Speaker 1: What are common diversity and inclusion interview questions that you should expect in the hiring process? Hey friends, Josh here, founder of HR University. And it's important to know that living in a diverse world, this is an important issue for both recruiters and potential candidates. Multicultural and diverse working environments are not just about accepting cultural issues, but about being open to accepting people's differences and having no prejudice about working with them. And that's where these interview questions come about, to make sure that people don't have prejudice when you're hiring them. And not many people know that almost 50% of people of color have quit their jobs due to being discriminated against. That's a huge number. Then there is also the fact that companies that have diverse leadership also have a 36% higher financial benefit. Due to all this, more employers are including diversity and inclusion interview questions in search of candidates that will reflect that difference. Before I begin, make sure to subscribe to the channel for new and exciting regular HR videos from HR University. Okay, let's go ahead and jump in. Now I selected 12 questions that I think both sides will find useful. Let's go ahead and check them out. So the first question we have is, what do diversity and inclusion mean to you? And why are they important? The concept of diversity and inclusion is broad and has different meanings to different people. This is an excellent question, though, for recruiters to find out if the candidate will be committed to fostering them in the workplace, and not just understand what they stand for. It will allow recruiters to find out the importance of these values to the applicant, what they mean to them, and how they deal with these challenges in their community. Here's an example answer. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are three very important topics to me. I believe that diversity means representation across a wide range of traits, backgrounds, and experiences. When we can connect and engage with coworkers with different perspectives than our own, we can more successfully achieve our overall goals. And inclusion refers to a sense of belonging in any environment. For a company to really achieve the benefits of diversity, it has to work to be inclusive in recruiting, hiring, retention, and promotions. Employees in inclusive workplaces feel more comfortable sharing their unique ideas and perspectives because they can sense that their differences are genuinely respected and appreciated. Finally, equity is important for making sure that every employee's voice is included in the decision-making process, and that everyone feels fairly compensated for their work, and that everyone has access to the same opportunities. It's very important to me that everyone I work with feels safe, accepted, and valued, and has an equal opportunity to grow and succeed. And together, the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion help create a workplace culture that drives a business forward. The second question is a bit more general. In your opinion, what is the most challenging aspect of working in a diverse environment? A recruiter may ask this question to test a candidate's awareness of potentially challenging situations that might arise. It's a chance for a candidate to explain their capability of effectively dealing with these types of situations. They should point out creative solutions or techniques on how to deal with the situation rather than just pointing the finger. If there is finger-pointing, then the candidate probably doesn't belong in your company. Here's an example answer. Diverse teams drive innovative solutions precisely because they can be challenging. By bringing diverse perspectives to the table, you get more ideas, but also more people point out holes in those ideas. The debate that can come with differing perspectives pushes everyone to think and work harder. That is one of the most challenging aspects of working in a diverse environment, but it's a challenge I embrace. For example, if I notice that we've gone into a solution fairly easily, but we haven't heard from someone on the team, then I'll ask that person to weigh in on the solution. I found that on many occasions, inviting someone into the conversation might mean we're debating an issue longer, but also means that we ultimately end up with a stronger solution. Now the third question. How do you handle a situation where a colleague is racist, homophobic, or insensitive in any other aspect? The answer should uncover whether the candidate actively participates in the creation of an inclusive environment. The number of African Americans and Latin employees experiencing racism problems is still high today. There's also the LGBTQ plus community and people with disabilities who are also marginalized. Companies need to make sure the candidate will actively and openly stand against biased actions and remarks, and not just be passive observers. Ask them to share a personal experience if they've experienced a similar situation, and have them explain how they have resolved the issue and what was the result. Observed speech and body language are often telltale signs when something is hidden behind the words. And if you're a candidate, here is an example answer. If the incident is actively taking place, I view it as my job to interrupt the bias, regardless of who is making the insensitive remark or action. I would directly call out the insensitive statement or action, and the fact that it does not reflect the company's values or my own, and that I want it to stop. I might say something like this. We don't talk like that around here. Please don't say that around me again. And if I heard about an incident secondhand, I'll go ahead and inform the company's human resources team so they're aware of the issue and can address it based on the company's anti-discrimination policies. Next, you can ask your candidate about what training they have received on cultural competencies, diversity, inclusion, and equality. How have they applied this knowledge from their training on the job? The recruiter should learn more about the candidate's knowledge and experience on these issues, whether they've attended the training on their own demand or they were provided by their previous employer. The recruiter will get a better understanding of the candidate's skills required for working in a team. Putting their knowledge into practice will show the recruiter if the candidate can actually make a positive impact in the workplace. And question 5 lets you find out more about the candidate's will to expand their knowledge. The question is, how has your current thinking on diversity and inclusion changed over time? Discussions on the topics of diversity and inclusion have changed over time, and this is why recruiters use this question to hear how the candidate's views and opinions have evolved. Candidates should provide examples to show that they follow trends and novelties. And question 6 is how do you advocate for diversity and inclusion among colleagues who don't understand and disregard its importance? Recruiters should ask this question because not everyone understands the importance of a diverse and inclusive workplace. Did you know that 52% of people are accepting of workplace diversity while an astonishing 31% react negatively to workplace diversity? The candidate's answer will help you see if they actually understand the concept of diversity and inclusion. By sharing their knowledge and previous experiences, the recruiter should be able to determine whether the candidate can contribute to raising awareness. And now onto question 7, what are the diversity and inclusion challenges you have faced at your last job and how are they addressed? This is an excellent opportunity for recruiters to learn more about the candidate's personality traits. It's also useful to see how the candidate communicates with others. And some of the challenges faced at work are trust issues, communication barriers, and different working styles. And