DEIA Interview Questions

Check out these mind-blowing diversity recruitment statistics that will surely make you rethink your hiring strategy and get your team in gear to either revamp your Diversity Recruiting initiatives and get one started right away:

1. 69% of executives rate diversity and inclusion as an important issue in 2017, up 32% from 2014. (Glassdoor)
2. Global Human Capital Trends research shows that 78% of respondents now believe diversity and inclusion is a competitive advantage (39% say it is a “significant” competitive advantage) (Deloitte)
3. A 2014 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that managers of both sexes were twice as likely to hire a man as a woman. (PNAS)
4. Companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation. (McKinsey & Company)
5. Companies with the most ethnically/culturally diverse boards worldwide are 43% more likely to experience higher profits. (McKinsey & Company)
6. 57% of employees want their company to do more to increase diversity. (Glassdoor)
7. Inclusive companies are 1.7x more likely to be innovation leaders in their market. (Bersin)
8. report that the firm captured a new market. (HBR)
9. More inclusive companies have a 2.3x higher cash flow per employee over a 3-year period. (Bersin)
10. Gen Z is about to graduate from college over the next two years, and they’re even more diverse than millennials. A recent study shows 81% of Gen Z’s have one or more friends of a different race. (Business Insider)
11. Studies by the Social Mobility Commission show numerous industries are failing to hire talented young people from less advantaged backgrounds because they recruit from a small pool of elite universities and hire those who fit in with the culture. (SMC)
12. Hispanics or Latinos — whose family origins are in Central or South America and other locations besides Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba — accounted for 26 % of the Hispanic or Latino labor force in 2016, up from 22 % in 1988. – U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics
13. From 1980 to 2020, the minority working-age portion of the workforce is projected to double to 37% from 18%. – National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
14. Millennials will comprise 75% of America’s workforce by 2025. – Brookings
15. The overwhelming majority [of managers] (bordering on 90%) believe that if cross-border communication were to improve at their company, then profit, revenue and market share would all improve as well. – Economist Intelligence
16. There are 76 million baby boomers, and 72% of them are white. The millennials are an even larger group with 87 million, but much more diverse — only 56% are white. – CNN Money
17. Between 2000 and 2014, 18.7 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) settled in the United States. Despite the Great Recession beginning at the end of 2007, and the weak recovery that followed, 7.9 million new immigrants settled in the United States from the beginning of 2008 to mid-2014. – Center for Immigration Studies
18. 45% think that hiring managers are in the best position to increase diversity (compared to the CEO or HR department). – Glassdoor
19. 38% of executives report that the primary sponsor of the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts is the CEO. – Deloitte
20. Highly inclusive organizations generate 2.3x more cash flow per employee, 1.4x more revenue, and are 120% more capable of meeting financial targets. – Gartner
21. Companies whose senior management teams are more than 15% female had a 5% higher return on equity. – Credit Suisse
22. Facebook has increased its overall representation of black employees to a mere 3% in the United States, up from 2% in 2014. – Facebook
23. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. – McKinsey
24. The unemployment rate went down for veterans in 2016 to 5.1%, a record low. – U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics
25. Pew’s survey found that 34% of the respondents believe that male executives are better than women at assuming risk. – Pew Research
26. Only 4% of Fortune 500 companies have women CEOs. – Fortune
27. 43% of companies are now offering holidays that allow employees to take time off based on their religious or cultural situation. – Society for Resource Human Management
28. 50% of men think women are well represented in companies where 10% of senior leaders are women. – Women in the Workplace in 2017
29. 13% of employers monitor how much time is spent discussing inclusion and diversity at senior management meetings. – Robert Walters
30. The updated workforce data shows that women make up 31% of all employees at Google. And women hold one in four leadership roles at the company. – Fortune
31. 76% of its [The Microsoft Company] overall workforce is male, while only 24 % is female. 61 % are white. 29% are Asian. 5% are Hispanic/Latino. And only 3% are black. – Wired
32. 67% of both active and passive job seekers say that when they’re evaluating companies and job offers, it is important that the company has a diverse workforce. – Glassdoor
33. Only 20% of C-suite roles are held by women. – Women in the Workplace in 2017
34. Companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have returns above national industry medians. – McKinsey & Company
35. 74% of Amazon executives are white men. That compares to 68% at Apple, 65% at Google, and 51% at Facebook. – Recode

Oleeo: Mind-Blowing Diversity Recruitment Statistics

1. What do diversity, equity and inclusion mean to you, and how do they relate to the working environment?
   
   

   This question is designed to discover what your own approach is to DEI. It can be helpful to draw from your own work experiences, but it's also a good opportunity to look into what these values mean to you and what they look like in your community.

