates who can't invest $2k in training</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">When to offer additional resources like career mentoring or similar training options</li>
<li data-gc-list-depth="1" data-gc-list-style="bullet">How to support candidates who may not have access to a computer or other required hardware</li>
</ul>
Just because hiring managers need to consider these elements doesn't mean they're expected to source them on their own. Organizations can work with upskilling agencies or staffing partners to connect candidates with the additional resources or personal support they need to complete certifications, share their skillsets, and more.
<h3>4. Bring in outside help when you need it.</h3>
Recruiting new candidates can feel overwhelming on its own. And when leadership teams are looking to rethink their DE&amp;I approach while still keeping the talent pipeline flowing in the background, progress can quickly go stagnant.
Staffing agencies can help keep your recruiting operations running smoothly by giving your teams valuable time back in their days and empowering hiring managers to make better staffing decisions. They can also bolster your DE&amp;I efforts with candidate advocacy programs, diverse talent sourcing, and team training on key diversity and equity initiatives.
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At CareerCircle, we'll help you design actionable solutions and company culture initiatives that deliver measurable progress against your DE&amp;I goals. Plus, we'll follow through with diverse acquisition strategies and talent resources to ensure you match right-fit candidates to your open role.

Explore corporate DE&I, offering attainable solutions for hiring managers looking to put their commitments for equity staffing into practice.

How To Promote Equity in Staffing and Recruiting

In this post, we'll explore the current state of corporate DE&I, touching on common challenges and offering attainable solutions for hiring managers looking to put their commitments for equity staffing into practice.

From Promises to Progress: How To Promote Equity in Staffing and Recruiting

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144 Articles

Building the Workforce of the Future: The Value of Equitable Hiring Practices

The Power of Partnership: How Staffing Agencies Promote Equitable Workforce Development

From Promises to Progress: How To Promote Equity in Staffing and Recruiting