Diversity in business is key to success. Especially the diversity of ideas. If everyone in your company has the same background and education and socioeconomic status, it is unlikely that you are getting sufficiently diverse ideas during your think tanks. 

While this concept makes sense to most CEOs, the number one complaint I receive when coaching diversity is that as much as they would *like* diversity, they only ever receive applications from the same group of people. 

So how do you make yourself more appealing to people of diverse backgrounds, as well as varying gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.?

You start by listening.

If you are only ever getting applicants from the same demographic or group of demographics, then there is likely some underlying signal either in the application, company website, company social media, or company reviews that is specifically attracting that demographic while putting off others. To get diverse applicants, you need to invest in a market test on potential candidates to figure out what they are picking up on that makes them not want to apply. 

For instance, even if the company does not donate to anti-equality groups, if the founder/owner regularly does, potential candidates know that and may not feel comfortable applying even if their direct manager is the beacon of equality support. How often does HR do a deep dive on what the owner is up to with their finances? Probably not often, but I can bet you candidates with a history of inequality sure do.

I see your point, but I don’t have time for that. 

The good news is you can outsource this process. Here at Assemblage we can help you analyze and adapt to make your company more diverse and inclusive to meet your goals and society’s needs. Schedule a call with us today to learn more.