Focus on an HR Process Oriented Toward Diversity and Inclusion

According to the Cegos barometer, three quarters of HR managers and directors believe that the employees in their company reflect the diversity in French society. Whether these viewpoints match reality remains to be seen. How can we better integrate employees from all backgrounds? Should we favor technical skills or the famous soft skills? What if it were possible to intertwine the two? In a way, diversity and inclusion comes down to saying: no resume, show us your personality instead! Here are our tips for making your practices more inclusive.

1. Yes to Affinity, but in Moderation!

Embracing diversity and inclusion means going against our cognitive biases. Where we tend to gravitate toward people who resemble us, diversity precisely requires fighting this tendency. While getting along well at work motivates and stimulates our days, this feeling of connection can overshadow more rational factors. So, yes to affinity, but only for professional purposes. No resume to influence you—ask yourself objective questions:-        Is this candidate aligned with the company's values and culture?-        What type of management does the candidate expect? Is it the same as practiced in your company?-        What complementary skills will enrich the rest of the team?-        What soft skills are this candidate's strengths for the position to be filled? Here are a few: adaptability and team spirit, taking initiative, perseverance, open-mindedness, or knowing how to exercise diplomacy. Do you know about interpersonal affinity? Based on psychological profiles and the nature of expectations, this method serving HR processes identifies which employees will be able to work side by side daily with both joy and... productivity.

2. De-Gendering Professions

Let's take the example of gender inequality at work. Many professions are loaded with gendered assumptions: HR roles are typically seen as women's work while technical digital roles are considered more suited to men. Yet there are excellent male HR directors and outstanding female IT technicians. Understand that behind these sexist clichés lie notions linked to soft skills. Empathy, attention to others, and listening skills are typically attributed to women, while proactiveness, precision, and perseverance are attributed to men. Aren't these ideas a bit outdated? The results of AssessFirst's SHAPE personality test, used by more than 10,000 recruiters across 30 countries, showed us the opposite: personality is not gendered. What if, beyond our gender, social origin, or past, we focused on each person's personality, that powerful driver of professional success?

3. No Resume for the Best Profiles

The ideal candidate has no resume! Does that shock you? Let us explain... What better than a personality questionnaire to identify candidates' soft skills? In 2021, we have other ways to highlight a candidate's strengths and motivations than a simple succession of information gathered on a sheet of A4 paper. Every recruitment HR process seeks to gauge the candidate's potential, particularly by asking the right questions. In recruitment tests, no resume—come as you are.

4. Practicing Inclusion Every Day

A company's employer brand often reflects its internal reality. According to the Cegos barometer, 43% of respondents have witnessed discrimination related to physical appearance, 31% observed discrimination related to the person's health condition, and 30% related to gender. According to employees, the perpetrators of discrimination are primarily coworkers and managers. For their part, the HR professionals surveyed in the same study admit that the most difficult mission within the framework of diversity and inclusion in the workplace is recruiting and integrating people from different social backgrounds. Without having to play the role of ethical police, HR processes must support diversity and inclusion commitments, particularly by promoting the physical and psychological wellbeing of each employee. The company can also train frontline managers to handle discriminatory situations within their teams. Government programs and support aimed at helping companies committed to diversity exist to assist HR both financially and in terms of training. Remember that when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, you are addressing EVERYONE—not just the populations that fit this description. Aim for equity rather than preferring one group of employees over others, because the more employees feel concerned, the more they will follow your lead.