How we promote Diversity & Inclusion at Africa HR Solutions

Talent is the beating heart of any company – and as an Organisation providing HR-related services, we understand this better than anyone else.

We also know that there are many barriers standing between talented individuals and the opportunities they rightfully deserve. The latter are judged on their gender, creed, race, disability, culture, nationality, orientation and more, rather than assessed based on ability alone.

At Africa HR Solutions, we know that simply saying that we stand against all forms of discrimination is not enough. Discrimination proliferates when we stand by, indifferent to it or initiate performative action.

We truly believe in making a difference, and doing our part to create a fairer workplace

Here is how we fight against discrimination to promote greater diversity and inclusion within our company:

1. Top-down approach to talent and recruitment

“We see beyond gender at Africa HR Solutions,” states Kevina Takoordyal, our Head of Operations.

When we recruit, we consider talent and experience, suitable qualifications, ability to adapt to our company culture, leadership skills, and more…but we do not consider any candidate’s gender, race, or culture, or any other aspect of their identity that does not impact their skills or ability to contribute to the workplace. When we hire, we hire based on merit alone.

It is this commitment to meritocracy that trickles down to everything we do: from recruitment to internal promotions, and our company culture.

2. Diverse recruitment panel

One of the most effective tools at our disposal to ensure diversity and inclusion is a diverse recruitment panel. What does this mean?

Whether consciously or unconsciously, the people on a recruitment panel may have biases towards certain aspects of a candidate's identity. When this recruitment panel is made up of people from similar backgrounds (for e.g. an all-male panel), biases could be enabled through the lack of diversity and lack of understanding of women’s experiences, for example. But when recruitment panels feature members with diverse backgrounds, biases are more easily contained and candidates are treated more fairly, ultimately resulting in a more diverse workforce.

At Africa HR Solutions, for instance, 73% of all our workforce is made up of women. This isn’t because our recruitment team favored women above men. This makeup is a result of meritocracy, as well as the fluctuations and availabilities of the job market.

3. Diverse hiring practices

When the members of our recruitment panels interview candidates, they do so with all due sensibility. This, evidently, means not asking discriminatory questions (such as asking women how they intend to balance their work and home life), but further down, it also means adapting to the candidate’s personality and strengths. We do not dismiss candidates on account of them being soft-spoken, for example. Job interviews can be stressful, and we understand that.

So instead, our interviewers adapt their style to bring out the best from candidates, to make them feel comfortable so that:

• We do not miss out on talent because of simple differences in personality
• Our team is ultimately more diverse, since BIPOC people and those from other minority backgrounds tend to harbor “feelings of insecurity or self-doubt, traits that correspond with impostor syndrome…”, and changing interviewing styles can help address these kinds of feelings.
• Our interviewer can have a proper opportunity to determine whether the company and candidate are a right fit for each other

4. Celebrating diversity and inclusion – authenticity in the workplace

Our duty to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace does not stop at preventing biases during interviews, nor does it come to a halt once candidates have turned into employees. Once we have secured a diverse and inclusive workforce, it is out duty to foster a safe environment for all, to give everyone a chance to flourish, regardless of their different backgrounds and identities.

We do that by promoting openness in the workplace, and holding individual coaching sessions, as well as a training needs analysis over 3 months, to help our employees grow not just in terms of hard skills, but also more holistically. When workers are empowered to speak their minds, and to contribute to the workplace, knowing that their input will be heard and valued regardless of any differences in identity or beliefs, we view that as a true celebration of inclusion.

Looking to join our Africa HR Solutions team?

We are always on the lookout for fresh talent to join our teams. If you are interested in becoming an Africa HR Solutions team member, we would be delighted to welcome you when a new role is available. Please send us your CV at [email protected].