Diverse Recruitment Checklist

The following is a guide for guarantee that your recruitment process is consistent and impartial, and provides you with a quality group of applicants.

• Your job description should not in any way prohibit anyone from applying because of race, religious belief, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or cultural background. Include "Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer" at the end of your job description.
• Target specialty publications, special interest groups and trade associations to attract a diverse pool of applicants.
• Provide candidates with more than one way to apply for the position, as to not exclude people who do not have access to email or a fax machine.
• Avoid recruiting solely through word of mouth, as this is an indirect form of discriminating and could lead to hiring a homogeneous team. Keep with a structured approach.
• Be flexible about interview times and make every effort to schedule interviews that are feasible for people with family or other responsibilities.
• If you are interviewing a person with a disability, make adjustments to help them compete fairly; and always ask what reasonable adjustments the person may need to fulfill their role.
• Measure a person's experience and ability to accomplish the job against the job description, not against other candidates that you have met with.

© 2008, The Rosen Group Newsletter. Reprinted with permission by The Rosen Group, specializing in Human Resources Solutions and HR Staffing.