   Example: "To me, diversity means a variety of backgrounds, people and perspectives. In my experience, it can bring out better solutions and make the corporate atmosphere more welcoming. Equity means making sure that everyone has equal opportunities, compensation and voice in decision-making, which I think is important in hiring and during a company's everyday operations. When we can make internal processes more equitable, the company can promote talent and attract more future hires. Inclusivity is when we implement these values and help make sure that our diverse workforce feels safe, valued and welcomed."

2. How do you build your own understanding of coworkers from different backgrounds?
   
   

   This is one of several questions that employers may ask to get an idea of how your understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion actually operates in the workplace. Your answer is a great opportunity to show your style of interaction with your coworkers. Also, if you are a candidate for a position at a company that truly values diversity, it can be a great chance for your interviewer to see whether you are a fit for the company culture.

   Example: "It's important to me to get to know all of my coworkers. When I have these personal relationships, I can make my team and workplace more welcoming and broaden my own perspective. I try to make space for the personal experiences of my coworkers in conversations. I also recognize that expecting others to explain everything I'm not familiar with can burden them with extra emotional labor, so I make an effort to do my own research on concepts and cultures I'm curious about."

3. How would you react if you heard or saw a coworker do or say something racist, ableist, homophobic or otherwise inappropriate?
   
   

   From your answer to this question, an employer can learn about your personal approach to dealing with conflict and how your commitment to equity and inclusion functions in your work life. Good answers usually involve either previous experiences or a well-thought-out approach to a potential situation, and the STAR model is a great tool for structuring these responses. In the STAR model, a candidate explains a situation, their task or responsibility, their actions and the results. This shows both their system of problem-solving and how effective personal methods have been in the past.

   Example: "At a previous position, I met with a client who was new to our company and made some insensitive remarks after a meeting. I asked them to stop and explained that we find that language unprofessional and offensive in this office. The client initially responded by saying that I was being too sensitive, but I was firm, and the client eventually apologized and didn't say anything like that again."

4. What do you see as a challenge presented by a diverse workplace?

   
   This question, like many interview questions about challenges, is a chance to talk about problem-solving. In your answer, try to present a plausible solution to the situation or a technique to deal with the challenge.

   Example: "My previous workplace was developing a new product and added a new process to collect feedback from a group of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and years working in the field during the development phase. While this made our product's timeline longer, it was worth the extra consideration to make sure that we heard all voices. We ended up with a much better product that satisfied our customers."

5. How do you promote diversity, equity and inclusion in your interactions with those who report to you?
   
   

   Leaders play a significant role in promoting company values, and this question gives the candidate an opportunity to show specifically how they promote a friendly company culture.

   Example: "As a manager, the input process is one of my most valuable tools for connecting with my team members and making our projects more successful. It's a natural way to prioritize inclusion, so I make sure that I hear from every team member when I collect input before a particular initiative or feedback after rollout. I also work to accommodate feedback in a few different ways, welcoming one-on-one conversations and emails in addition to department meetings."

6. Please explain an instance where you personally advocated for diversity, equity or inclusion in a workplace.
   
   

   With this question, employers can see how much initiative you take in the workplace and how your values determine your actions. It's important to be authentic, so consider picking an example where your action had specific results.

   Example: "My research and development position was involved with the planning for an initiative targeting a new audience. I realized our team didn't have anyone from the demographic we were trying to reach and our initiative might not serve the audience as a result. After a conversation with our hiring team, we were able to bring on board several people for this project who would help us reflect the communities we were trying to serve."

7. How could you contribute to our workplace to elevate these values?
   
   

This is a great opportunity to connect what you know about the company with your experiences and show the interviewer specifically what you can contribute.

