3 Ways to Build DE&I Through Diversity Software

The business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is strong and continues to get stronger. Although companies of all sizes acknowledge how critical DE&I is to their success, the challenge lies in translating this awareness into “impactful actions.”

One way to bolster DE&I through impactful actions is by using diversity software, like pre-hire assessments. Keep reading to learn how diversity software and pre-hire assessment technology can help build diversity and inclusion throughout your organization.

1. Standardize the Screening Process

Pre-hire assessment technology can help standardize the recruiting process by objectively comparing candidates based on the skills needed for the job instead of selecting candidates based on their similarities to the hiring partner or interviewer, which can be riddled with unconscious biases.

By standardizing screening processes through pre-hire assessment technology, organizations can apply science to their recruitment. Which allows the strongest candidates for the specific job to emerge, not just candidates most like the interviewer. Creating a rigid screening process where all potential candidates are compared against the same criteria, not only helps you reach the ultimate goal of finding the right person for the job, but it also reduces improvisation in the screening process, which can lead to favoring one candidate (or group of candidates) over others.

2. Shift the Focus to Soft Skills

Soft skills versus hard skills – you can’t have one without the other in today’s workplaces. But where hard skills (like database management, graphic design, or email marketing) can be taught, soft skills typically can’t, making them harder to come by and more valuable.

According to a recent America Succeeds study, which reviewed 82 million job postings, top soft skills were requested almost four times more than the top hard skills, with over 50 percent of postings requiring communication and leadership competencies. According to the co-founder and president of America Succeeds, “[t]he need for inclusive, soft skills-based education and hiring was apparent long before the pandemic but COVID-19 has greatly accelerated existing trends.”

However, identifying soft skills like these in the recruiting process is often challenging. These skills don’t show up on resumes or job applications. You can’t get a degree in soft skills, which can make them hard to quantify.

Diversity software can identify these skills and help you better align candidates with needed aptitudes. By implementing pre-hire assessment technology into your hiring processes, you can objectively pinpoint the specific soft skills needed for the job and identify the candidates who have them, boosting DE&I and driving success.

3. Remove Biases

Humans have biases. This is no surprise, but it’s a problem when hiring. Whether intentional or not, recruiting and hiring biases directly impact which talent is joining your company, overlooking certain applicant pools and creating inequities.

According to the Harvard Business Review, traditional recruitment, with humans reviewing resumes, leads to “significant unconscious bias against women, minorities and older workers.”

AI-enabled diversity software, particularly pre-assessment technology, can review the talent pipeline at the top of the funnel, expand potential candidates, eliminate human biases, and objectively determine if someone is fit for the job. Without any adverse impact on any protected group, leaders can “truly harness technology to diversify the workplace.”

Make the right hire the first time. Find out how Cangrade’s pre-assessment technology can help your organization boost diversity and inclusion while making your hiring process more efficient and successful today.