Employer’s quest for diverse candidates is not just for
diverse candidates but for quality diverse candidates. Employers
describe quality as a need for a more seasoned and experienced
diverse professional in the mid to senior career stages. Despite
the improved hiring environment employers continue to find it
difficult to identify and locate these candidates. Quality
diverse candidates are not being produced by traditional
sourcing methods. So how do you source quality diverse
candidates; look for the mark of the professional.
Association & Professional Membership & Involvement
The most common mark of a professional is professional
affiliation with a professional association. Today, more than
140,000 associations exist in the United States, representing
nearly every industry and profession. To qualify for membership
with many of these professional organizations requires some
designated minimum years of experience usually two to three
years at the professional level; and/or industry certification,
and/or experience as a full-time consultant. This qualifying
criterion puts you at the starting gate of a more experienced
candidate pool.
Diversity Professional Associations
Seeking community and validation many groups have developed
associations related to their professional industry and trade
based on the diversity dimension. These dimensions could be
race, sex or culture. These organizations exist to identify the
critical issues facing their own populations and to address
issues that might only be a small blip on the radar screen of
larger associations, while others formed because at the time
their members were excluded from joining the white association
that represented their profession as a result of racism.
Diversity focused professional industry and trade
associations give recruiters direct access to a more seasoned
and experienced professional. Additionally, partnership with
professional diverse association allow for a long term
relationship with diverse candidates as many professional
associations have programs that interface with their membership
at all stages of the career continuum (high school, college,
early professional, mid level professional and senior manager).
Employers can develop long term recruiting programs that will
truly allow them to develop a stream of diverse talent.