Example: "As a member of a hiring committee, I did extensive research on what makes an effective workforce and collected data on how diversity impacts a company. I would bring my expertise from that experience to this position and use the techniques I learned to make sure the hiring process is equitable and involves a wide variety of candidates."

When an interviewer asks questions about diversity in an interview, they're looking for information beyond what the common interview questions cover. To prepare for interview questions on equity and inclusion, research the company's values and history to determine commonalities between your values and the company's, then create a list of questions you may hear. When you compose your answers, draw on your own experiences and keep your answers authentic. Here are a few other strategies to consider:

Interviewees: 

• Ask a mentor for assistance in answering these types of questions.
• Participate in a mock interview with someone who asks such questions and provides feedback.
• Educate yourself on modern diversity issues in the news and in the court system.

Indeed Career Guide – 7/30/23 – by Jessica Hinkle

• Follow inclusive hiring practices — think about the language used in job postings, how requirements are listed, how you approach benefits, make sure you are transparent about salary ranges, and cast a wide net with your job posting.
• Be consistent.
• Try to put the candidate at ease.
• View the interview as a two-way conversation.
• Hold off on making comparisons.
• Make sure your decision-making process is inclusive, too.
• Consider using a diverse panel of employees when interviewing candidates.

Questions “Not” to Ask

• Citizenship: Where are you from?
• Family status: Are you married? Are you planning to have kids? Do you have kids? Will it be hard to be away from your children if you have to travel for work?
• Age: We must be about the same age. When did you graduate high school?
• Ethnicity: What an interesting last name. Where is that from?
• Disability: I see that you use a wheelchair. What kind of disability do you have?
• Make accommodations: If an applicant mentions they are deaf, you can ask “do you need an interpreter for the interview?”
• Understand hidden or implicit bias (judging about a person based on certain characteristics without even realizing you are doing it):
  • Confirmation Bias — Questions that seek to prove a gut feeling or initial assessment about a candidate can lead to inconsistency in questions and affect a candidate’s performance.
  • Affect Heuristics — These mental shortcuts can occur when you reach a conclusion about a candidate that has to do with your own emotional state. For example, being tired from a long day of interviewing could affect your perception of a candidate in a late afternoon interview.
  • Affinity Bias — When you have something in common with a candidate, for example if they attended the same college or are from the same hometown as you, it can cause a bias.
  • Halo Effect — When you allow one positive characteristic of a candidate to overshadow how you assess the candidate overall, this leads to bias.
  • Horns Effect — The opposite of the Halo effect, when you allow one negative characteristic of a candidate to dominate how you assess the candidate overall, this leads to bias.
  • Conformity Bias — When other interviewers rate one candidate positively or negatively, there is significant social pressure to agree. This is one reason it is important not to discuss candidates before the debrief session.

    
    In addition, some of the following characteristics about a candidate might impact how you view them, even if you are not conscious of it:

    • Height and weight
    • Introversion or extroversion
    • Accent
    • Beauty and physical attractiveness
    • Where the candidate attended college
    • Marital or parental status
    • Disability

       

• Inclusive Decision-Making Practices: Once interviews and assessments are complete, the hiring manager is generally responsible for making decisions about which finalists are offered a position. Typically, everyone involved in the interview process has input into that decision. A debrief session to determine which candidates progress to the next phase of the hiring process is recommended. Interviewers should not discuss the candidates with any other interviewer until the debrief, even if you think it was obvious that the candidate bombed or aced the interview.
• Pro tip:  Use a Rubric: Using a rubric (scoring system) ensures that candidates are judged consistently on the important factors that drive the hiring decision.  The rubric should align closely with each job posting so that all interviewers are asked to assess the same desired qualifications and characteristics that the applicant was made aware of.
• Debrief: Don’t rush to a decision. Start with a description of how you viewed each candidate, then share how you scored them. Don’t skip any candidates or breeze through candidates who were “clear standouts.” Allow all interviewers to share their evaluation of the candidate. At the end of the debrief, each interviewer should share their recommendations. The hiring manager is welcome to sleep on the information and make their decision after the debrief meeting.

Arts Midwest: Interviewing Best Practices for Inclusive Hiring – 11/27/2022