As diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging hiring initiatives have become an increasing priority for organizations worldwide, companies in India have focused on creating opportunities for women in the workforce. In fact, over 36 percent of senior management positions in mid-market organizations are held by women. This is above the global average of 32 percent—representing a positive step for India-based businesses.

With more collaborative and team-oriented cultures, business leaders are tasking their recruiters and talent acquisition teams to attract diverse candidates. Studies have shown that the composition of a diverse workforce presents significant competitive advantages for organizations, including:

• Broader perspectives and ways of thinking
• Greater creativity and innovation
• Higher performing teams
• Increased profitability
• Reduced employee turnover

Related: Acara’s Navin Gautham discusses how diversity hiring is growing rapidly in India

Given the advantages of gender diversity hiring strategies, organizations are finding ways to provide greater opportunities for women in the workforce. Here are some tips for fostering a more inclusive and equitable hiring process.

Prioritize diversity in your recruitment process.

To substantially change your approach to diversity recruiting, your organization must first take stock of its current processes. Do you have candidate scorecards for each open position? Have you utilized gender-inclusive language and neutral pronouns in your job postings? Are you posting open jobs on social media and diversity job boards? These options present meaningful opportunities to emphasize diversity within your recruiting searches.

Related: How to Attract the Attention of Qualified Candidates-Job Posting Guide

Be selective of the overall qualifications listed for the position.

Employment experts like Sheryl Sandberg have evaluated the ways in which men and women apply for job opportunities. Her findings showed that men apply for positions if they meet only 60% of the requirements—whereas women apply for open roles only if they meet all requirements. Sandberg advised companies to be selective of the requirements they list in the job posting. By cutting out the excess bullet points and focusing on the responsibilities that are associated with the job, it is more than likely that you will see a rise in applications from women.

Remove names from candidate resumes.

Are you looking for an easy way to evaluate candidates solely based on their experience and qualifications? When poring over resumes during the application review process, remove each candidate’s name. This strategy can effectively ensure that implicit gender biases are not impacting your hiring decisions—which can create more opportunities for women within your organization.

Utilize skill and behavioral-based assessment tools.

Accessing additional data sources during the recruiting process can help your organization make a more informed hiring decision. That’s why assessments like Plum and the Predictive Index are incredibly helpful. Both tests can be taken by candidates and used to uncover interesting details about a candidate’s behavioral tendencies that can predict their workplace behavior. Moreover, companies can use skills testing tools like eSkill to evaluate candidates’ technical and job-based abilities.

Encourage and incentivize referrals.

Studies show that word-of-mouth recruiting has proven to be a beneficial talent referral strategy. Companies can encourage women within their organization to spread the word about open positions to female friends, family members, and previous coworkers. This can be a simple—yet effective—means of increasing the number of women applicants for your open roles and fostering greater opportunities for females within the workplace.

Summary

In recent years, companies in India have shown a newfound commitment to creating opportunities for women within the workforce—and their efforts have already generated significant progress in gender diversity. Looking to the future, expect organizations to continue to promote diversity hiring initiatives to bring more women into the workforce. Not only will these objectives foster enhanced creativity and innovation, but they will ultimately lead to increased profitability and higher-performing teams.

Read Acara India’s case study to learn how we executed our client’s gender diversity request to staff their entire suite of IT positions with women who had been removed from the workforce for at least six months.

Looking to reduce biases within your hiring process? Check out Acara India’s E-Book on Interview Tips for Team Leaders.

Contact us!

Are you among the 77 percent of Indian employers who believe diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are pivotal for organizational performance? With a full suite of talent and workforce services— including contract staffing, permanent hiring, executive search, and recruitment process outsourcing—and over 25 years of experience, Acara can help your organization achieve its diversity goals and connect with the candidates you need to keep your business moving forward. Contact us today!

This blog was authored by Aleron Senior Human Resources Manager Sashikala Skylab.