DEI: The Recruitment Controversy
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a hot topic and poised to remain at the forefront of HR priorities in the world of executive search.
• What’s the controversy?
Any organization arguably needs its leadership to integrate various perspectives to steer the ship on the right track. Also, from a brand perception standpoint, having an all-white-male board… doesn’t jive with the zeitgeist.
On the other hand, DEI poses legal challenges with which, as a recruiter, I am very familiar: no hiring can discriminate based on a protected class (race, age, gender, sexual orientation, etc.).
• The recruiter’s angle
There is obviously tremendous value to having women and a diverse leadership in any organization, and there are ways to achieve this.
This said, “Recruiting 101” still applies: an organization needs to hire the best, most qualified candidate capable of producing an optimal result.
Whether that is a man, a woman, a member of one racial minority or another should not matter. Your organization ought to hire the most qualified candidate. That’s the simplicity of it. The baseline.
This baseline also reduces red tape and legal liabilities, as it tends to prevent any candidate from feeling they were passed up because a protected class was preferred.
It could be helpful to receive all the guidance you can on the matter. We remain at your disposal to help your organization in expanding its leadership. Give us a call.
