If you want to boost diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, a “diverse slate” hiring strategy is a great way to achieve this goal.

Here’s a quick “diverse slate” definition:

Diverse slate hiring is a talent acquisition strategy where you start with a diverse pool of qualified candidates. And, you’ll intentionally search for (and interview) talent from diverse backgrounds, identities, or experiences.

Maxine Williams, Global Director of Diversity at Meta (formerly Facebook), made a point about diverse slate hiring in 2017:

“The more people you interview who don’t look or think like you, the more likely you are to hire someone from a diverse background.”

Tip: Using job description software (like Ongig) that scans for unconscious bias is a great starting point for a diverse slate approach.

 

Why does “diverse slate hiring” matter?

Slate diversity is vital in a world where only 7% of techies are Black. Where women hold only 26.5% of executive roles and only 21.1% of board members at S&P companies are women.  Also, women of color hold fewer than 1% of all CEO positions at S&P companies. These are just a few statistics solidifying the need for a diverse slate hiring strategy.

 

Where did the concept of “diverse slate hiring” come from?

The NFL, interestingly enough, helped launch diverse slate hiring with the implementation of the Rooney Rule in 2003. This rule requires minority representation among the coaching staff.

With the rule, the number of coaches belonging to underrepresented groups increased from a low 6% to 22% in 4 short years. After the success of the strategy in the NFL, it’s been implemented in many other American businesses. 

The NFL even created a diversity committee in 2022 after being sued by former Miami Dolphin Head Coach Brian Flores for alleged discrimination and racism in hiring practices.

 

Which brands have adopted “slate diversity” in hiring?

Two companies who are vocal about successfully implementing the diverse slate approach are Meta’s Facebook and BASF.

Facebook launched its diverse slate approach to hiring in 2015, and in 2017, the company gave an update:

  • the number of women globally rose from 33% to 35%
  • the number of women in tech increased from 17% to 19%
  • women make up 27% of all new graduate hires in engineering and 21% of all new technical hires
  • In the US, they increased Hispanic representation from 4% to 5% and Black people from 2% to 3%

BASF‘s diverse slate hiring commitment is to increase the proportion of women in leadership positions to 30% worldwide by 2030.

And, In 2015, BASF set out to increase the proportion of women in leadership roles to 22-24% as of 2021. At the end of 2019, they achieved it ahead of schedule at 23%.

 

How do you implement a “diverse slate” approach?

So, how do you start implementing slate diversity?

Here are some takeaways from a Harvard report you might try first:

  1. Think of diversity and your staffing needs. Diversity is a broad concept. Craft a solid definition of what diversity means to your company with your team. This involves looking into your own biases, conscious or unconscious. It’s essential to be aware of these biases when hiring. And last, assess the diversity of your current team so you can find the best people to fill in the gaps.
  2. Recruit diversely. To attract a diverse pool of candidates, set your sights wide and recruit externally. And make sure your job descriptions are readable and bias-free. If you want to automate this process, Ongig can help you craft the perfect JDs…fast.
  3. Create a diverse interview team. Gather people who are different from each other when you’re putting together an interview team. This diverse team will have different but considerate ways of looking at candidates’ different cultures and characteristics.  

 

Why I wrote this?

Ongig enables your diverse slate hiring by eliminating biases from your job ads, so you attract a diverse pool of candidates. Please request a demo to learn more.

 

Shout-outs:

  1. Recruiting for Diversity (Harvard Whitepaper)
  2. Facebook Diversity Update: Building a More Diverse, Inclusive Workforce (by Maxine Williams, Meta)
  3. BASF wants to promote more women in leadership positions (by Antje Schabacker)
  4. How Effective is the Diverse Slate Approach to Hiring? (by Katica Roy, Pipeline)
  5. Does Diverse Hiring Work? (by Manasi Patel, Lattice)
  6. IT snapshot: Ethnic diversity in the tech industry (by Galen Gruman)

by in Diversity and Inclusion