She’s black; she’s female. Is she a “diversity hire?” Although President Biden didn’t specifically describe Kamala Harris in this way, he did refer to her as a “diversity-driven VP choice” back in 2022. The sparks are still flying. 

The problem lies in the implication that Harris was chosen for her role owing to her race and gender rather than her skills. At the same time, nobody can deny that she has had a distinguished political career with a history as a district attorney, attorney general and a senatorship to her name.

The question of “diversity hiring” and how it is perceived is a societal issue rather than a partisan one. Republicans, their staff, and the agents assigned to protect them are also running the gauntlet. The controversy surrounding the Secret Service agents who were tasked with protecting Donald Trump on the day of the assassination attempt illustrates this.  

According to Eric Trump, the female agents who were present on the podium were “as courageous as they come,” and “willing to take a bullet.” Other commentators were less convinced, with some asserting that women should not be appointed to Secret Service roles at all. The National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives hit back, noting that research evidence demonstrates positive outcomes when security staff are drawn from an inclusive pool of applicants and are selected based on competence.  

To unravel the arguments and controversies surrounding the terms “diversity hire” and “diversity hiring” and form an opinion, a closer look at theory, practice and perceptions is required. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Diversity Hiring? 

Diversity hiring occurs when organizations make efforts to eliminate bias from recruitment. Harvard’s recruitment policy provides an example of this. The organization commits itself to the provision of equal opportunities for all applicants. It states that it hires employees: “without regard to race, color, religion, sex… or any other characteristic protected by law.”

Diversity hiring does not mean that people are hired because they exhibit certain characteristics. Instead, it means that organizations are trying to ensure they are not disadvantaged during the recruitment process. Yet, misunderstandings surrounding the meaning of diversity hiring have led to the term “diversity hire” being used as a pejorative. Indeed, it seems that the terms “diversity hiring” and “diversity hire” have evolved to represent two completely different things. 

Diversity Hiring vs Diversity Hire: What is the Difference?

In common parlance, referring to somebody as a “diversity hire” implies that they were only appointed because they match an underrepresented demographic. For example, black people and women in professions that are typically stereotyped as the province of white, male individuals may face disparagement as “diversity hires.” 

Diversity hiring, on the other hand, is not intended as a way of introducing bias in hiring decisions. On the contrary, it simply means that when an organization undertakes a hiring process, steps are taken to ensure an equal playing field for all candidates, regardless of their background.

Why is the Term “Diversity Hire” Problematic?

Many professionals are arguing that the term “diversity hire” should no longer be used owing to the negative connotations associated with the term. These include:

Tokenism

Tokenizing occurs when people are appointed as representatives of certain groups as a means of demonstrating inclusivity. For example, an organization may appoint a “token black person” to a management position as a surface-level way of demonstrating their commitment to diversity.  

Undermining Skills

Describing an employee as a diversity hire undermines the real reasons why they have been appointed, namely, their skills. This makes work life more challenging for the hire. Instead of joining your team under the shared assumption that their skills are a good fit, they must deal with an unfair level of scrutiny. They have to work harder to “prove” themselves even though they have already demonstrated their suitability for the position. 

Workplace Friction

Apart from feeling that a diversity hire has been granted an unearned opportunity, there’s an implication that your new employee is a “culture add” rather than a good fit for the existing workplace culture. This can lead to unnecessary friction between colleagues, microaggressions, and a sense that the new employee is an outsider – which again is unfair and problematic in numerous ways. 

Reduced Psychological Wellbeing 

Arbitrarily labeling people as diversity hires leads to people feeling marginalized and undervalued. It’s likely that they’ll feel that they were appointed based on personal characteristics rather than their skills or merit, which could affect their confidence, self-esteem or mental health. 

How Can Organizations Address the Issues Represented by the Term “Diversity Hire”

If you notice that the term “diversity hire” is being used in your organization, this could be indicative of two things:

1. Your Organization Should Evaluate Its Hiring Practices 

Your hiring practices should centralize skills and merit as the primary factors leading to hiring decisions. If you already have a diverse workforce, that may not mean that your hiring practices are biased towards hiring for diversity. Instead, it should be indicative of an approach to hiring that recognises people for their talents rather than their background and isn’t susceptible to unconscious bias. A study by Accenture notes that a skills-based approach to hiring makes organizations 35% more likely to exhibit a diverse workforce. 

