How to check employer diversity credentials
Are you concerned about a potential employer’s commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)?
You’re not alone. A recent Glassdoor survey found that 67% of people considered the diversity of a workplace an important factor when looking into jobs in IT, engineering, and other industries.
So what can you do to find out more about a company’s values and how well they walk the walk when it comes to inclusion, equality, and diversity in the workplace?
How to check employer equality, diversity, and inclusion
1) Do your basic research
In a world where around 62% of people say their employer talks about equality, diversity, and inclusion but only 46-48% say their employer actually acts on it, it’s good to know where you stand with a new company. Start by seeing if you can answer some basic questions:
- What does the employer’s team look like on their website?
- Do their “our team” or “about us” pages say anything about how they ensure their recruitment process produces a diverse range of candidates?
- Do they have a specific person who has responsibility for EDI?
This might only be words and a surface-level impression, yet it’s a sensible place to begin. Does the business you’re thinking about joining even mention they consider EDI factors in recruitment at all?
2) Ask around
Do you know anyone who has worked for the company before? In industries like IT and engineering, it’s not uncommon for people to develop significant networks of friends, friends of friends, and former colleagues they can call on for feedback about various employers.
If you’re near the start of your career (and even if you’re not), you might also consider impartial employer review sites like Glassdoor. There’s a reason the company ran that survey!
You can also check on LinkedIn to see the diversity of a company’s current and former employees and explore any potential links you might have who you can quiz for information.
This kind of third-person feedback is often much more valuable than what a potential employer wants to tell you about how they work.
3) Check the job description for benefits and practices
Another key place to consult to find out more about a potential employer’s equality, diversity, and inclusion practices is the job description itself. You might look for:
- EDI recruitment statements and commitments
- Maternity and paternity leave, childcare, and related policies and attitude
- Mental health policies and the available support
- Flexibility regarding religious holidays and cultural calendars
- Flexible and hybrid working options
Knowing how much of a concern EDI is to so many applicants, a specialist engineering and IT recruitment agency like Ernest Gordon encourages employers to make clear statements about all of the above when creating any job description.
Equally, we’re always happy to talk about what we know regarding a given employer’s history and attitude to EDI as part of the recruitment process. Because we work closely with any company we recruit for, we usually have a lot more to go on. Any recruiter worth your time should be able to offer you the same insight.
If in doubt about employer EDI, ask
All of this research is good grounding. However, the best way to find out about new employer EDI credentials is usually to ask.
The ideal time is that critical part of any job interview when the recruiter asks if you have any questions for them. Try asking specific questions about a company’s key values, any benefits that weren’t clear on the job description or website, or the kind of EDI training they carry out.
You should be able to get a pretty clear read on their attitude to equality, diversity, and inclusion by how well and how readily they respond to your questions.
Want to prioritise finding an employer with a great attitude to equality, diversity, and inclusion?
Let’s talk. Ernest Gordon has access to exclusive job opportunities you won’t find elsewhere.
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