Nurturing a diverse workforce is not only the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense.

Diversity helps organizations avoid homogenous thinking and sparks increased creativity and innovation. Diversity helps companies understand customers better and expand their reach. And according to the Harvard Business Review, diversity even helps businesses solve problems faster.

Of course, growing a highly talented and diverse workforce doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a purposeful approach to attracting, hiring, and nurturing diverse talent. It requires an environment where employees are supported and empowered to develop their strengths, take risks, and collaborate openly.

And it requires an inclusive culture where everyone—regardless of gender, race, socio-economic status, age, disability, or perspective—is treated equitably, with respect and consideration, and feels safe to be their authentic selves.

What are some steps you can take to attract and grow a highly talented and diverse workforce? Here are some strategies that we use here at Beyondsoft.

Attracting diverse candidates

Attracting and recruiting highly talented and diverse candidates necessitates outside-the-box thinking. While channels such as LinkedIn can be helpful, it’s also useful to include more diverse channels such as retraining programs, user groups, specialty publications, and recruiting events.

For example, Hire Autism is a great way to find talented individuals on the autism spectrum. To target a broad range of underrepresented groups in the US, check out Diversity Jobs. If you want to increase the number of veterans, consider advertising at Hire Purpose (US).

Make diverse referrals a top priority. Work with diverse groups within your organization to encourage referrals. Ask employees to tap their networks for diverse leads. You can even ask people you know outside your company.

Another way to attract a more diverse workforce is to create internship programs and entry-level opportunities for underrepresented groups. When building an internship program, make sure your program leadership reflects the diversity you seek to attract. Avoid unpaid internships as they are typically only accessible to candidates with the financial ability to work for free.

Be conscious of unconscious bias. When assessing job candidates, remove applicants’ details to avoid making unintended decisions based on assumed age, race, or gender.

When it’s time to interview, make sure that your selection committee is diverse. Conduct interviews that allow teams to evaluate skill sets, culture fit, and overall success based on their goals. Consider creating a standard set of interview questions to help eliminate unconscious bias and ensure that all candidates are treated equally.

Finally, be sure to provide a positive candidate experience throughout the hiring process, emphasizing communication, and expectations. Helping candidates know what to expect (and what is expected), helps smooth the way for a positive experience. Keeping candidates informed is not only respectful, but it also demonstrates that you value them and their time. If someone has not been selected, notify them as early in the process as possible.

Growing and retaining diverse talent

We recently shared our approach to talent retention, which is about creating a culture where employees thrive. And when it comes to growing and retaining a diverse talent base, this approach is vital.

Great work happens when employees are set up for success and are doing what they love. Prioritize developing employee strengths over “fixing” weaknesses. Capitalize on employees’ passions and strengths by putting them in positions that make the most of their abilities. This helps employees build on their natural talents and accelerate their impact and success.

Provide plenty of external resources for learning and career development. Keep employees engaged and challenged by offering assignments or projects that allow them to expand their existing skills. Create a safe environment where employees can take risks and learn from mistakes. Make it a priority to recognize employee achievements. And implement a policy of continuous coaching and feedback, not only during formal review time.

If you haven’t already done so, establish a formal mentorship program. According to the Creating a Culture of Mentorship study, 30% of women (compared to 27% of men) and 32% of minorities (compared to 27% overall) found mentorship extremely important. Benefits include getting feedback on professional strengths, development opportunities, and career paths. Mentoring helps ensure industry knowledge transfer and creates bonds between employees. It gives employees allies and helps to reduce turnover. Plus, it helps to build leadership skills internally.

Finally, keep in mind that diverse leaders are more likely to attract a diverse talent pool–which means you need to focus on providing leadership training and opportunities to various employees. Maximize your top, diverse talent by placing them in positions where they can influence the organization.

Attracting and growing a diverse and highly talented workforce demands a concerted effort. But when it’s done right, it can help your organization excel. Here at Beyondsoft, we are proud of our highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workforce. To learn more, connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter, and be sure to check out our career opportunities.

As we experience, live and ultimately thrive in an ever-changing business landscape, the jobs, skill sets, and businesses of today are not necessarily those of tomorrow. With a booming job market, it’s easy for employees to find reasons to move on from a company if they’re not completely satisfied in their role. When employees lose trust in management or find that their employers don’t value them – they will start looking for something new and this should cause pain for management. At every level…

While fair compensation is important and crucial, creating a supportive and inclusive work environment is equally vital. Statistics show that when employees feel engaged and supported, they’re more likely to stay. In this recent workplace study, 81% of job seekers are dissatisfied with their work environment, and 43% are dissatisfied with their career path.

In the BPO & Service Desk organization at Beyondsoft, we make supporting the people who support our customers a top priority. I firmly believe that it is this commitment to our staff that has helped us achieve a 95% employee retention rate. 

But how do we do it? While there is much that can be done to encourage employee retention, below are the core fundamental principles that we follow to create a workplace culture where our employees thrive.

Recognize that employee retention is good business

It’s simple: when you keep qualified people around for longer periods, you save money. A recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the average monthly employee turnover rate is 3.7%. And when you consider the costs of hiring and onboarding in addition to lost efficiency, increased workforce strain, and customer impacts, the cost of turnover can skyrocket.

Of course, most businesses realize the value of employee retention. But because we retain great people for more extended periods, we can operate more efficiently. And this helps to keep costs down—savings that we’re pleased to pass on to customers. In turn, our customers enjoy the consistency, depth of expertise, and engagement levels that our employees provide.

Prepare employees for what’s next – even if it’s outside your company

Professional development is critical, and if you don’t provide it, someone else will. In this study by Ceridian, 86% of employees consider it important for employers to provide learning opportunities.

We prepare our people for the future. From the moment a new hire arrives at Beyondsoft, we work to understand their career goals and then create a path for them to train and grow. We provide mentorship and coaching to enable them to develop the skillsets needed to move to the next level. I’ve sat with members of my team on multiple occasions and interview prepped for positions outside of the company and even provided solid references. I’ve gone as far as helping with resume writing and offering assistance when it comes to salary negotiations.

It may seem odd to some, but that’s the reality of our world. People want to grow and be able to provide a better life for themselves and loved ones. I want everyone who I work with to know that a big part of my job is to ensure they are able to achieve success in those areas from a professional point.

While we are sad to lose awesome people, we also celebrate their achievements and desire to move forward in their careers. I’ve found that this open communication lets my people know that although we are here to do a job, they matter to me. When employees know they matter, they are happy. And when employees are happy, they aren’t out looking for their next gig. It’s that simple.

Build a culture of trust and transparency 

Building trust takes commitment but pays off with more engaged and productive employees who are more likely to stay. At Beyondsoft, we work diligently to foster trust and transparency. An example would be when there is a shift in the organization, we communicate as much as possible. We walk our employees through what is happening, what to expect, as well as what we expect from them. 

Additionally, we create a safe environment where employees feel empowered to request help when needed and to take thoughtful risks in pursuit of new and better solutions. My team is encouraged to mentor across the board – and at any level openly. Failure is rewarded. It’s always a good time to create valuable learning opportunities, and successes along with failures, enable us to deliver an even more robust solution platform for our customers.

Of course, there’s plenty more that goes into creating a supportive environment here at Beyondsoft, such as a focus on diversity, flexible work options, and top-notch benefits. To learn more about the fantastic people at Beyondsoft and what it’s like to work here, check out our blog.