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Diversity in the workplace is important since it boosts employee engagement, effectiveness, and retention. As such, you might be considering partnering with diversity recruitment partners. Workforce studies show that companies in the top percentile for ethnic diversity have a 36% chance of outperforming less inclusive competitors. The same study also shows that a DEIB-strong culture tends to make better decisions (through varied perspectives/inputs) 87% of the time.
Yet, recently, DEIB has not been a bed of roses for recruiters and companies. Disagreements and confusion on the subject led to a 27% dip in DEIB investment between 2022 and 2023. So, organizations have become more wary about the potential social backlash when introducing a diversity and inclusion initiative.
As such, modern HR managers and recruiters could find themselves in a bit of a fix. After all, recruitment is a critical component in weaving DEIB into the organizational fabric. While in-house corporate strategies like regular town halls and resource groups (ERGs) can help mitigate DEIB resistance, perhaps it isn’t a battle that organizations should face alone.
That’s where resourceful allies can save the day. Partnering with DEIB-specialized nonprofits, tech experts, and diversity-focused recruitment agencies can significantly boost your organization’s recruitment with greater confidence and direction.
So, we have shortlisted 17 trusted recruitment partners to help secure and engage a more diverse workforce. Read on to learn how these diversity experts can help you even the playing field for every qualified talent and successfully recruit them.
#1- Diversity Recruitment Partners
Diversity Recruitment Partners provides an intuitive platform that directs candidates from diverse backgrounds toward the most suitable career roles. This is done based on their personalities and competencies. Therefore, your recruiters can leverage the company’s expertise in candidate engagement through multimedia platforms.
For instance, Diversity Recruitment Partners reaches out to diverse candidates via virtual career fair expos in seeking job seekers with specific skills. Diversity Recruitment Partners has collaborated with market leaders like Apple, FedEx, and Ford, connecting the hiring teams with underrepresented talent through interactive live interviews with a personalized touch.
#2 – Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA)
For over 50 years, BDPA has supported the upward mobility of African Americans and underserved communities. They do this through conferences, scholarship programs, and career expos specialized in STEM industries.
The organization’s recent convention featured keynote speakers who shed exclusive perspectives on big data and predictive analytics, notable recruitment factors in recent job market trends. So, BDPA’s engaging community support and industry-specific resources have connected diverse candidates with tech giants like Google, Oracle, and Microsoft.
#3 – Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA)
Founded in 1972, the ALPFA has a membership of over 100,000 professionals from the Latinx community, offering exclusive career development opportunities. ALPFA’s official site features an intuitive job board that links members with suitable job openings, boosting DEIB hiring initiatives.
ALPFA also offers students and professional membership plans, empowering Latinx career trajectories at every stage. The organization’s job board includes a built-in resume reviewer to help candidates polish their applications for improved hiring outcomes. ALPFA’s distinguished list of corporate partners includes Amazon, Bell Group, and Boeing.
#4 – Out in Tech
Out in Tech offers an expanding database of over 200,000 professionals from the LGBTQ+ community. The organization empowers LGBTQ+ youth from college through career guidance programs that offer practical insights into workforce expectations and demands.
Out in Tech’s youth program achieves this by focusing on three areas. These are encouraging the freedom of expression, equipping individuals with the right skills for the job, and encouraging confidence in representation.
Partnering organizations may join Qorporate, Out in Tech’s corporate council, which provides opportunities for hiring and retaining top LGBTQ+ talent with interactive candidate engagement tools and a sprawling peer network.
Your company could also implement Out of Tech’s Belonging Toolkit. This sheds insights into creating a more inclusive culture with systematic and goal-oriented ERGs.
#5 – Management Leadership For Tomorrow (MLT)
MLT empowers diversity in recruitment by focusing on four pillars: economic mobility for students, equitable employer practices, maximizing career trajectories, and entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses.
The organization supports Black, Latine, and Native American individuals by offering career preparation programs for fresh graduates, and entry-level, and mid-career journeys.
MLT tailors robust TA and HR initiatives according to a company’s DEIB priorities. These may include identifying bottlenecks in inclusive hiring/representation and boosting your executive recruitment team’s expertise. MLT also offers partnering companies access to a broad talent pool network honed with over 20 years of DEIB experience.
#6 – Ascend
Ascend is the largest organization for supporting and networking pan-Asian professionals in the workplace. The organization has developed over a thousand community-focused programs catered to empowering API-skilled talent. Ascend offers membership plans suited to various career stages, with opportunities for student, executive, leadership, and upper management professionals.
The organization has continuously developed its outreach programs for nearly 20 years with a structured five-prong approach through donations. Thus, raising awareness, promoting inclusive practices, denouncing biases in social environments, and supporting communities.
#7 – The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED)
The NCAIED is a non-profit organization and the largest Indian-focused business organization that provides access to ongoing support and resources for empowering the economic/professional lives of Native Americans.
