This guide provides an extensive list of recommendations to best address areas for improvement in the workplace with regards to recruitment and retention, and different stages within those processes. Even though it is targeted at academic and research institutions, most advice is translatable to any organization working towards equitable recruitment and promotion processes.

1. Organizational allocation and planning: Evaluate performance on how well senior leadership implement diversity and inclusion principles and practices in their work;review current policies, practices, and procedures through an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens; etc.
2. Job postings: Ensure that a diversity and inclusion expert reviews and approves the job posting before its posted; post only the qualifications and skills necessary for the job; etc.
3. Search for candidates: Accept a full CV, ensuring that career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness, or community responsibilities do not negatively impact the assessment of a candidate’s productivity; mandate proactive targeted outreach to attract members of underrepresented groups; etc.
4. Hiring committee: Ensure a diverse search committee is considered in all aspects of their work; provide mandatory training for all committee members; etc.
5. Interview: Rank selection criteria prior to screening applications to ensure an unbiased, consistent, and transparent selection process; ensure the same assessment process is applied to all candidates; etc.
6. Hiring decisions: Provide a written report to senior management on the selection process and the rationale when a member of the targeted group is unsuccessful; avoid using a candidate’s “fit” as a means to discriminate or indulge personal biases; etc.
7. Retention and promotion: Collect self-identification data at all organizational levels and monitor and analyze this data for potential systemic barriers to advancement; conduct an environmental scan about the organization’s culture and how well it is doing in its equity, diversity, and inclusion work; etc.

To read more about the recommendations, click here.