Nevertheless, ensure that your organization is making fair and equitable hiring decisions. Focus on the recruitment process itself.

Evaluate Job Descriptions and Job Ads

Studies have shown that the language of bias can be very subtle, especially with regard to gender. Use tech tools to help you identify examples of language that may show an implicit bias for candidates based on gender (e.g. ‘dominant’ and ‘competitive’ for male applicants or ‘supporting’ and ‘nurturing’ for female applicants).

Examine Your Strategies for Attracting Applicants

Your advertising and candidate outreach strategies should be unbiased and inclusive. This may mean extending advertising beyond mainstream channels, exploring less obvious opportunities to reach skilled candidates. Programmatic advertising software can help you to evaluate your progress, allowing you to adjust your strategies based on campaign performance.

Eliminate Bias in Resume Screening

Blind resume screening helps recruiters to evaluate resumes based on their content rather than “who” they would prefer to hire. AI can be very helpful in assisting recruiters during preliminary resume screening, but they should be careful in their selection of tools. Improperly trained AI can result in inadvertent bias. 

Audit Interviewing and Selection Practices

No matter how diligently you navigated the preceding steps, final interviews can introduce bias. Take active steps so that all candidates have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their worth in interviews. These include:

• Conducting structured interviews in which all candidates are asked the same questions.  
• Developing standardized interview questions that allow candidates to describe how they would behave in a hypothetical set of circumstances instead of asking about prior experience.  
• Implementing a system that allows interviewers to rate applicants based on the key performance indicators your interview questions address.  
• Mitigating the effects of unconscious bias by implementing diversity within interview panels. 
• Selecting candidates based solely on interview performance and skills tests rather than “gut feel.”

2. Your Organization Must Address Misconceptions About Diversity 

Achieving an inclusive workplace culture is no accident and your commitment to inclusivity begins at the top, filtering through every level of the organization. A culture in which certain individuals are openly termed “diversity hires” may indicate that there are misconceptions to address. 

• Commitment from leadership is a must. By being fair in hiring, leadership can expect a diverse workforce and should be prepared to manage it even-handedly. With merit as the primary criterion for hiring and advancement, no employee should face being stigmatized as a “diversity hire” or feel overlooked because they are not members of designated groups. 
• Inclusive workplace policies should reinforce your organization’s commitment to equality. For example, an anti-discrimination policy may prohibit actions that demonstrate prejudice against people based on their personal characteristics. 
• Open communication will help to dispel misconceptions about diversity in your workplace. For example, you can be transparent about the steps you are taking to eliminate bias during recruitment. Initiate and be open to discussions on workplace diversity. 
• Highlight the fact that diversity is not only about gender and race. It includes extending equity to people living with disabilities and not disadvantaging people based on factors like age, sexuality or socioeconomic status. Its aim is to include all groups – but not at the expense of others.  
• Distinguish between diversity, inclusivity, and equity. You may be aiming for a diverse workforce in which a wide spectrum of people are represented. When you achieve this goal, everybody should be able to feel included as part of your team. However, equity, granting all people equal opportunities, remains the overarching principle. 

Your aim is for all your employees to feel valued, motivated and supported regardless of their backgrounds. By achieving this, your company will be in a good position to reap the benefits that come with workplace diversity. 

Achieve Equity and Diversity With Broadbean

Are you striving to achieve diversity in hiring without placing your employees at risk of being termed “diversity hires?” In recruitment, the formula may seem simple. Be fair to all prospective employees and give them an equal chance to demonstrate their suitability for posts within your organization. By doing so, you automatically open the doors to diversity since no population group has exclusive access to skills. 

In practice, however, implementing an unbiased hiring process can be complex and incredibly time-consuming. Broadbean has assembled a suite of tools to help employers navigate the recruitment process with minimal investment in time, effort, and resources. 

We are also part of an extensive network of diversity job boards, so you can leave no stone unturned in your efforts to recruit a diverse workforce and extend equal opportunities to talented candidates.