4 Simple Ways to Attract Diverse Talent to Your Scaleup

Talent attraction is a vital- but often overlooked- stage in the recruitment journey. 

You can’t force that initial spark of curiosity from a candidate, but you can ensure your job adverts reach the right people, and that your brand reputation opens doors rather than closing them. 

Here are 4 simple ways to attract diverse talent to join you as you scale. 

If people are talking about you behind your back..

What do you want them to say? 

Your reputation as an employer exists beyond your team and this will be key in attracting talent. Nailing your employer brand will take time- but slow and steady wins the race! 

A big part of your brand is judged digitally- how do you come across online? This online presence is not just created by you, but also how other people talk about you in online forums and comment sections. 

You could have the best idea in the world, but if no one believes in you as an employer then your business will fail. 

Be consistent with your values but be realistic that policies may change as we adjust to a new way of working. Consistency is key when it comes to employer branding. But this doesn’t mean that all change is bad… 

The workforce is constantly evolving, and as we see a shift from the traditional 9-5, make sure that you’re moving in the same direction as your talent. 

No decision is set in stone, but a switch to flexible/ hybrid working will open doors when it comes to talent attraction. Find the right balance for your business as you scale.

Define a clear and attractive company culture

Part of building a good employer brand comes back to your culture. 

If you define a clear company culture early on in your journey, it’ll help you when it comes to making difficult hiring decisions.

Your culture should be attractive to prospective employees, not only will this help you to widen your talent net, but it’ll ensure everyone in your team will be pulling in the same direction as you scale. 

So, define your culture together. Brand values are a great place to start. As a leader, you may be used to making decisions at pace without the input from your whole team. 

But defining your brand values with your team will help you understand different areas of what makes your brand special. And long-term, it’ll ensure that everyone understands and shares the same values. 

You don’t want the best of the best talent; you want the best of the right talent. And a clear company culture will help you to spark interest in prospective talent. 

Social media is an important tool

Social media is shaking up the workforce. It’s never been easier to reach and connect with new people. But it’s a competitive space and your company needs to stand out. 

Consider your brand tone of voice and how you interact with people online. Companies like Monzo and Innocent are brilliant examples of companies who engage well with their audience online. 

Not only will this help the algorithms to work in your favour, but it’ll mean your talent will come to you.

Your employees are your best brand ambassadors, and likely share a feed with like-minded people. Your company values shouldn’t just be words on an office wall, they need to be conveyed in every action- including across social media. 

Keep up to date with the latest trends and connect with potential candidates. And social media doesn’t just mean LinkedIn! Think about where your ideal candidate hangs out online; Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, Github, Reddit, and Quora are all examples of platforms that can help bring your brand to life as you grow. 

In a scaling team money can be tight, but social media is a great free tool to spread the word about your hiring- but if you want a wider reach or a more targeted approach, you can invest in paid advertising and social promotions. 

Use the data captured from these paid ads to help better understand your audience. 

When used well, social media is one of the most effective ways to keep your company front of mind! 😉

Widen your talent net

Diversity is what drives a scaling team and ultimately the success of your company. 

Different approaches to problems, combined with the melting pot of ideas and creativity are the lifeblood of any scaling company. 

But diversity isn’t just about bringing underrepresented people into your team; it’s about creating a workplace culture that allows everyone to feel safe and valued. And then continuing to promote this inclusive culture as you scale.

Building a diverse talent pipeline takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight. 

Reach out to local schools and colleges to help raise awareness for startup career routes. Whether it’s through internships, mentoring, apprenticeships etc. There are loads of ways you can invest your time/money into the future workforce. 

And think about where you post your job adverts. 

Instead of repeatedly posting your job adverts on the same generic job sites that attract the same types of candidates, then wasting valuable time filtering through to find the promising few, think about where you will reach the right talent. 

Don’t make your talent do all the work, make it easier by posting your job adverts on more tech specific forums.

Sites like Stack Overflow and GitHub are great for finding software engineers, whereas sites like Unicornhunt and Otta have more of a startup focus. 

And if you’re struggling to build a diverse pipeline yourself, it’s always worth contacting a recruiter who knows your industry and has access to a great talent network- and we’re more than happy to help.