Why Traditional Job Boards Fall Short for Diversity Hiring—and What to Do Instead

Hiring for a multicultural workforce isn’t just a corporate cliché. It’s a competitive advantage. Those who embrace it as a priority reap the fruits of enhanced innovation, improved decision-making, and great financial results. Still, many organisations fail, one way or another, to attract a truly diverse candidate pool. One of the biggest perpetrators is job boards.

In this post, we will examine how mainstream job boards fail at diversity hiring and what employers can do to broaden their reach to an ever-expanding and more inclusive talent pool.

Why Diversity Hiring Is Not Effective with Mainstream Job Boards

1. Mistargeted Channels: Absence of Niche Reach

Job boards such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Monster have a traditional job board approach. They appeal to every job seeker under the sun. While this strategy is effective at providing exposure, it does not allow access to targeted talent pools like:   

• STEM and tech women
• BIPOC professionals
• LGBTQ+ candidates
• Disabled individuals
• Veterans and those returning to work after a break

They all use a keyword-based system and algorithms whose bias is towards applicants who fit established patterns of hiring, therefore filtering out diverse candidates.

2. Concerning Bias in Search Algorithms

A large number of conventional employment sites have AI-powered matching systems that recommend potential candidates based on hiring history. If a business has procured talent for a long period from a certain combination of demographic characteristics, these algorithms will persistently pick and recommend similar profiles, which makes it difficult to consider applicants from different backgrounds.

3. One-Size-Fits-All Job Postings

Mainstream employment sites do not actively promote inclusive job descriptions, and blunders such as these are common on various job postings:

• Terminology that relates to a particular gender (for example – female business manager, masculine leader)
• Unforgiving exclusions such as certain degrees that are not requisite (and hence do not make)
• Missing any supportive and inclusive provisions such as disability, parenting leave, remote working, and so on.

As it stands, without any inclusiveness initiative, such candidates may think that the position has been designed for someone else and not for them – notwithstanding the fact they are suitably qualified. 

4. Lack of Enabling Structures for Inclusive Recruitment

Traditional hiring sites do not have tools and resources that aid in hiring for diversity. They seldom provide any information such as:

• How do you write job descriptions that embrace the concept of inclusivity?
• How do we eliminate bias from the hiring practice?
• How do we advertise employment opportunities to marginalised target groups? 

There is little to no encouragement for organisations to strategically formulate and critically enhance their hiring strategies due to the absence of DEI.

Steps Companies Should Take

To work towards a more diverse talent pool, you have to look beyond traditional job boards. Follow these steps for the best results:

1. Use Platforms That Focus on Diversity Hiring

Put effort into filling your roles on platforms where your ideal candidates actively look for work as opposed to waiting. General platforms might attract a bigger audience, but they do not include target groups that need an accommodating workplace.

Diverse applicants can best be found on specialised websites created for this specific purpose. One example is Diverse Jobs Matter, which helps employers seeking to build a diverse workforce.

Diverse Jobs Matter is a premier job platform designed specifically to help companies build inclusive teams. It Successfully pairs employers with skilled and diverse talent across different fields. DEI-centric businesses can directly advertise their job openings and target the right audiences. By posting your job openings on Diverse Jobs Matter, you’re not just filling positions. You are ensuring that your organisation achieves multi-dimensional inclusion and value from staff at all levels of the business.

Apart from advertising open positions on its site, Diverse Jobs Matter assists employers with resources, tools, and information for DEI Hiring, which makes it easier for employers to achieve equity in their recruitment practices. If your business is really motivated to attract, hire, and keep a diverse group of people, then adding Diverse Jobs Matter to your list of recruitment sources is very useful.

2. Create Amended Job Advertisements

Your job advertisements should avoid discriminatory phrases and promote the organisation’s inclusivity. Recommended practices are as follows:

• Avoid using “he” or “she” and adopt gender-neutral language instead.
• Offer arrangements for working and benefits that are preferential to employees.
• Do not require degrees that are not essential to ensure a more diverse candidate pool.

3. Work With Organisations Whose Focus is on Diversity

Many organisations exist to assist businesses that are looking for diverse talent. Examples include:

• HBCUs for entry-level candidates from diverse backgrounds.
• Women in Tech Networks will employ women in STEM positions.
• Veterans Affairs Programs for workforce-ready service personnel.

4. Adopt and Enforce Non-Biased Recruitment Policies

To hire for diversity, stakeholders should implement distinct recruitment strategies that reduce bias and discrimination during the hiring process. One way to achieve this is through blind recruitment,t whereby some specific candidates cannot be identified in the systems through their name, gender, or photographs. This makes it possible to assess skills, experiences, and qualifications without suffering from identity-related unconscious bias.

Moreover, trainers and other managed recruiters need to understand how implicit bias works. Numerous biases are handled without an individual’s conscious awareness, which serves to dictate decisions beyond the understanding of the recruiters themselves. Providing hiring teams with training about these biases and their effects on discrimination makes it easier for firms to formulate seamless hiring frameworks that guarantee all candidates' consideration.

Lastly, assembling every candidate who has been through the pre-screening process into a single group and administering the same tests helps to balance and streamline the interviewing process. A firm can issue structured questionnaires and classify responses to particular questions in order to avoid situations where other respondents are viewed more favorably than others and undermine hiring equity.

Change Your Recruitment Approach

It’s not straightforward looking for a diverse talent pool at your company, especially on traditional job boards. We recommend shifting your search to more inclusive platforms that help showcase your open roles to the right people.

Diversity job websites, inclusive job advertisements, and automated systems free from discrimination will not only help your company attract qualified candidates but will also build a smart and diverse team.

Are you seeking to polish your approach to a more diverse workforce? Create an account on a diversity-inclusive platform and post your open positions there.