The Pomegranate Principle

CHAPTER TENPRINCIPLE 3: Diversifying the Recruiting Process

Well‐intentioned companies and organizations often look for the single magic elixir that can change their outcomes in diversity recruiting for the better and for the long term. Many have turned to the Rooney Rule, the NFL's initiative to require one person of color on every candidate slate for head coach and offensive and defensive coordinator roles. There is a lot of literature about whether the Rooney Rule works or does not work or whether it could ever work as currently configured. What I can share as someone who has worked with companies and sports clubs trying to implement the Rooney Rule is that no single recruiting technique will change the outcome of a search. This is why I am outlining these Pomegranate Principles, because a single technique is insufficient to transform such a complex and nuanced process as inclusive recruiting. One of the most powerful methodologies, which is really a set of processes under one rubric, is to diversify the entire recruiting process.

The first thing to diversify is the talent acquisition/recruiting team. This is important for three reasons. First, candidates of color tend to trust recruiters of color to tell the truth about whether a company or organization is a great place to work for professionals of color. It does not mean that white recruiters cannot empathize, engage, or otherwise connect with candidates of color. It means that if you want to maximize your chances of landing ...