For DEIB support, NCAIED rolled out the Native Edge Finance, Inc., (NEF) a Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). The initiative provides companies with native American-tailored support and financial services for advancing business growth. NCAIED offers many motivational resources for the Native American workforce. This includes an annual digital magazine publication that promotes the achievements of indigenous trailblazers.
#8 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
NAACP has remained focused on fighting interracial discrimination and injustice across the country for over 110 years. The civil rights group offers grants and resources that can help improve your enterprise’s diversity recruitment strategy. NAACP also offers a wide range of advocacy training workshops to highlight the latest social challenges and solutions.
Top organizations like AirBnB, Google, and Bacardi have partnered with NAACP to improve fairness and equity at work. These strategic partnerships have resulted in highly impactful cross-collaborations that vastly improved personal connections with a more inclusive workforce and society. For instance, NAACP’s joint effort with Stop Hate For Profit and 1,100 companies led to a review of advertising practices involving hate speech and misinformation.
#9 – Women In Technology International (WITI)
WITI provides companies with the latest updates on the best practices in maintaining gender equality in the workplace, with a focus on tech. WITI’s partnership programs involve in-depth discussions and initiatives in attracting, engaging, and retaining women employees in accelerating advancements toward your long-term organizational and DEIB goals.
The organization’s summit in November, Prompt’24, features an expert lineup of professional speakers diving into the growing significance of AI and its complex regulations. Enterprises could leverage WITI’s progressive and innovative approach to tech coupled with its wide network of women professionals in advancing workplace diversity practices and innovation.
#10 – Disability: IN
Disability: IN supports organizations in empowering organizational and business success through inclusive talent acquisition and employee management. The organization has collaborated with over 500 corporate partners, offering inclusion and diversity initiatives to companies like 3M, Accenture, and Boston Scientific.
Disability: IN provides comprehensive digital accessibility programs that include the Procure Access Initiative, aimed at buying and selling technology accessible to people with disabilities. The organization also offers digital accessibility resources like an accessible social media content toolkit for streamlining your recruitment practices.
#11 – Inroads
Inroads is an organization that provides career and paid internship opportunities for diverse students. Partnering with the organization is a strategic way to improve application rates and quality of hire for job postings across fair platforms. Inroads provides candidates with a guided approach to managing their career pathways. They also help with developing skills and competencies as they ascend the corporate ladder.
The organization’s membership programs cater to high school and college students, as well as mid-career/senior professionals. Partnering with Inroads offers access to TA initiatives like diverse talent sourcing for different career disciplines. Additionally, they pre-screen candidates in meeting your DEIB objectives.
#12 – Fair360
Fair360 offers a centralized database of human capital data that companies can implement in their DEIB talent acquisition campaigns. The company’s exclusive insights include statistics for populating multimedia platforms, partnership opportunities with inclusive national brands, and event updates such as diversity recruitment drives at university campuses.
Fair360’s official website provides a user-friendly job board and a wealth of educational resources for furthering inclusive recruitment. They do this with a cultural connection toolkit that facilitates DEIB discussions among HR professionals. The company’s notable list of partners includes Abbott and Marriott.
#13 – The Arc
The Arc is a diversity recruitment partner specializing in safeguarding the rights of individuals with intellectual and learning disabilities (IDD). The company’s TalentScout manual equips HR and hiring teams with the insights for promoting a more inclusive work environment, particularly for federal government contractors who need to bring their companies in compliance with the 503 regulations on the employment of people with disabilities.
The Arc also offers Arc@Work, an expert-led initiative that trains organizations in bias training, disability awareness, and strategies for accessing the untapped disability labor market.
#14 – American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
AARP serves as a reliable partner for companies in search of seasoned hires above the age of 50. So, the association offers a job board tailored to older candidates to support more age-diverse hiring initiatives.
Joining the AARP employer pledge program (EPP) adds a signer seal to your company profile, which enhances your reputation as an equal-opportunity employer. Members also receive a discount on AARP job postings and exclusive invites to the association’s virtual recruitment fairs.
#15 – National Diversity Council (NDC)
The NDC provides a rich database of inclusion, diversity, and equity resources through a combination of an online learning hub, practical toolkit, and certification programs. NDC’s specialized consulting program includes an extensive evaluation of the organizational environment to discover the most suitable talent management solutions.
The organization’s five-step approach to DEIB consulting includes recruitment and talent acquisition, by mentorship programs for leadership positions, identifying skill gaps, and conducting talent and culture analyses.
#16 – Lean In
Lean In offers an inspiring community and exclusive resources for furthering diversity recruitment focused on women of all identities.
The organization offers a research-based allyship program that equips HR and leadership teams with over 50 critical skills in establishing an inclusive and supportive culture. Lean In also provides the 50 Ways to Fight Bias program for efficiently hiring, promoting, and retaining women in the workforce.
#17 – Ongig
Ongig offers a JD vetting platform that boosts your DEIB initiatives by attracting diverse talent. So, our Text Analyzer platforms make it easy for hiring managers to standardize and optimize JD libraries at scale according to your ever-changing recruitment needs.
