Diversify Your Recruitment Advertising

HR Magazine, June, 2001 by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

"This kind of advertisement speaks not only to Microsoft's employment needs, but also to the fact that we are a company that values diversity," says Dorsey.

At Prudential, the creation of diversity recruitment ads comes from within. The company's organizational structure uses a mechanism that includes a group very much considered an internal ad agency. "When we need to develop diversity recruitment, we contact our own advertising department because they are the experts," says Reed. "I look at the magazines I read myself to see what other companies are doing, and then we come to a consensus [on strategy]."

Diversity recruitment ad campaigns do work: "Diversity-focused ads placed in publications and on web sites have assisted the company in its efforts to attract diverse candidates," says Dorsey. "We measure success in numerous ways-positive feedback that we receive from focus groups, event attendance, web page hits, [volume of] resumes, etc." It is important to note that measuring such efforts can be tricky, since not all respondents cite the sources of the job openings for which they apply.

Studies have shown that minority job seekers seem to look for companies with a proven diversity record. A recent WetFeet.com study found that 16 percent of respondents looked at a diverse workforce as a key indicator of a company's commitment to diversity, while one-third of respondents indicated that they eliminated a company from employment consideration because of lack of gender or ethnic diversity. Among black candidates, this number is even higher, with 44 percent of those surveyed reported to have dismissed a company on that basis. However, candidates look beyond recruitment advertising. In the WetFeet.com study, only 1 percent said they look for diversity recruitment advertising, compared to 37 percent who look for training and career development programs. The message? Back up your advertising with effective diversity programs.

Doing It Right

With diversity becoming more and more accepted and valued, there is a wealth of talent available to help HR professionals develop diversity recruiting ads that work. "Both diversity consultants and marketing organizations are involved in this work," says Digh. "One challenge for HR professionals is to coordinate their efforts with those of the marketing part of the organization to ensure that there is coherence in the message being delivered to particular markets."

A history of catchy and successful product ads does not necessarily mean an agency will come up with good recruiting ads, Reed says. "Some companies are good at product advertisement, but product and recruiting advertising are two different animals. An agency has to be versed in recruiting advertising and have a track record." To ensure a good match, she recommends, "meet and see if the company itself is diverse and employs people from a variety of backgrounds," as well as has a track record of producing appropriate diversity recruiting ads in the same or relevant industries.