In-House Counsel

Using Technology To Increase Diversity

Technology can be extremely helpful in specifically targeting diverse candidates.

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We’ve previously written about the six high-level strategies Stephanie A. King, general counsel and part of AdRoll’s executive team, along with AdRoll’s People Team including Shelly Vernick, AdRoll’s Head of Employee Engagement, responsible for Diversity and Inclusions programs, used to increase diversity in AdRoll’s hiring and retention process. We wanted to focus this article on the technology AdRoll relies on, and the specific approaches it takes to interviewing to increase its diversity efforts.

Using Technology to Increase the Funnel

An often-cited problem with hiring diverse candidates is the “pipeline” problem of simply not having enough diverse candidates who meet the job qualifications. Technology can be extremely helpful in specifically targeting diverse candidates. Ad King explains, “We partner with Teamable, which helps unearth diverse candidates from our own employees’ networks that they might not have thought about. We also partner with Atipica, a startup that combines artificial and human intelligence to help us sift through own recruiting database to identify top candidates through a ‘bias-free’ recruiting process.”

Once you begin expanding your company’s hiring pipeline, it becomes clear that the issue is not a lack of diverse candidates. “There are many groups working on this issue that you can join to get access to diverse candidates. Many smart people are working hard to solve the pipeline problems,” King observes. “We have also used sourcing tools like Power to Fly, a source for female remote technical talent, and Entelo, using various search filters to unearth and engage diverse talent.”

More old-fashioned networking also has its place. Companies should reach out and create connections with underserved sources. King adds, “We very actively build connections with the career centers at diverse schools, programs, and job boards.” Ultimately, opening up the hiring pipeline will require collaboration and an open mind. “Just like with every worthy goal, you may need to hustle, be creative, and persist,” says King.

Use Twenty-First Century Tools

One major issue in hiring is implicitly biased job postings. King observes, “Ultimately, the language we use impacts the hiring process. And we can work to overcome unconscious bias by being intentional about the language we use.” There are a number of tools to help companies identify language that is unconsciously biased and convert it into more inclusive language. “We use Textio, a third-party software, to review our job postings for unintentional bias,” King explains. “Textio helps us make our job posts more neutral and gives us advice on how certain words might resonate to a specific gender, for example, collaborative vs. high performing team. Textio also helps us craft better recruiter outreach messages which can be more accessible when targeting specific demographics or more neutral if we’re targeting a wide range of people,” King adds.

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Reinvent Your Interview Process

It is important to objectively look at your hiring process and change it if it does not help you meet your goals. Sometimes, this may require a near-complete overhaul, so it may be difficult to know where to start.

AdRoll now works to ask a consistent set of questions across all candidates. “We have shifted our process so now an interviewer is assigned a focus area and is then the owner of that focus area throughout the interview process until a candidate is identified for hire. This person is responsible for making sure that all candidates have similar experiences, have the same chance to shine, and are consistently given opportunities.” King adds, “When we stick to this process, it really helps with calibration, consistency, and a fairer assessment.”

King also suggests defining what “fit” means in advance. “‘Fit’ means different things to different people,” says King. “It can become a catch-all category to justify excluding people with different backgrounds and experiences. And this may conflict with the company’s inclusion goals.” You need to have clear standards so that implicit bias can’t creep into the process. She continues, “It is important to agree on what ‘fit’ means in each case and ask stakeholders to explain when they ding someone for ‘fit.’ It is not enough to merely say, ‘not a fit.’ We require more details.”

AdRoll’s journey through reinventing its hiring process has required collaboration, creativity, and honesty. In the end, however, it is paying off with increased progress toward the company’s inclusion goals. By articulating specific goals, partnering strategically, opening the hiring pipeline, using new hiring technology, and staying open to reinvention, any company can take important first steps toward a more inclusive, diverse hiring and retention strategy.

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Olga V. Mack and Katia Bloom are startup enthusiasts who embrace the current disruption to the legal profession. Long gone are the days when in-house legal departments simply manage outside counsel or provide services. Today’s legal department is a sophisticated business unit that co-manages the company’s bottom line, embraces technology, and analyzes risks constructively. Mack and Bloom love this change and are dedicated to improving and shaping the future of the legal profession. Together they passionately collect and share inspiring stories of legal leaders who are thriving through the ongoing tectonic shift. Mack and Bloom are convinced that the legal profession will emerge from this revolution even stronger, more resilient, and inclusive than before. They are currently co-authoring a manual of the skills and traits lawyers need to succeed in — and even enjoy — today’s rapidly evolving in-house legal departments. You can reach them at olga@olgamack.com and katia@katiabloom.com or @olgavmack and @bloomkatia on Twitter.

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