Text Analyzer also attracts diverse teams with AI-driven algorithms that shortlist the most qualified hires by generating JDs with key sections like EVPs including equal opportunity employer mission statements and flexible workplace benefits. The platform also provides readability and bias ratings for quick edits to achieve the most effective hiring outcome.
Your team could also leverage the Ongig tool to attract a diverse range of candidates with compelling and compliant job ads.
Simply run a job description through the Text Analyzer platform and the system converts key JD sections into a concise format that grabs your potential hire’s attention. So, that way, you can cost-effectively upload skimmable and attractive ads for a TA boost.
Partnering with Ongig also presents exclusive collaborative benefits for refining your talent acquisition efforts. These include technical SEO suggestions based on trending job market keywords and customized integrations fitted to enhance your in-house ATS/HRIS.
Maximizing Results with Your Diversity Recruitment Partners
Working with diversity recruitment partners can transform your hiring process. However, to truly make the most of these partnerships, you must be intentional about your approach. So, here’s how you can ensure a smooth, successful collaboration while building diverse workplaces filled with exceptional talent.
Set Clear Goals from the Start with Your Diversity Recruitment Partners
Before engaging with a professional recruiter or an executive search firm, define what success looks like for your diversity hiring efforts. So, are you aiming to attract top talent from underrepresented communities? Do you want to increase representation in specific roles, such as senior technology positions or the education sector?
Be specific with your goals. For instance, clarify if you want to diversify your leadership team by hiring a diverse group of people with different perspectives or if you’re looking to boost inclusion among Asian Americans or other underrepresented groups. Therefore, by aligning your goals with the strengths of your recruitment partner, you create a clear roadmap for your partnership.
Evaluate and Align DE&I Strategies with Your Diversity Recruitment Partners
Diversity recruitment partners can offer various ways to support your strategic DE&I efforts, from refining job descriptions to removing wording bias in job listings. So, collaborate with them to ensure your recruitment processes are inclusive, from resume screening to the interview process.
For example, research shows that including inclusive language in job descriptions significantly improved the overall candidate experience for individuals from various backgrounds. Your recruitment teams should also regularly review candidate pool data and interview portal metrics to identify any unconscious biases impacting decision-making.
Leverage Resources and Networks with Your Diversity Recruitment Partners
Diversity recruiting partners often provide access to career network platforms, job board services, and event-related materials for career fairs and expos. So, use these tools to expand your reach and connect with potential candidates from distinctive leaders in underrepresented communities.
Partnering with a staffing agency or recruiting firm that specializes in diversity hiring is also valuable. Many of these organizations collaborate with diverse suppliers and inclusion leaders to ensure you’re attracting exceptional talent from a variety of backgrounds, including professionals in the life sciences and higher education fields.
Foster Open Communication with Your Diversity Recruitment Partners
Building great work relationships with diversity recruitment partners requires open and ongoing communication. So, schedule regular chat sessions or video chats with your partners to discuss progress, challenges, and opportunities. Also, invite team leaders and business leaders to these discussions to ensure alignment with broader company goals.
Encourage transparency in recruitment processes by providing feedback on the interview process and sharing results, such as how new hires from underrepresented groups are positively impacting your recruitment cultures. This fosters trust and ensures genuine change within your hiring strategy.
Focus on Candidate Experience with Your Diversity Recruitment Partners
The way you treat potential candidates during the hiring process matters. A direct correlation exists between a positive candidate experience and the ability to attract top talent. Diversity hiring is no exception. So, ensure that the wording in your job listings resonates with people from different backgrounds.
Additionally, use inclusive tools like an interview portal or video chat platform to make the process easier for candidates. Hosting virtual career fairs can also improve access for those in underrepresented communities. Thus, creating a more inclusive and inviting hiring environment.
Embrace Long-Term Partnerships with Your Diversity Recruitment Partners
Diversity recruiting isn’t just about filling positions quickly. It’s also about building a culture of inclusion and hiring for unique perspectives. So, when you collaborate with a recruitment team or recruiting firm, treat it as a long-term partnership rather than a transactional relationship. This approach helps establish a sustainable pipeline of qualified candidates who contribute to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, regardless of their sexual orientation, background, or experiences.
Why I Wrote This?
Ongig is dedicated to eliminating biased and boring JDs that turn away talented hires interested in joining your company. Our advanced Text Analyzer platform generates quality JDs that support your DEIB initiatives in accessing a more diversified talent pool for TA success. Request a Text Analyzer demo today to start optimizing your enterprise recruitment campaigns!
Shout-Outs
- By Aida Fazylova, LinkedIn – Why Is Diversity and Inclusion Important? Diversity in the workplace statistics
- Diversity Recruitment Partners
- Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA)
- Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA)
- Out in Tech
- Ascend
- The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED)
- The National Association For The Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- Women In Technology International (WITI)
- Disability: IN
- Disability: IN – Creating Accessible Social Media Content – GAAD Toolkit
- Inroads
- Fair360
- The Arc
- US Department of Labor: Section 503
- American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Job Board
- National Diversity Council (NDC)
- Management Leadership For Tomorrow (MLT)
- Lean In
