Building Diversity Talent Segments
In this blog we discuss how building diversity specific talent segments can help employers better understand and support the unique needs of diverse talent. In addition to understanding why we build these segments, we will identify the five primary diversity areas of focus in the United States for American employers.
Written by Brooke White, Sr. Employer Brand Specialist
Maximizing the Benefits of Diversity in Your Talent Segments
EMPLOYEES AS UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS
To be successful in Diversity and Inclusion, employers must look at each employee as a unique individual with many facets that contribute to their identity.
To understand these individuals, we must begin to explore elements of their identities in terms of common experiences and needs. To do so, employers must create diversity segments (like the ones listed below) and educate themselves on the challenges, experiences and needs of each. Once employers have built this understanding, they are better equipped to support individual needs from more informed perspectives.
PRIMARY DIVERSITY SEGMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
In the United States, employers tend to focus diversity initiatives into five primary areas of focus. It is however important to understand that there are many other ways to group candidates and employees in terms of diversity. Taking this into consideration, it’s safe to assume that most individuals will belong to more than one of these groups, and that these intersections bring their own unique challenges and nuances.
- Military Status
- Women
- Individuals with Disabilities
- Minorities (predominantly focused on Black and Hispanic talent)
- LGBT+
The key to being successful at Diversity and Inclusion is to understand that each candidate and employee should be looked at as a unique individual. These groups are explored in this context to help organizations better understand the specific challenges of marginalized groups, enabling them to provide better support.
ARTICULATE AN AUTHENTIC PROMISE FOR EACH SEGMENT
What you have to offer to offer as an employer does not change from one diversity segment to the next – however, the way you position it should.
Employees from specific diversity segments will experience your employer brand quite differently from others. It’s important to develop segment-specific value propositions that provide context and proof points that resonate with each segment’s unique experiences. To learn more about building value propositions for different talent audiences, take a look at our employer brand blog: How Segmented EVPs Support Recruitment.
HOW TO GET STARTED
At Adverto, we’ve invested time and resources into understanding the experiences, needs, and challenges of diverse talent segments. Through partnering with our team of specialists, we can work together to articulate an employee value proposition and strategic positioning to attract and convert diverse talent.
For more information, connect with us to set up a consultation.
