Recruitment, Best Practices, Compliance. Three words that can strike fear into any self respecting HR or Recruitment coordinator.
There are ways to combine and consolidate all of the above into a single satisfactory solution, while at the same time accomplishing some if not all of your immediate needs and goals. By using some simple guidelines you can alleviate your company’s internal concerns and at the same time fulfill your obligations to the OFCCP and the community.
When it comes to recruitment be more selective in choosing your resources. For example it is no longer cost effective to simply cast the widest possible net to reach the largest number of people in your attempts to attract an acceptable job candidate. Keeping this in mind one of the very best ways to accomplish this task is to use specifically targeted community demographic resources in your applicant search. Some examples of these specific communities would be African-Americans, Hispanics, females or veterans. In the end this will save your company money and provide better results.
As an HR professional it is wise to bear in mind that the EEOC has its own very static definitions of “best practices.”* These include but are not limited to:
Hiring for diversity is the key to staffing your workplace and meeting your internal goals and requirements. Make it a point to hire from different demographics to give your workplace a fighting chance in landing that perfect candidate. Develop the potential of employees, supervisors, managers with EEO / AA in mind by providing training and developmental mentoring that would provide workers from all backgrounds the same opportunity, skill, experience, and information necessary to perform. In doing so you ensure your corporate selection criteria does not exclude anyone or any racial groups. This brings us to the elephant in the room: Compliance.
You can keep your company on point with regards to simple compliance issues by following a few easy guidelines and by doing so also accomplish each of the other goals previously mentioned above. Make no mistake; by using your resources wisely compliance is simple and affordable. Here are a few of these guidelines.
Use community-based recruitment tools
These can and should include resources that are inclusive of an entire minority pool of candidates (i.e. veterans, females, etc.). Be aware of your company demographics, location, and employee population so you can round these out. In using specifically targeted minority recruitment resources you show your company’s willingness to seek out minority candidates from targeted minority talent pools.
Avoid any grey areas
Blanket outreach doesn’t truly count as targeted or deliberate efforts. Make sure there is no question of your compliance by using recruitment tools that are focused on the demographics you’re looking for. This also aids in fulfilling your company’s recruitment “Good Faith Efforts”.
Research and choose your targeted recruitment sources wisely
By using these simple guidelines you can help to insure that you have acted prudently while keeping the needs and well-being of your company, both from a cost-perspective and a compliance-perspective, at the top of a successful recruitment strategy.
About the Author
Mark Cohen has been working since 1995 to promote diversity and equality in the workplace through minority recruitment and community outreach. In his position as VP and Director of New Business Development at EqualityMagazines.com Mark has become a recognized authority on minority recruitment and compliance.
EqualityMagazines.com and its family of Diversity Recruitment Vehicles have been at the forefront of minority recruitment and compliance. Since 1997 they have been advocates of promoting diversity in America’s workforce; bringing the vast and talented pools of African-American, Hispanic, Veteran, and Female workers to the companies that need them.
* From the United States Equal Opportunity Commission’s task force reports and conclusions for Best Practices as of 2014
