Truly successful work environments are far from homogenous. Diverse and equitable workplaces lead to more profits, better performance, and higher revenues. When you prioritize candidates’ skill sets and become more intentional about attracting talent from different ethnicities, genders, ages, and other backgrounds, you’re one step closer to leading the charge in your industry.

Developing an inclusive recruitment strategy shows your commitment to DEI and creating ethical workplace practices. So if you’re a high-growth company looking to hire more diverse employees, we’ve outlined five steps you can take. 

Change your language. 

Adjust your job descriptions to highlight your desire for equitable, equal, and inclusive environments. Consider removing degree requirements, gendered pronoun language, and ableist qualifications, like weight lifting requirements. Revising these qualifications to add more inclusive language about your organization will open up opportunities to underrepresented groups. 

Related: Download our resource guide, “Inclusive Recruitment Guide for Fast-Growing Teams”
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Invest in mentoring and professional development when onboarding diverse hires. 

Create pipelines between industry leaders and young professionals by providing them with internships and mentorship opportunities. When you focus on developing diverse talent at the entry level, you can mold them into effective leaders. This can ultimately diversify your executive team in the future, and eliminate the stress that comes with competing for diverse, senior-level talent. 

Here are a few ways you can find diverse talent:

• Develop relationships with college programs like Campus Pride, Disability:IN, and the Ron Brown Scholar Program.
• Partner with industry-specific youth organizations, like the National Society of Black Engineers and the Association of American Indian Physicians.  
• Build relationships with high school students by partnering with companies like NAF.
• Partner with youth employment programs, like the National Youth Employment Coalition.
• Get in front of diverse candidates by posting on private job boards for underrepresented candidates in certain industries, like Tech Ladies and Diversify Tech. 
• Hold recruiting events in partnership with career-focused organizations, like Career Chasers Members Club.
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Make DEI a part of your core values. 

Express a priority for cultural competence around race, class, power, and privilege in your job description and on your website to attract diverse candidates. You can ingrain DEI as a core value by including a pillar outlining your commitment in your mission statement. Sharing this statement internally and using language that connects with a larger range of applicants will highlight your responsibility to diversity your organization. By making DEI an essential part of your brand identity, you will attract candidates who share the same values. 

Use social media to diversify your candidate pool. 

Join affinity groups and online forums in your industry to foster new relationships with professionals in your field. You can find these groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter by simply searching the name of a particular community you want to attract, along with your industry. And if you want to look for Gen-Z candidates, search industry-related hashtags on Instagram and TikTok to find talent who may be using short videos to share their resumes. 

Consider lived experiences that could substitute for professional experience. 

Think about how the lived experiences of your existing staff contributed to their professional success. This will make you more empathetic to the people you’re interviewing so you can identify transferable skills. And being open to candidates from different backgrounds will bring new perspectives and innovation to the workplace, putting you ahead of the competition. 

Want more tips on creating an inclusive hiring strategy? Download our FREE resource guide, “Inclusive Recruitment Guide for Fast-Growing Teams” featuring insights from company leaders at Netflix, Zillow, Vox Media, and Diversify Tech. 

Sonya Joseph is a former non-profit manager, public speaker, journalist, and holistic entrepreneur. Sonya is an NYC native with a passion for developing diverse transformational leadership.