HSLM member, Emily Waitz, suggests some excellent ideas for making the hiring process in libraries more diversity-friendly. This topic is just in time for one of the speaker’s topics in the upcoming HSLM Annual Meeting – register today!
Reposted with permission from Emily, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-how-change-your-hiring-process-build-truly-diverse-emily-waitz
Why and How to Change Your Hiring Process to Build a Truly Diverse Team
By Emily Waitz, ewaitz@nwhealth.edu
While attending a conference in March, I was inspired by many EDI-focused presentations that helped me understand the range of difficulties professionals may face when job hunting. I was particularly struck by how easily the job interview process could eliminate the qualified candidates you hoped to meet. I left with many ideas for how to modify my future hiring practices to attract and support a diverse candidate pool and build a team that reflects those we serve. Here are my suggestions:
Write Clear and Jargon-Free Job Descriptions
- Job candidates with neurodiversity can find jargon-filled job descriptions confusing. Focus on skills with action words they can match to their experiences, and not worry about whether they are “self-starters” or sufficiently “collaborative.”
- Leave out company/industry lingo. This can attract qualified candidates from other industries, who may bring a unique perspective.
- Can you remove “requirements” that aren’t requirements to do the job? It’s common to include requirements such as “superior communication skills,” but is that necessary? Try to differentiate between the job’s needs and coworkers’ desires.
Employ Anti-Bias Strategies When Reviewing Resumes
It’s easy – and normal – to read resumes and pick up on clues about a person, beyond their qualifications. You make assumptions about that person based on their name, where they have lived, and the reputation of their school(s). Unfortunately, this can lead you to gravitate towards people who are more like you, regardless of qualifications.
- Provide anti-bias training to the hiring committee.
- Consider using a tool or process that “blinds” resumes (although this is not easy or simple).
- Remember that the goal is to look for evidence in the resume that confirms whether the candidate has the background and skills to meet the job qualifications, so you are starting with a qualified candidate pool.
Set the Stage for Q&A
In real life, most employees have time to consider questions and answers more fully. Creating a high-pressure environment for interview questions will disadvantage many candidates unnecessarily. Instead, create an environment where candidates can show their true potential.
- Prepare the candidate pool by sending interview questions and detailed schedules in advance. Neurodiverse candidates do better with clear expectations.
- Offer an opportunity to ask for clarification before the interview day. Candidates without interview experience or mentors may need help interpreting expectations.
Create a Reasonable Interview Schedule and Environment
Too often, interviewees are faced with a grueling schedule. Even the most privileged candidate will not perform their best with back-to-back-to-back interviews and no break.
- The schedule should be very detailed: who you are meeting with, where, when, and WHY. Ambiguity creates awkward interactions.
- Include breaks for food, bathroom, and decompression.
- Assign a point person so the candidate has a friendly person to ask questions, and escort them from place to place, throughout the day.
- Examine the physical requirements of the day. Assume the candidate is wearing uncomfortable clothes and shoes. Assume they could be disabled.
- Consider the furniture and the variety of body types. People come in all shapes and sizes: Is the seating sturdy and adjustable?
Examine Social Biases
Not everyone is great at small talk, and that’s ok! Does your candidate need to be outgoing to do the job? If you wear down a candidate with social expectations, they may not make their best impression. Remember that people behave differently in social interactions for many reasons, including:
- Neurodiverse candidates may not make eye contact or understand jokes. This doesn’t mean they are rude or unintelligent. Some people may be unable to read or make facial expressions that match your expectations.
- Eating in a group adds complexity for those with dietary restrictions or other health issues. This may be fun for some; but exhausting for others.
- Introverts will lose energy over the day. As the day wears on, introverts may become irritable and unable to show off their true personalities.
Deemphasize “Fit”
This is the big one, and it has roots in the abovementioned issues. For too long, fit has been of paramount importance when decision-making in hiring. An emphasis on fit is THE way to ensure you will not diversify your staff and instead maintain the status quo.
- Leave out fit factors when evaluating candidates and focus on factors that really matter, such as training, knowledge of trends, and applicable experiences. Use a standardized rubric to assess these qualifications independently.
- Listen to how hiring committee members talk about the candidates and challenge them if they focus on fit. For example, if they mention liking the candidate’s sense of humor, remind the group that should not be a decision-making factor.
I am looking forward to putting these ideas into action. Let me know if you have any additional ideas I should add to my list!
References:
Thompson E. 7 Ways Your Hiring Process May Be Unintentionally Excluding Neurodivergent Talent. Leadership Excellence. 2021;38(2):55-58.
Galasso M. Fatness and the Future of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Librarianship. In: ACRL 2023 Conference Proceedings. American Library Association; 2023:170-180. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2023/FatnessandFutureofEDIinLibrarianship.pdf
Roga E, Squires J, Farrell K, Lounsberry M, Holt M, Cohen R. Forging The Future Through Real-World Impact: How Autistic Librarians Are Setting Out To Change Hiring. Panel Session presented at: ACRL 2023; March 17, 2023; Pittsburgh, PA.
Houk K, Nielsen J. Inclusive Hiring in Academic Libraries: A Qualitative Analysis of Attitudes and Reflections of Search Committee Members. CRL. 2023;84(4). doi:10.5860/crl.84.4.568
Arch X, Gilman I. Integrating Anti-Bias Strategies in Library Faculty Hiring and Evaluation. In: ACRL 2023 Conference Proceedings. American Library Association; 2023:225-233. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2023/IntegratingAnti-BiasStrategiesinLibraryFacultyHiring.pdf
Guy C, Duffus O, Xu L, Hankins R. Mentorship: Creating Pathways and Expanding Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Minority Librarians. Panel Session presented at: ACRL 2023; March 17, 2023; Pittsburgh, PA.
Vozza S. These are the most common (and annoying) types of jargon in job ads. Fast Company. Published July 29, 2021. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.fastcompany.com/90659705/these-are-the-most-common-and-annoying-types-of-jargon-in-job-ads
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