1
Build a case for DEI in
your organization – start
with leadership buy-in
DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
initiatives need to come from the top.
Leadership buy-in means you need to
build a compelling case for why DEI is
important for your business. What do
you stand to gain, what do you stand to
lose by not improving your processes?
2
Learn about and
become aware of
unconscious biases
Educate hiring leaders and collaborators
about unconscious biases. This will help
you check yourself and each other, but
also build understanding about how
and why programs are built the way
they are. Engage leaders and employees
to complete the free Harvard Implicit
Association Tests online to discover
their unique unconscious biases.
3
Monitor organizational
data for trends & areas
for improvement
Continuously monitor organizational
diversity data, collect feedback from
candidates over time, and identify
trends and clear areas for improvement.
One of the metrics Avanti measures is
negotiations. Who negotiates, what is
their gender, and what's the outcome?
Another metric to closely follow is turn-
over that happens within six months of
a new hire.
4
Speak with current
employees about their
hiring experience
Talk to your current employees and
current or recent past candidates
about their candidate experience. How
did they feel from the lens of DEI and
reducing bias? What were the biggest
challenges in their searches?
5
Use gender-neutral
language in job
postings & content
Use gender-neutral titles in job
descriptions and avoid words like
"rockstar," "superhero," "guru," and
"ninja", these terms can inadvertently
prevent women from reviewing or
applying for the job. Similarly, check
your pronouns. When describing the
tasks of the ideal candidate, avoid
"she/he" and use "you."
Example: "As a Product Manager, you'll
be responsible for the product strategy."
6
Be transparent
about salary ranges in
postings & interviews
Disclosing a salary range can help to
ensure every employee is being paid
fairly – it shows that your company is
committed to transparency and fairness.
This disclosure also builds trust in the
interview process, minimizing negotia-
tion talks and focusing on a candidate's
experience, skills, and potential.
7
Remove hiring leaders
from offer negotiations
Studies show that when women
negotiate their salary, they can face
negative long-term impacts that follow
their career. Managers are less likely
to engage with them, leading to missed
opportunities, promotions, and lower
compensation. All because negotiations
go against a stereotypical perception
of likeability. To combat this, Avanti de-
termines salary ranges for job postings
with hiring leaders before postings go
live. Ideally, the hiring manager should
never know what happened with nego-
tiations (if negotiations happen at all),
limiting unconscious bias that can form
towards the new hire to a minimum.
www.avanti.ca
Avanti Software has been processing payrolls and developing HR technology for over 40 years. Our cloud-based
People Management solution helps mid-sized Canadian companies, no matter how complex, to empower and engage
their workforce. Featuring a robust, configurable range of tools, our all-in-one platform specializes in Payroll & Benefits,
People Management, Workforce Management and Talent Acquisition. | © 2021 Avanti Software Inc. • 0921
Commit to reducing bias
in your hiring practice
Diversity nurtures innovative thinking
and increased opportunities. Beyond
greater employee engagement and
better decision-making, challenging
your bias boosts your bottom line.
Want to learn more?
What's your Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion Strategy? READ ARTICLE
7 STEPS
FOR HIRING
WITHOUT BIAS
The workplace is changing for the better
and it's up to organizations to evaluate
their hiring processes to reduce bias.
The benefits of reducing bias in your hiring practices are amazing. By taking the
right steps, businesses can diversify their talent pool (attracting a larger, more
representative group of candidates), create workplaces where employees want
to stay (increasing talent retention), and drive performance (diverse perspectives
lead to better decisions).
If
you
haven't
examined
your
hiring
processes
in
a
while,
now
is
the
perfect
time
to
get
started!
