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Diversity Recruiting Metrics
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Almost everyone supports diversity recruiting efforts. They are taken as “givens” in most corporate HR departments. But these efforts might actually gain even more resources and respect if recruiters went the extra mile to prove their business impact through the use of metrics. What metrics should you use? I recommend that, instead of relying solely on the traditional EEOC measures, you should use a broader set of metrics. Realize Upfront That Some Performance Comparisons Are Unfair All diversity recruiting is not the same. Some diversity recruiting is more difficult because there are fewer diverse individuals residing in the geographic region (for example, recruiting for African Americans in Utah). Recruiting for certain job families can also be more difficult because of the relative shortage of qualified individuals (for example, recruiting diverse CEOs). These different levels of difficulty make comparing recruiting “success” between different regions and job families more difficult. As a result, I recommend that when you develop diversity metrics you limit direct comparisons to positions:
In addition, sometimes adjustments must also be made when assessing recruiters who work with hiring mangers who have a history of weak diversity hiring. Measuring Individual Recruiters’ Effectiveness Some of the metrics I recommend for individual recruiters include:
Note: If you were forced to weigh the relative importance on each of these eight items, I would put the most emphasis on interviews, hires, and applicant satisfaction. Here are some metrics that can be used to assess a department-wide diversity recruiting effort:
Diversity Metrics That I Would Not Track Not all activities and tools in diversity recruiting return a high value. As a result, it is important to avoid those measures that provide little help in improving diversity recruiting effectiveness. Some of these measures include:
Other Things To Measure Although they are not traditional metrics, it is equally important to make an attempt at measuring the economic impact that results from having a diverse workforce. Conclusion While many people think of diversity as a legal requirement, it should in fact be looked upon as a tool for increasing innovation, which then results in increasing a company’s revenue, market share, ROI, and image. A diverse group brings different perspectives which collectively creates new ideas and out of the box thinking. Because diversity is such an important goal, it is equally important that managers constantly monitor its success. Whether they be departmental measures or individual measures, it is important for senior HR managers to realize that you cannot improve what you do not measure. So if you care about diversity… monitor it closely.