Image created with Copilot in Microsoft Edge. © 2024 Microsoft.

Greetings, visionary architects!

Welcome to the second offering of our six-part HR series to support you in building a strong cultural foundation within your organization. Today, I am sharing some insights on disrupting the traditional recruitment process to move us toward more thoughtful, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) aligned strategies and tactics.

Part 2: Disrupting Traditional Hiring: Inclusive Recruitment

Shifting an organization’s culture does not happen overnight. Culture work happens in everything we do (and don’t do) in the eyes of our colleagues, internal/external partners, and clients. Recruitment is one of the most exciting actions an organization can take to impact the culture. Today, we’ll explore how to integrate DEIA practices into your recruitment efforts.

Mind-blowing stats:

· Companies with inclusive language in job postings see a 30% increase in applications from diverse candidates. (Reducing Gender Bias in Job Descriptions, Textio, 2018).

· Companies with diverse interview panels are 70% more likely to capture new markets.
(Why Diversity Matters, McKinsey & Company, 2015).

When a team member puts in their notice, we often move into hyperdrive. We pull up the last job description we used, we post it online quickly, and we cross our fingers hoping we get some great talent interested in the role. But what if we took a pause? What if we took the time to move beyond this traditional approach? Let’s dive into how to craft job descriptions that appeal to a wider range of candidates and how to conduct interviews that are both inclusive and effective.

Redefining Job Descriptions

Starting with job descriptions, let’s consider how we can be intentional about inclusion and accessibility. Here are three ways you can revolutionize your approach:

Inclusive Language: Eliminate gendered language and replace it with gender-neutral terms. For example, instead of "he/she," use "they" or "the successful candidate."
DEIA Commitment: Make your commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility explicit within the job description. Beyond being an equal employment opportunity employer, include your firm’s core values or DEIA statement.
Attributes and Skills-Focus: Focus on the skills and experiences that matter most. By emphasizing capabilities, you’ll attract a broader range of candidates with unique and diverse backgrounds. Pull together a small group of team members who would be working with the person in this role and ask them: What are the “must have” skills and attributes? What are the “nice to have” elements?

Transforming Interviews: Focus on the Candidate Experience

While the applications are rolling in, you’ll want to design your interview format. Remember, the process of inviting candidates to interview is the candidate’s first real encounter with your organization. Be mindful that you want every aspect of the candidates’ experience to be one in which they feel welcomed and valued and not just another meeting on your calendar. Ensure the following are prioritized:

Structured and Fair: Implement a structured interview process with a consistent set of questions for all candidates aligned to the job description and the mission, vision, and values of the firm. This helps minimize unconscious bias and ensures everyone is evaluated on a level playing field.
Diverse Panels: Assemble a diverse interview panel incorporating colleagues from a wide array of backgrounds and roles. Different perspectives lead to a more holistic evaluation and demonstrate your firm’s commitment to DEIA. Facilitate a kick-off meeting including all interview team members to align on the needs of the role.
Behavioral Insights: Focus on behavioral questions that reveal how candidates have navigated various situations in the past. This approach provides deeper insights into their problem-solving abilities and teamwork skills in diverse environments. Asking hypothetical questions often reveals how well a candidate thinks on their feet but does not tend to provide an accurate assessment of how the candidate will perform in a non-theoretical situation.

In addition to what is shared above, some other forward-thinking practices that support equity include:

· Providing a stipend to candidates who you invite for interviews. Consider the time and logistics it requires for a candidate to re-arrange their schedules, travel to your site, and potentially miss work at their current job. If you do decide to offer a stipend, include that information in your job posting as a tangible way to cause candidates to take notice of how you care about them.

· Use Generative AI to check your biases. AI is a fantastic resource if you use the right prompts! ALWAYS review the content, edit, and refine as needed to put the human touch back into the process. Here’s an example of a structured, equity-minded prompt:

a) Role: Act as an equity-minded interviewer of an architecture firm.

b) Request: Create a list of 20 behavior-based interview questions based on the attached job description (upload job description).

c) Goals: To enhance the culture and goals of our firm, specifically in areas of xyz (upload company mission, vision, values, goals, or other relevant information).

d) Context: The questions should cover prior work experience, communication skills, collaboration, and other attributes that are critical to the success of this role (be specific if you have key attributes that you don’t want to miss).

e) Instructions: Please ensure the questions are structured to minimize bias and offer a depth and breadth of questions so that we can get to know the candidate well.

Recruitment is a critical piece to cultivating your firm’s culture. By challenging traditional methods and embracing new practices, you’ll not only attract top talent, but also create a firm where everyone can thrive.