Diversity has become an important conversation at workplaces all over the world.
An increasing percentage of the global workplace consists of individuals of different cultures, communities, and backgrounds, as do their customers.
Diversity and inclusion hiring can help your retail business keep up with an increasingly diverse workforce and embrace the shifting demographics of both retail employees and customers.
Here at Silverman Canada, we offer retail liquidation consultant services, but we’re also experienced in the world of operating a retail store as well.
If you’re not quite ready to close your retail business just yet, it’s worth exploring some other options to keep yourself competitive in the 21st century.
Let’s take a look at how diversity and inclusion policies can help your business thrive.
What Is Diversity And Inclusion Hiring?
Diversity and inclusion hiring is much more than simply ticking a box.
It’s about ensuring equal employment, experiences, and opportunities for members of the workforce regardless of their identity.
It can be challenging to navigate workspaces for underrepresented groups that have historically been excluded from the workforce due to discrimination based on gender, race, sexual orientation or more.
Diversity and inclusion hiring allows for such individuals to access employment opportunities and gain valuable experience in an equitable manner.
There are several different organizations here in Canada that advocate for, among other things, diversity and inclusion hiring, including:
- CANWCC – the Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce
- The Indigenous Chamber of Commerce
- CGLCC – the Canadian LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce
- BBPA – the Black Business and Professional Association
Why Consider Diversity And Inclusion Hiring In Your Retail Store?
Canada is recognized for embracing diversity, and it is becoming more diverse every year.
Look at your area and customer base.
How has it changed in recent years?
Have you changed to be able to attract and serve these new customers?
Here are some reasons why diversity and inclusion hiring can be beneficial for your retail store:
1. It Gives You A Greater Pool To Choose From
Diversity and inclusion hiring helps ensure that your retail business attracts individuals from diverse backgrounds.
You will have access to a wider range of candidates as applicants with various skillsets and experiences will be encouraged to apply and be part of your business.
2. It Makes Your Brand Look Better
As our communities grow more diverse, it is always a good idea to drive home the point that your brand caters to everyone.
Being recognized as a brand that embraces diversity and individuals from all backgrounds is bound to make your business one that all communities can place trust in.
Having your brand cater to diverse backgrounds may also help engaging with younger customers who expect to find variety in retail stores.
3. It Provides You With Broader Experiences
Diversity and inclusion hiring also translates into your employees having a larger range of experiences and tools at their disposal.
This is especially valuable in understanding and catering to individual customer needs.
Simply put, having individuals with diverse backgrounds on board means you are well equipped to engage with a larger set of customers.
4. It Makes Your Employees Happier
Inclusive hiring practices also help to make your employees feel valued and appreciated, no matter what their background is.
Employees feel happier in the workplace knowing that their gender or sexual identity, ethnic background, or age doesn’t hinder them in the workplace.
Employee happiness is especially important to consider since happy staff is more likely to be more efficient and productive, and less likely to leave prematurely.
Diversity And Inclusion Hiring Tips For Your Retail Store
In order to attract diverse candidates, you must create a workplace that is safe and welcoming for all.
Here are some steps you can take to work towards inclusive hiring practices at your retail business:
1. Consider The Language In Your Job Postings
A job posting is a window to the workplace.
It is a chance for you to make a great first impression on a potential candidate.
Being considerate of the language used in your job postings can go a long way.
This can include things like:
- Using gender neutral pronouns
- Vetting phrases to remove any culturally offensive or inappropriate language
- Including a fair hiring statement
Each of the above can help applicants feel welcomed.
2. Consider “Blind Hiring”
Another way you might incorporate diversity and inclusion in the hiring process is to consider blind hiring.
Blind hiring simply means removing any identifying details of an applicant from their application while considering them for employment.
Reviewing the applicant’s experiences and objectives without their identifying details helps you as an employer to remove any biases towards individuals.
This way, if an individual gets hired, assumptions about gender, race, or ability will have played no part in gauging an applicant’s eligibility for a position.
3. Address Your Unconscious Biases
Another important step to take for diverse and inclusive hiring is to address unconscious biases.
Being aware of how racial, gendered, or cultural biases may shape assumptions about individuals can help you take steps to eliminate them from your hiring process.
For example, an unconscious bias may lead a recruiter to prefer hiring individuals from the same city they grew up in.
Identifying these unconscious biases and having an honest conversation amongst your recruiting staff about any implicit preferences they might have while making hiring decisions can help make your business more equitable.
4. Address Scepticism In Your Current Employees
As conversations about race, gender and sexuality spread globally, it is important to address any scepticism or concerns about discriminatory behaviour that your employees may have.
Addressing these concerns helps to resolve issues quickly and transparently, along with helping employees feel appreciated.
Validating employee concerns can help create a healthy work environment where accountability is encouraged, and inclusivity is practiced beyond the hiring process.
Contact Silverman Consulting And Retail Services Today
If you’ve decided it’s time to call it quits in the retail world, we can help.
Silverman Consulting And Retail Services can help you run a retail retirement sale, provide retail store closing sale consulting services, and more.
We’ll help you liquidate your assets, market your sale, and move as much product as possible to put you in the strongest possible position for the next phase of your life.
Contact Silverman Consulting and Retail Services today to get started.
Silverman Consulting & Retail Services229 Yonge St suite 400,
Toronto, ON M5B 1N9, Canada
1 (888) 955-1069