Hiring for a diverse future: Tips from a tech recruiter

Delivery Hero's commitment to diversity and inclusion has become integral to its decision-making over the years. More often than not, we hear talks about the importance of hiring diverse talent because we know from research that a diverse workforce fuels creativity and contributes to sustainable business success. People with different backgrounds and experiences can bring in different perspectives, producing better outcomes and driving innovation. A diverse and inclusive workplace increases employee engagement and retention, both of which are crucial for business success. The big question we have to answer is how do we attract diverse talent and how do we keep them after we have brought them in?

We had a chat with Tosin Anifowose, a Senior Tech Recruiter at Delivery Hero with experience hiring tech talent across all seniority levels, to find out what her three top tips are for hiring and retaining diverse talent.

Hiring diverse talentNearness to talent

There are different talent acquisition sources available today and leveraging only your career page or the most widely used social media platforms alone may significantly limit your chance of reaching diverse talent. The onus, therefore, lies on you as an organization to find where these talents are and to present the unique opportunities that your organization gives to them. Sometimes people don't know they are looking for you until you tell them about your company and what you have to offer. There is plenty of diverse talent out there waiting to be found. So instead of waiting for them to apply, actively seek them out by identifying where they are and developing a strategy tailored to this audience.

Potential and skillsets

Tosin Anifowose, Senior Tech Recruiter

In the talent acquisition space, we want to hire people who are a perfect fit for a position. Most of our technical assessments are targeted toward finding out if they can deliver on the job. Let's ask ourselves a question, why is the pool so limited? A proper understanding of the root cause would guide our approach to attracting talent from a different pool. For example, a lot of organizations hope to hire female engineers, and female engineering managers and directors, but this is not an easy task.

As a hiring manager or part of a hiring team, it's important to understand that many female candidates I want to hire for a technical role might not be applying because they don't think they tick all of the boxes of a job description, or might be entering the industry from a non-technical background. In this case, what matters is their mindset, skills we can build upon, and their potential.

Asking why people might not be applying for these roles and adjusting the framework to attract candidates with potential is crucial. It's also vital to find ways to help them succeed in applying for roles that fit their skill set, even if they don't have experience in the specific field.

Retaining diverse talentA constant feedback loop

The need to constantly stay close to your workforce and consistently promote an open feedback culture - while holding yourself accountable - is instrumental in helping to retain diverse talents. Accountability helps to define key metrics and keep you focused on creating a work environment that supports and promotes your diverse team. In other words, the aim is to create an environment in which anyone can thrive.

It is important to consider what feedback channels your organization uses, which of these has the most engagement, and what that tells you about your workforce.
The focal points should be flexible enough to adapt and evolve in keeping with your employee's needs. When trying to retain diverse employees, paying attention to things like work-life balance, opportunities to grow and learn, being fairly compensated for their work, and adequate support from managers is vital. Staying close to your employees and constantly feeling the pulse of your diverse workforce through a consistent and efficient feedback collection method helps you evaluate their needs and adjust accordingly.

Hiring diverse talent is highly achievable, and it starts with understanding why it is important. Recruiting teams have the enormous task of ensuring that this understanding is communicated in crystal clear terms. This helps every employee, not only in the hiring and management field but also in the entire company, to understand the value of hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. Diversity and inclusion are deeply ingrained in Delivery Hero's company culture, starting with the core values, specifically: "We are Heroes because we care." Delivery Hero cares about creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, which begins with the hiring process. The journey toward an inclusive work environment won't happen overnight, but Delivery Hero is committed to integrating this value into every step of an employee's path.