Meadhbh Costello
Ibec, Policy Executive
As the economy reopens, many businesses are struggling to attract and retain staff. Widening recruiting and tapping into alternative sources of talent can address immediate talent shortages and bring long-term competitive advantages to businesses.
Facing the return of a tight labour market with a record 2.5 million people in employment, businesses need to be engaging with 100% of the talent pool to fill vacancies. Members of the Traveller community, people with disabilities and people in the international protection system are underrepresented in the workforce. They are untapped communities of talent that need to be engaged to build sustainable talent pipelines for our economy.
The case for diversity and inclusion
There is an abundance of research demonstrating that companies which value diversity outperform their less diverse counterparts. Businesses with diverse teams tend to enjoy higher cash flows, increased revenue and better than average profitability. Tapping into diverse talent also brings fresh perspectives, ideas and experiences – enhancing the creativity and decision-making needed to capture and grow new markets.
Recruiting diverse talent
To attract and retain a wider variety of talent, companies need to embrace diversity and inclusion in their recruitment practices. When advertising vacancies employers should focus on the ‘need to have’ rather than the ‘nice to have’ to remove any space for potential bias and attract a wider variety of candidates.
Stating your commitment to diversity and inclusion, using inclusive language and screening for jargon can increase the impact of your job advert. Community organisations and networks, such as AsIAm, Recruit Refugee and Employers for Change can also help to open the door for your business to new talent.
There is no magic formula to making workplaces more inclusive – it is a continuous work in progress.
Inclusivity is a work in progress
However, diversity and inclusion does not stop at the door. Employers who want to be able to retain their talent will see reviewing their recruitment practices as a first step. There is no magic formula to making workplaces more inclusive – it is a continuous work in progress. But businesses who make reasonable adjustments to facilitate diverse talent are making investments in the long-term productivity and success of their business.