Key takeaways:
- Different regions and countries have different diversity and inclusion challenges. It’s important for DEI leaders and talent acquisition teams to understand these challenges and tailor recruitment efforts to address them. This involves taking into account the unique cultural and societal contexts of different regions and countries and avoiding a U.S.-centric approach.
- Partnering with organizations focused on diversity can help companies connect with a broader range of potential candidates. These organizations can provide support for DEI leaders and talent acquisition teams and guidance on how to recruit diverse talent.
- Leveraging the knowledge and experiences of employee resource groups can help DEI leaders gain insights into the unique challenges and opportunities for diversity recruitment in different regions and countries. DEI leaders should work to establish and engage with ERGs in different countries and utilize their input to inform their recruitment strategies.
As a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leader, expanding your organization’s diversity recruitment efforts to a global scale requires implementing strategies tailored to unique cultural and societal contexts of different regions and countries.
We explored how DEI leaders are tackling this challenge and provided valuable insights on creating more inclusive workplaces at large companies. Let’s delve into how you can expand your diversity recruitment efforts globally and foster a culture of inclusivity across borders.
Understand Local Challenges for Diversity Recruitment
Different regions and countries have different diversity and inclusion challenges. It’s important for DEI leaders and talent acquisition teams to understand these challenges and tailor recruitment efforts to address them.
In a confidential leadership discussion hosted by the DEI Board, members benchmarked some of the global DEI challenges they’re facing. Several DEI leaders shared that a significant challenge with a global DEI strategy is that everything is being run from a focus on U.S. efforts.
Members also noted most languages in company initiatives are U.S.-centric and creates challenges for translating talent acquisition efforts across different cultures.
In some cases, members discussed how local cultures may counter what DEI leaders are looking to accomplish related to creating a culture of inclusion.
DEI Board Chair Wendy John, Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Fidelity Investments, shared an example of a unique global DEI obstacle she faced leading her strategy in a Plan Adviser article.
Balancing Fidelity Investments’ focus on diverse talent acquisition while establishing inclusive business practices has proven to be challenging for Wendy, especially with more and more diverse candidates entering their organization.
Track and Measure Your Global Diversity Recruitment Efforts
DEI leaders should regularly review their organization’s global recruitment metrics to ensure that they are making progress in building a diverse workforce.
By tracking recruitment metrics — such as gender and racial diversity — DEI leaders can identify gaps and areas of improvement, especially in regions where certain groups are underrepresented.
However, during a confidential DEI Board leadership discussion, members noted that gathering data, especially through self-ID, can be more challenging in some parts of the world than in the U.S. Despite this, it’s crucial for DEI leaders to understand the regulatory framework in different locations and tailor their recruitment strategies accordingly.
DEI Board member Simon Grace, Vice President of Global People Services at Trimble, shared some of the data they’re tracking to measure their global diversity recruitment efforts in a DEI Board report on DEI scorecards and using data to inform your strategy.
He explained how Trimble tracks their overall global gender representation and the population of their U.S. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Trimble also tracks representation broken down by job level and family, business, Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP) categories, and location.
Partner with External Organizations to Improve Global Diversity Hiring
Partnering with organizations focused on diversity can help companies connect with a broader range of potential candidates. These organizations can provide support for DEI leaders and talent acquisition teams and guidance on how to recruit diverse talent.
One DEI Board member said they had success partnering with the Tanenbaum Foundation to work around religion in the workplace, which is a large focus for global DEI strategies.
Other members shared the organizations they’re partnering with geared toward bringing in diverse talent across their global teams. Some of the organizations recommended include:
- Center for Young Black Professionals
- Society of Women Engineers
- Center for International Development
- Power to Fly
- AfroTech
- National Black MBA Association
- National Society of Black Engineers
- Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
- Indigenous Works
- Women in Technology
Internal Partnerships Can Boost Your Global Diversity Recruitment Efforts as Well
Gain Perspective from Employer Brand Teams
In an Board.org article, Ahold Delhaize former Director of Culture and Engagement Kathy Randall explained how internal partnerships can give more insights on how DEI leaders and talent teams can adjust global recruitment efforts.
She shared how her team partnered with brand representatives across their international teams to gain perspectives on what diverse talent in different regions are looking for when joining their company. They also learned more about where their recruitment efforts are struggling and identified the best practices for making their employer branding more diverse.
“We have 20 different consumer brands in 10 countries, and we received input from all of our brands and businesses through various methods, including any previous research, individual interviews, focus groups, and surveys,” Kathy said.
Partner with Talent Acquisition Teams to Create Diverse Candidate Slates
In a private leadership discussion, DEI Board members said it’s also helpful to partner with talent acquisition teams to build diverse candidate slates during the recruitment process.
One member said viable diversity in these slates could be based on gender, or it could be based on one or more characteristics depending on local laws and cultures. This included racial or ethnic minorities and other dimensions of diversity that are unable to be measured but are observable or volunteered by the candidates, including disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Another DEI leader said they intentionally don’t start the interview process until they have a diverse slate of candidates. They noted their talent acquisition team leads their diverse candidate slate goals and partners with the hiring manager and HR business partner to do so.
Leverage ERGs to Inform Your DEI Recruitment Efforts
Other members said they utilized religious-based employee resource groups (ERGs) and advised having internal communications acknowledging religion and religious holidays to build into larger DEI strategies.
DEI Board members also talked about making global inclusion councils more engaged. One member said they had international representation in their council and established ERGs in other countries to get them more involved. Another member said they’ve combined some of their global ERGs to share strategies, which they’ve used to address specific topics in their respective regions.
It was noted how leveraging the knowledge and experiences of ERG members can help DEI leaders gain valuable insights into the unique needs and preferences of underrepresented groups. These insights can inform recruitment strategies that better resonate with diverse talent and help build more inclusive teams.
Learn More About How Your Peers Are Advancing Global Diversity Recruitment Efforts
DEI Board members meet every week to discuss their strategies and the top challenges they face leading diversity, equity, and inclusion at the world’s largest companies.
Members have recently met in our confidential, vendor-free community to gain unbiased peer insights on global gender equity strategies, age inclusion in global teams, creating global inclusive hiring practices, and more.
As a DEI leader, you know that building a diverse and inclusive team is crucial for success. But when it comes to recruiting diverse talent on a global scale, the challenges can seem overwhelming.
By joining the DEI Board, you’ll have exclusive access to unbiased peer insights to help advance your global DEI recruitment strategies. Apply to learn more on how a membership can help you create a workplace where everyone feels valued and heard.
