We look around ourselves in the workplace, and we see the majority, if not the totality, from the same race or religious background. Yet we aim and advertise to be diverse in the workplace. Is diversity a farce?

By Emile Fakhoury
It all starts at the source when the hiring manager writes the job description and allocates the headcount budget, and expects to have a capable candidate that fulfills the role 100%, probably from the known group or alumni.

As we realize the benefits of diversity at work, we know that it is worth adjusting these three areas:

1-70% compliance with the job description: The candidate should not expect to fulfill 100% of the job description; if they fulfill at least 70% of the job requirement, they should be reasonably considered part of the recruitment process. Trust the candidate’s capabilities and previous achievements to learn and adapt to the new workplace and agree on KPIs to measure integration and role success.

2-open to others’ backgrounds: it is embedded in our human DNA that we mirror the same on others as we trust our capabilities. We adapt the same unconsciously during the hiring process. Having a diverse hiring panel will help us judge more objectively to accept and appreciate the difference in others.

3-flexible on the headcount budget: allocating a fixed, rigid budget may limit the targeted pool of candidates and exclude other talents; being flexible to adjust the dynamic market requirements while being consistent with the organization’s policies will help broaden the search and attract diverse talents.

Corporate should push harder to be diverse, not only to be accepted in the community but for the obvious proven reasons to be more innovative, more competitive, more efficient than the competition, and help raise the bar. These advantages should outweigh the status quo and embrace the change.

Challenges don’t stop at the hiring process, but they continue in the workplace like everything else in life.

Cultural and diversity awareness training is essential so we don’t cross the red line on customs, behavior, and religious differences.

Other challenges could come from the lack of support from top-level executives, making it hard for diverse candidates to advance through their careers.

Diversity Hiring is a priority that should be at the top of every leader and corporate; once implemented correctly, the workplace will perform better and reflect the diverse society.