Enhancing Diversity Through Data in Recruitment

The real problem with eliminating DEI programs is the potential return of the mediocre white male. As companies retreat from diversity initiatives amid political pressures, we're not just losing buzzwords and HR programs. We risk reverting to a system where connections trump competence, and mediocrity thrives under the protection of homogeneity. I've spent decades watching organizations struggle with talent acquisition. The data is clear on 2 things: - Teams with a variety of perspectives and backgrounds perform better; - When companies rely solely on traditional networks, they perpetuate existing imbalances and also wind up missing candidates with the most merit. Consider this: While men represent roughly 50% of the population, they occupy 70% of leadership positions. Black Americans comprise 13% of the population but hold just 3% of executive roles. The solution is to elevate standards rather than abandon them by looking for what I call ME&I: Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence across every step of the talent pipeline. There are 3 parts of your pipeline to look at: 1. Start with your search function. Examine where your candidates come from to ensure that you’re sourcing diverse candidates. If you’re only getting white males, you may be missing an excellent candidate. 2. Next, selection. Selection should start with finding the highest quality candidates, but if two candidates perform equally well, there’s value in choosing the minority candidate, especially if your company currently has a discrepancy internally. 3. Finally, integration. True integration means creating environments where all perspectives get heard and valued. Once critical mass is achieved, this becomes self-sustaining - you’ll have more of a built-in support system for employees of different backgrounds. Let's be clear: Ditching DEI programs without addressing underlying process flaws doesn't advance meritocracy, it undermines it. The choice isn't between merit and diversity. The highest-performing organizations know that having a meritocracy means you need to make sure that diverse candidates have the same chance to show their merit as others.

In this increasingly litigious era of DEI pushback, it is more important than ever for HR and DEI teams to invest in people analytics and data science capabilities. While at Uber, I hired two org psych PhDs with exceptional qualitative and quantitative research capabilities. They collaborated with people analytics to develop and conduct innovative predictive factor analysis using data beyond traditional demographics. They were also tasked to transform how Uber gathered data. These innovations in data allowed Uber’s DEI approach to be truly data informed and data driven. Rather than relying on imprecise lagging metrics (representation, turn over) we could pinpoint the exact root cause of inequity and address it at the source. Factor and process analysis helped the Uber recruiting team pinpoint that our biggest hurdle to hiring from historically overlooked groups was top of funnel diversity. If an underrepresented person could make it past initial phone screens they had a high probability of getting an offer. It was the initial resume review and phone screen that were acting as blockers. This allowed for further analysis and a solution was created to mitigate bias at this stage. Rather than utilizing tired methods like candidate slate requirements, we could focus on root causes rather than throwing darts in the dark.

How to solve the "pipeline problem" in diversity hiring? It's not a shortage of talent, it's a failure in strategy. As a diversity and inclusion advocate and co-founder of Chezie, I have often encountered the "pipeline problem" excuse in discussions about diversity recruiting failures. Let’s address this misconception and explore the real reasons behind the underrepresentation of diverse talents in top companies. → 𝟏/ 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦: • 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: Data from a 2014 USA Study revealed that Black and Latinx computer science students graduate at twice the rate of their hiring in major tech companies. • 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬: This indicates that the issue isn't a shortage of qualified candidates but rather how recruitment strategies are structured. → 𝟐/ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: • 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬: Many firms repeatedly tap into the same prestigious schools, overlooking the rich talent in less traditional spaces. • 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: Minority students at top schools often face a steeper curve in recruitment preparation. → 𝟑/ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐥: • 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬: Organizations like America on Tech are making strides in preparing diverse students for tech careers. • 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Companies must actively seek partnerships with such organizations to diversify their recruiting pipelines. → 𝟒/ 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬: • 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Implement technology that evaluates candidates based on skills and experience, minimizing unconscious bias. • 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬: Standardize interview questions and use performance tasks to assess candidates fairly. → 𝟓/ 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐭 𝐯𝐬 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐝𝐝: • 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Transition from seeking a "cultural fit" to a "cultural add" to encourage diversity. • 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: This shift brings new perspectives that enrich the company's culture. The real challenge isn't finding diverse talent; it's about creating a recruitment strategy that genuinely values diversity and inclusivity. Companies need to move beyond the convenient narrative of the pipeline problem and implement concrete steps to improve their diversity recruiting outcomes. Have you seen improvements in diversity hiring? Share your experiences and let's push for real change together.