As businesses become more global, the fabric of their workforces should follow suit. Organisations that recognise the importance of having a diversity and inclusion strategy benefit from a more innovative, collaborative and well-rounded workforce.

When outsourcing your search for talent it’s important to have your vendors aligned, not only with your recruitment needs but also with your diversity initiatives. The aim is to work with suppliers that demonstrates a holistic approach to diversity, both within their organisation and on behalf of their clients.

Here are five questions to ask when considering a recruitment vendor to meet your broader organisational needs:

1. Do they have the data?
   Candidates are given the option to provide information regarding their gender, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation when submitting an application. Ask your vendor if they have the people and processes in place to collate this data. Do they regularly provide this data, or ad hoc when requested?
   
   
2. What are they doing differently to attract candidates?
   Many suppliers consider diversity, but how many actually invest in its successful delivery? Are they posting jobs on specialised job boards? Ask if they have any memberships and affiliations with diversity-focused associations. Do they hold candidate networking events in partnership with these groups?
   
   
3. Do they have the capability to deliver on a broader level?
   It’s one thing to be able to attract people from different backgrounds but another to be able to source diverse talent outside of densely populated areas. An organisation supporting HR recruitment in London would find it relatively easy to source female candidates because the nature of the work lends itself to women. Where value is truly gained from suppliers is when they show ability to source and deliver high quality, diverse candidates in geographic areas or business areas where they are inherently scarce (e.g. IT roles).
   
   
4. Do they lead by example?
   Does everyone who visits their website have equal access to all information and functionality? Do they have case studies available? Ask your vendor what their diversity and inclusion strategy entails and the steps they are taking to be a more diverse employer. How inclusive and gender neutral is their recruitment process from start to finish?
   
   
5. Are they focused on finding the right skills?
   As diverse and inclusive hiring practices are on the rise, as is the number of specialist diversity recruitment providers. At the end of the day, the goal is to find the candidate with the right skills and experience to do the job. Make sure your recruitment vendor is conscious of the skills required and not just bringing diverse candidates to the table for diversity’s sake.

Want to know more about how you can ensure your recruitment efforts are in line with your diversity strategy? Contact us.