At HireEducation we are finding that nearly 100% of our recent clients are highlighting a desire to increase diversity on their teams. We applaud and support companies who value and prioritize diversity!

That said, there are both internal and legal considerations to make.

Don’ts of Diverse Hiring

Actions you cannot legally take (or ask us to take!):

1. Refuse to INTERVIEW a candidate because of a protected category.
2. Refuse to HIRE a candidate because of a protected category.

Beyond those important legal basics, ​​saying “we want to be more diverse” is only the first step!

Next, you need to dig in. What should that actually look like?

Do’s of Diverse Hiring

Proactive actions to take when diversity is important to you:

1. Read and research what other EdTech companies are doing. We recommend that you check out:
   1. Clever
   2. InformedK12
   3. Mainstay (formally AdmitHub)
   4. Cengage Group
2. Make a plan to digest good DEI content each week and share key takeaways as a leadership team. Dare to Lead podcast episode, Inclusivity at Work: The Heart of Hard Conversations with Aiko Bethea is a good place to start.
3. Assemble a diverse hiring team. Utilize the diversity you have to help broaden your hiring practices.
4. Familiarize yourself with how to engage inclusion targets legally.
5. Engage a DEI consultant to do a comprehensive review of your HR functions (not just talent acquisition). At HireEducation, we work with a superstar and are happy to chat about an engagement of this sort.
6. Launch a formal program and talk about it with everyone. (A “Rooney Rule” can be a good start.)

HireEducation is here for your search needs which can include helping you create successful, inclusive workplaces. We are happy to set you up with a professional who can provide you with an equity audit of your selection process or other DEI-specific support.

Also, prepare for things to get uncomfortable. If it was easy, everyone would do it.