talking about previous challenges at work may help the recruiter see if the applicant will have the right approach when the time comes. Recruiters should make sure that the person they hire has a professional approach and resolution of challenges and incidents involving staff from different backgrounds. Now for question 8, which is especially important if you're hiring for higher positions within the company. As a manager, how do you make employees feel a sense of inclusion, belonging, and equality? Inclusion is an important trait for management positions as they set an example for others. According to research, an astonishing 41% of managers are simply not interested in implementing diversity, putting it low on the list. The question will help recruiters get an idea of whether applicants will proactively create a positive and inclusive working environment. The candidate should provide answers on strategies that will encourage and motivate their team. It will also allow employees opportunities to improve and advance regardless of their background. An example answer, I am passionate about seeing to it that every member of my team believes they are feasible and realistic. One way this manifests itself is in the way I conduct meetings. I often start by sending out the agenda ahead of time and encourage additions to the agenda before the meeting even starts. This guarantees that everyone has the opportunity to express their thoughts and concerns even if they do not typically feel comfortable speaking out or do not think clearly on the spot. During the meeting, I keep track of who is speaking up and whose ideas are being heard. And when required, I'll refocus the dialogue to ensure that everyone is included in the process and is comfortable with the next steps. Moving on to question 9, how do you serve diverse groups in your professional and personal life? This is a recruiter's way to see if the candidate is keen on collaborating for equality and inclusion and putting in an effort to help people different from them. So use this opportunity to find out if they've done volunteer work for any non-profit organizations and what they've learned from this experience, for example. And now we have question 10, which is how do you approach the perspectives of people from different backgrounds? This question is intended to assess the candidate's skills for understanding colleagues in situations where diversity can make the working process harder. It takes a lot of understanding and communication on the team's part to overcome differences, which in turn will have a positive outcome. Their answers should reflect their potential to recognize their relationship building power and the importance of building stronger bridges with colleagues. The next question is, what actions will you take to eliminate bias from a hiring process? And research has shown that although support for a diverse workplace is high, only 2% of executives are black and 3% are Latin American. This goes to show that racial inequality still exists during the recruiting process. Moreover, subconscious bias exists and can affect our interactions with others in a negative way. This question opens discussions about the fact that recruiters also have subconscious biases towards a candidate when they can't pinpoint the reason why the candidate is not fit for the job. Therefore, it's an important question for both the recruiter and the candidate. The candidate should give examples of actions that they would take to eliminate bias. But recruiters should also reevaluate their own opinions and see if they are unconsciously enforcing bias during the hiring processes. A good answer might sound like this. We all know by now that biases are all around us. Unfortunately, they can get in the way of even the most well-intentioned hiring team. In order to minimize bias in my hiring process, I begin by ensuring that the job opening gets broadcast to as many diverse networks as possible. This helps bring in a diverse range of candidates from the start. Then I make sure to focus on each candidate's skills and abilities. To the extent possible, I also ignore gaps in their career history, let's say reflect time off to care for children, and disadvantage women. I also ignore college pedigree, which is typically unrelated to performance but can disadvantage people of color. Finally, I use a structured interview process where I make sure to ask every candidate the same questions so I'm able to evaluate them on the same set of criteria. In my last role, using these strategies over the course of several years allowed me to grow the most diverse department in the organization and it really boosted our creativity and performance as a team. We simply did better work with more backgrounds and perspectives presented, exceeding our goals every single quarter. Other hiring managers started asking about what I was doing differently in the hiring process, and I was more than happy to share what had worked for me and also brainstorm additional ways in order to eliminate biases in the hiring across the company. Now for question number 12. Tell me about a time when you advocated for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Interviews almost always include a question or two designed to gauge how you're likely to behave and practice based on what you've done in the past. And this one is specifically intended to assess your ability to translate your values and beliefs into action. And here's how to answer. First, when you hear, tell us about a time when, or any similar request for a real-life example of how you've handled an issue in the past, it's time to implement what's called the STAR method. The STAR method gives you a way to provide a fitting example in a straightforward, compelling manner. STAR stands for Situation. Set the scene and give any background needed. Task. Explain what you were responsible for in that situation. And then Action. Describe the steps you took. And the last part here is Result. Talk about the outcomes of those steps and what you learned. And don't worry if you don't have some amazing story about making sweeping changes at an organization. Your interviewer will want to know how you bring the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into decisions and actions, large and small. And the answer could sound something like this. In a previous role, I served as office manager for a fast-growing tech startup. I was one of the only women in a company full of men. We were moving into a larger office and had the opportunity to name the conference rooms. It was my job to oversee many of the logistics of the move, including naming these rooms. And I wanted to create a democratic process, so I invited the rest of the team to provide name suggestions around a theme of famous innovators throughout history. However, the vast majority of suggestions I received were for male innovators, and most of them white. I knew from a diversity inclusion workshop that I attended that having most conference rooms named after men could be a subtle turnoff for female candidates. I knew that we needed to attract more women. I shared this context with our team when I asked for another round of suggestions. And while I was met with some rumbles and disagreements, we ultimately were able to work together and create conference room names that everyone loved. I always felt better showing female candidates around the office after that, and we were able to slowly increase the number of women at the startup. And that's it. In this video, we cover the topic of diversity inclusion interview questions and also some answers that you can keep in mind to better prepare yourself for when the time comes and you receive those interview questions or you ask them and you're looking for great answers of what to expect. And if you enjoyed this video and you feel like you have a better understanding of the topic, make sure to go ahead and like the video, subscribe to our channel for more HR videos and great HR content from HR University. And I'll go ahead and see you in some of our following videos. Cheers.