Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion Elements into the

Recruiting Process

Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness

March, 2019

Agenda

• What and Why: Diversity and Inclusion in the Recruiting Process

• Job Requisitions• Screening• Interviews• References• Selection

Introduction

• Lead the University by incorporating Diversity and Inclusion elements into the Recruiting Process

• Why: To change the culture of the University

• How to begin: Re-imagine the process

Position Restrictions

• All positions currently include a diversity element in Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities– “Ability to work cooperatively with others”

Job Requisitions

• Convey to our applicants our beliefs and the attributes of the successful candidate

• Update our job requisitions to incorporate this information

Job Requisitions

• Re-Imagine the Job Requisition creation and structure

• Place important elements at the top of the Job Requisition– Communicates what is important to us– States our beliefs– Reinforces our commitment

Job Requisitions

• New structure includes– “What We Believe”– “Who We Are”– “What We Want”

Job Requisitions

• What We Believe– “Texas A&M University is committed to

promoting a culture that embraces, expands, and celebrates inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability that enriches the learning and working environment for all visitors, students, faculty, and staff. Diverse perspectives, talents and experiences are invaluable to our mission and support our core values.”

Job Requisitions

• Who We Are– Description of the department, college and/or

division for the position– Hyperlinks can be added to department

websites to provide additional information to the applicants

Job Requisitions• Who We Are

– “Texas A&M University’s Division of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness (HROE) provides HR services in support of the vision and mission of Texas A&M University’s eighteen colleges and departments and one branch campus in Qatar. HROE is made up of five departments covering Organizational Consulting & Resolution Management (OCRM), Professional Development, Strategic Planning, Talent Management and Total Rewards.”

Job Requisitions

• What We Want – This is the job description, but expanded and

amended to include not only information about the duties, but what we are looking for

– “We need an individual who subscribes to and supports our commitment as stated above.”

Job Requisitions

• What We Want– Add descriptive language about the attributes

the successful candidate will have• “Loves a fast-paced environment”• “Detail-oriented, critical eye”• “Enjoys working in a structured environment with

high productivity”

Job Requisitions

Supplemental Questions

• Supplemental Questions are part of the Secondary Questionnaire

• Secondary Questionnaire contains:– Qualifying Questions: minimum required

education and experience– Screening Questions: supplemental

questions to enhance the screening process

Supplemental Questions

• Open-Ended or Close-Ended– Text box or Yes/No or Multiple Choice– Attachments can be added to the

questionnaire – Required or Not Required

• Ask for examples to gain further insight into the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences

New!

Supplemental Questions

• Examples– “Please give examples of your experience

with event coordination. Be specific about the types of events and your role in the coordination”

– “This position requires a schedule of Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. Are you able to meet this requirement? Yes or No”

Supplemental Questions

• You can include the answers to the questions in your rating of the required/preferred qualifications on the matrix

• You can eliminate candidates who cannot meet the stated requirements of the position

Supplemental Questions• The broader the answer to the question,

the less effective the question is for rating on the matrix.– Tell me about all of your Human Resources

experience. – Try to narrow the question to what you really

need to know• Please give examples of your experience with

administering FMLA, ADA, and retirement as a member of the Benefits team within HR.

Supplemental Questions

• Using Interview type questions to screen– The question will assist in determining the best

candidates to interview– The information can be rated

• “Please give examples of your experience with high-volume, data input, task-oriented work.”– If you have described this type of work as part of

“What you want”; this question is job-related.

Screening Matrix

• A tool provided by HROE to assist in rating applicants in various parts of the Recruiting Process: application, interview, references, selection

• The final score reflects the application, interview and references

• Includes information about preferences required by State Law.

Screening Matrix

• The qualifications being screened and rated are from the required or preferred elements of the job requisition/supplemental questions

• Elements that can be reviewed and rated from the job requisition and questionnaires

• Some elements cannot be rated from the application/resume

Screening Matrix

• Elements to be reviewed/rated in Interview:– Multitasking skills– Interpersonal skills– Commitment to TAMU diversity/inclusion– Ability to set and reset priorities– Ability to work in a structured environment

Screening Matrix

Interview Questions

• Interview Questions should be job related– Questions based on job duties– “What we want” attributes– Open-ended questions– Past performance– Measurable/can be scored numerically– Legal

Interview Questions• Types of Interview questions:

– Behavioral: measure past behaviors• Please give an example of how you did this.

– Competency: align past behaviors with job competencies• Please give examples of your leadership skills/experience.

– Credential verification: resume/application verification• How long were you at Company B?

– Experience verification: subjectively evaluate features of candidate’s background

• What were your responsibilities in that position?– Opinion: subjectively analyze the candidate’s response

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Interview Questions• Other types of questions – Icebreakers, but

not to rate:– Brainteaser: evaluates mental calculation or

creative ability of candidate• What is 1000 divided by 73?

– Case: evaluates problem solving abilities• How would you determine the number of gas stations in

Europe?– Icebreakers: to get past pre-programmed

answers• What kind of animal would you like to be?

Interview Questions

• Interview questions should be developed before reviewing any candidate information

• Interview questions should include some indication of expected answer or how they will be scored

Interview Questions

• Can include soft skills in the scores:– Verbal communication– Initiative demonstrated in response– Adaptability demonstrated in response– Leadership demonstrated in response

• Document information to support the score• Do not need a verbatim documentation of

entire interview

Interview Questions• Incorporate diversity and inclusion

questions in interview:– “How do you build consensus facing disparate

opinions/choices at work?”– “Please give examples of how you have

worked cooperatively with others who are different from yourself.”

– “Please discuss how building consensus affects the team in a work situation.”

References• Current Reference form supplied by

HROE includes a diversity/inclusion related question:– “Texas A&M University is committed to

diversity of thought, background, ethnicity and perspective. How do you feel (candidate’s) experiences and background have prepared her/him to be effective in our environment as it relates to our diversity values and commitment?”

Unconscious Bias

• Bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another usually in a way that is considered to be unfair.

• Unconscious bias (implicit bias) are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside of their conscious awareness.

Unconscious Bias• Biases are not limited to ethnicity and race• Biases may exist toward any social group:

– Age, gender identity, physical abilities, religion, sexual orientation, weight and many other characteristics are subject to bias

• Unconscious biases develop at an early age; have real world effects on behavior; and are malleable – one can take steps to minimize the impact

Unconscious Bias

• Individual strategies to address:– Promote self-awareness; recognize your

biases– Understand the nature of the bias– Discuss with others– Facilitate discussions and training sessions

Rita BowdenRecruitment & Workforce

Planning Manager979.862.1015

rbowden@tamu.eduemployees.tamu.edu