Recruitment | Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)

Describes efforts taken by an organization to diversify candidate pools and create a more equitable hiring experience. Areas to review include job descriptions, interview process, advertising, selection tools, and background checks. 

Recruitment also includes resources and services made available to new hires that clearly communicate that they are welcome and can bring their authentic self to work. This includes the selection and offering of a broad range of benefits and flexible work arrangements to meet the diverse needs of employees. 

Early

Corporate practices are established to increase diverse candidates for all career opportunities
Efforts are made to remove bias, non-inclusive language in job descriptions, and to only list work experience and skills that are truly necessary for the position (e.g., to cast a wide net, skills or industry knowledge that can be acquired on the job are not listed as candidate qualifications)
Resumes are anonymized to mitigate bias in the selection process · Advertise career opportunities with diverse bars / associations and other job posting sites that have a more diverse audience
Ensure panel of interviewers is diverse and consistent inclusion and format is the same for all candidates
Ensuring panel of diverse interviewers have undertaken training in unconscious bias and in interview techniques that focus on competencies
Ensuring accommodations can be met for candidates who request one

Intermediate

Legal-specific practices have been introduced
Formal, consistently applied programs are in place to source and attract diverse candidates, and monitor results (e.g., accessing channels such as diverse associations and recruiters / agencies that focus on diversity recruitment, recruiting from schools that graduate higher percentage of diverse students, and offering incentives for diverse placements)
Programs are in place to leverage internal networks to source diverse candidates (e.g., referral incentives and communicating job openings)
Using a more structured interview process with standard situational and behavioral questions
Engage members of ERGs as sources of diverse talent

Advanced

Fully acting upon commitments / policies to consider a diverse slate
Utilizing self-identification data to benchmark diversity of candidate pool
Using an assessment process to avoid human selection bias (e.g., if there’s a case study, using an AI tool may help to objectively conduct the first review)
Career options are offered / utilized, such as structured opportunities to apprentice or ramp up (e.g., a “return to work” program for those with career breaks)
Background checks avoid automatic exclusion for past issues / infractions
AI is used to remove any bias language within job descriptions, polices, and procedures
Leverage ERGs strategically in the talent acquisition process