Implementation of diverse recruitment practises in the information technology industry
Laukkanen, Reetta (2021)
Laukkanen, Reetta
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202105046837
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202105046837
Tiivistelmä
Organisations are constantly growing into more international, competitive, and challenging environment due to globalisation, hence, today diversity and inclusion are an issue hardly any business can avoid. Fair, meaningful, and appropriate recruitment and selection practises are an essential part of the equation to reach a diverse and successful organisation, as well as a way to influence organisations’ most valuable asset – the workforce.
This thesis explores how diversity and inclusion are considered and managed in the information technology companies’ recruitment, if they are implemented in their organisational strategies, and how they could be developed and regarded better with different recruiting practises. The theoretical framework consists of the main concepts revolving around diversity and inclusion, recruitment practises, and diverse organisation.
The qualitative research was conducted with five recruiting professionals from small, medium, and large Finnish information technology companies with semi-structured and thematic interviews. Interviews were analysed through coding and thematic cards. Observations were gathered by comparing, counting, and clustering the key findings from the interviews.
The main results suggest how diversity and inclusion have not yet found a place in companies’ strategies in a written form, however, are more of an unconsciously and naturally grown mindset generated by international development and growth. The right direction and initiatives for diversity’s development can be perceived. English as an organisation language shatters constraints for diverse recruitment, however, cultural differences and country restrictions may complicate the recruitment processes. Small organisations are challenged to develop their recruitment overall, which gives a great chance to incorporate practises advancing diversity and inclusion.
Increased conscious attention, also from the leadership, towards diversity and inclusion would be useful to enhance strategies, practises, and processes more efficient. Weighing the selection decision more also on other factors besides skills with qualified applicants could be explored. Training could be implemented to increase the overall and individual consideration of bias, as well as the knowledge of cultural differences. Candidate anonymity could be experimented to examine if the current assumptions of non-discriminative and diverse selection practices are accurate. Feminine wording in job advertisements, the inclusion of women recruiters in all stages in the recruitment process as well as disrupting traditional stereotypes associated with information technology can support affirmative image for female applicants. Ideally, additional resources would accommodate the attention towards developing diversity and inclusion more.
This thesis explores how diversity and inclusion are considered and managed in the information technology companies’ recruitment, if they are implemented in their organisational strategies, and how they could be developed and regarded better with different recruiting practises. The theoretical framework consists of the main concepts revolving around diversity and inclusion, recruitment practises, and diverse organisation.
The qualitative research was conducted with five recruiting professionals from small, medium, and large Finnish information technology companies with semi-structured and thematic interviews. Interviews were analysed through coding and thematic cards. Observations were gathered by comparing, counting, and clustering the key findings from the interviews.
The main results suggest how diversity and inclusion have not yet found a place in companies’ strategies in a written form, however, are more of an unconsciously and naturally grown mindset generated by international development and growth. The right direction and initiatives for diversity’s development can be perceived. English as an organisation language shatters constraints for diverse recruitment, however, cultural differences and country restrictions may complicate the recruitment processes. Small organisations are challenged to develop their recruitment overall, which gives a great chance to incorporate practises advancing diversity and inclusion.
Increased conscious attention, also from the leadership, towards diversity and inclusion would be useful to enhance strategies, practises, and processes more efficient. Weighing the selection decision more also on other factors besides skills with qualified applicants could be explored. Training could be implemented to increase the overall and individual consideration of bias, as well as the knowledge of cultural differences. Candidate anonymity could be experimented to examine if the current assumptions of non-discriminative and diverse selection practices are accurate. Feminine wording in job advertisements, the inclusion of women recruiters in all stages in the recruitment process as well as disrupting traditional stereotypes associated with information technology can support affirmative image for female applicants. Ideally, additional resources would accommodate the attention towards developing diversity and inclusion more.