Hiring for Diversity - an IE Office Perspective

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In a field where diversity is valued and intercultural understanding is sought, how are you ensuring that your hiring practices are aligned with your goals around diversity, equity and inclusion? 

In some cases, the institution itself has practices and procedures in place to achieve diversity-related goals (for example, this guide from Berkeley).  In other cases, the institution may be working toward that...but isn't quite there.  So what can you do as a hiring manager to make your hiring process equitable?

Much of the information out there relates to changing institutional practices, but you might find yourself in a place where your institution has:

  1. No statement regarding the goal of diversity hiring being to identify and remove potential biases in sourcing, screening, and shortlisting candidates that may be ignoring, turning off, or accidentally discriminating against qualified, diverse candidates.
  2. No minimum standards for diversity in the applicant pool. (e.g. two in the pool final standard)
  3. No best practices or how to demonstrate a commitment to diversity
  4. No hiring training on implicit bias
  5. No guidance on what selection teams can or can’t ask/do
  6. No certification of applicant pools
  7. No requirement to document the procedures used to maximize the diversity of the applicant pool, the fairness of our procedures, and our outcomes.
  8. No transparency of pay scales.

As a hiring manager you might not have control over pay-equity audits, salary transparency, training, or having blind searches institution-wide, but here are some ideas that you may still have control of:

1. Candidate Sourcing:

Your institution will likely facilitate access to standard listings (e.g. higheredjobs.com, Indeed.com, institutional website).  Where can you effectively post your position where it may have broader reach to diverse candidates?

  • Diversity Abroad members can post jobs for free for 30 days.
  • You can upgrade your HigherEdJobs.com post to highlight DEI emphasis ($)
  • Utilize free listserves with a National or Regional Reach (SECUSS-L, Inter-L, etc)
  • Target graduate schools with IE programs in areas with higher diversity
  • Social Media groups and platforms (LinkedIn, Globetrotters FB group, etc)
The broader the reach, the more likely you will have a more diverse pool.

Do you have a Diversity Task Force of some sort on your campus?  Ask them to share your posting to their networks.

  • Postings shared by members of the Diversity Action Team locally.  Special attention paid to referrals by diverse staff members or when diverse candidates identified.
What information is in your posting or in your messaging around the job description to attract diverse candidates?  Tip: Add a note to any of your postings (or even your salary screenings)  to demonstrate existing workplace diversity, cost of living information, and campus resources related to diversity.

Here is an example of how we have done this in some of our advertising:

Employees at Maryville College are invested in the College’s mission, identity and purpose. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). For information on the church and college relationship, visit Faith Connections . With a 200-year history in higher education, the College offers a diverse and inclusive learning and working community with persons from a variety of backgrounds, beliefs and nationalities. To learn more about the College’s vision for diversity, go to Mission & Vision

We are actively seeking diverse candidates to join our team (Current diversity: 1 male, 2 females; 2 multinational staff members; 1 person of color). 

If you are outside this area, it is may be helpful to use this cost of living calculator  so you can learn about how affordable our area is. You can also find a listing of our benefits on our Careers at MC page.


2. Diversity Hiring Audit:

Diversity hiring can and should focus on merit with intentional procedures and practices to eliminate biases related to a candidate’s age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and other personal characteristics that are unrelated to their job performance.

Literally everything I have read recommends blind hiring.  But in a hiring world where this is not an option, trying to bring biases from unconscious to conscious can also be effective.  For example, in a recent search my team:

  • Actively looked for biases related to visible/identifiable characteristics -  age, BIPOC, LGTBQ etc.
  • Actively sought  out resources to evaluate our posting for any biases – assuming we will have biases but trying to raise them to the conscious level.
  • Researched diverse hiring to see what practices were  in my control for trying to achieve a diverse candidate pool.
  • Identified strengths and weaknesses in our office:
    • Strengths: current staffing has 2 of 3 staff who are immigrants, and one person of color.  One male, two females.  International education skews higher to white female than male, so men often reflect diversity.  Hiring committee was seeking mirrors/windows for students where possible.
    • Weaknesses: USCIS regulations prohibit hiring candidates who are not LPR or US Citizens.  Salary process is not transparent at the outset, and minorities and women will often under apply in these circumstances.
  • Removed language requirement and requirement to live abroad in posting due to the fact that diverse populations are considered underrepresented in having access to these experiences.  Re-worded posting to indicate preference rather than requirement, and to recognize alternate intercultural experiences.  
  • Invited representation from across campus in hiring process, which included faculty, staff, people of color and international students.

3. Metrics to Improve Diversity Hiring

Using rubrics to evaluate skills, rather than "gut feelings" about candidates.  This helps to create equity in evaluation of candidates.  

Build into your rubric a 0/1 point system to add a point for diverse characteristics.  This is flawed, of course, but we have used this tool in scholarship selection for study abroad students, and over time it did increase equity across diversity.  It could help equalize access issues related to experiences we are seeking in candidates.

I suspect more tools will be developed in time, but this was a helpful gender decoder to check gender biases.

4. Shortlisting

"We have used a "two in the pool" approach. If you do not have at least two diverse candidates in the pool for a second round of interviews, you can increase your initial round of interviews to get there.  Taking this lens throughout the search process can help achieve a more diverse search.  

Let me end by saying this post comes from wanting to make a difference in the short term.  However, there are better, more systematic, comprehensive ways of doing this that involve a broader range of institutional partners.  Continued advocacy for long-term change to meet DEI goals is necessary.  

Salary Transparency  is one of the ways in which we can improve as an industry related to diversity hiring. Public institutions are often more transparent, but broad ranges are equally deceptive. Why be open about salary on the front end?

  • Trust – sharing salary expectations early promotes a company culture of openness and fairness by including salary in job postings. 
  • Diversity Equity & Inclusion – If we say Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is important to us, we have to stand behind that with our policies.  We have to actively address issues like the wage gap faced by women and minorities.   Transparency across company policy is one of the key areas we need to consider in recruiting diverse talent.  One of the reasons for this is because women and minorities are less likely to negotiate their salary.  More transparency can get us a broader range of potential candidates by taking this negotiation off the table on the front end.  If potential candidates can see that we offer fair, equal pay and a clear path for professional growth they are more likely to apply. With that trust, we are more likely to build and retain a workforce of people from all backgrounds.  Many states have disclosure laws for just this reason.
  • Competitive Advantage - Upfront details about what a position is worth will encourage applications from strong, dedicated candidates.  Salary range and benefits are sought by the majority of candidates (70%).  While the reverse can be true – a salary range that is too low can alienate candidates, but I would still rather not waste our time and know this on the front end.  Benefits can offset salary expectations if we are transparent about them.  At the end of the day a candidate will only accept what they’re worth, so why deceive?  
  • Goodwill – it can shape long-term local attitudes about the institution.

 Articles on Salary Transparency:

https://inpowercoaching.com/pay-equity/

https://time.com/5353848/salary-pay-transparency-work/

https://hrleader.hrmac.org/Full-Article/advancing-inclusion-through-pay-equity

https://hrexecutive.com/is-it-time-to-start-including-comp-ranges-in-job-postings/