Dive Brief:

• Almost two-thirds of candidates, 64%, say that diversity and inclusion is an important factor in their decision to accept a job offer, according to new research from Yello. More than 1,000 employed adults responded to questions about diversity and inclusion when considering a job offer, or in their own company.
• When it comes to defining diversity, almost half said it includes race/ethnicity, but coming in second according to the respondents, wasn't age or gender (which were 3rd and 4th), but personality.
• How important is diversity to candidates? Half said they would consider asking about the company's diversity and and inclusion efforts while interviewing. More than half, 52%, said they would be hesitant to accept an offer from a business if they went through the hiring process without encountering diverse employees along the way.

Dive Insight:

Studies show that a diverse workforce can boost both innovation and engagement. Employees who are challenged by their peers, with new ideas and points of view, are more likely to think outside the box and look for creative solutions, rather than relying on the "we've always done it this way" mentality.

Many employers are looking for ideas to create a recruiting process that targets a more diverse audience, but successful implementation is sporadic. In some industries, initiatives have stalled. Several reports, for example, show that tech is particularly struggling. Some say it's too late for some fields, like cybersecurity. The industry is looking to solve a problem for the immediate future when there hasn't been effective focus on where to find diverse candidates, Dr. Alissa Johnson, vice president and chief information security officer of Xerox, told attendees at a recent conference. She suggested that stakeholders shift from encouraging students to pursue jobs in the industry because by the time they are old enough to enter the workforce, cybersecurity will be "passé." Instead, she suggested a focus on training.

But regardless of the diversity plans chosen, the work can't stop there. Experts say that without inclusion initiatives, diversity recruiting tactics won't produce results. An environment embraces and capitalizes on diversity of thought and experience can be the key to the culture so many employers — and employees — are seeking.