It’s Time to Kill the Diversity Ad
- Author: Eric Peterson
- Posted: October 18, 2007
- Category: Sourcing Strategies, Employment Branding
- Tags: No Tags
- Comments:
Having served as the Creative Director for RCI Recruitment Solutions since 1991, the five words I have come to dread most are “We need a diversity ad.” I have nothing against diversity, mind you; to the contrary, I acknowledge the strength that an inclusive organization gains by filling its corridors with people of various backgrounds, experience and perspectives. And let’s not forget that equal opportunity is the law. But what bothers me is how companies approach the opportunity to address a minority audience.
For one, a company seeking a diversity ad will often insist that the headline screams “DIVERSITY!”; for example, “From diversity comes strength.” But as I mentioned above, it’s unlawful to discriminate during the hiring process, so a headline that screams diversity doesn’t do anything but tell the audience that your organization is a law-abiding equal opportunity employer. Does that support your employer brand? It boggles my mind that companies would invest hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to uncover and develop just the right employer brand, only to run from it in a diversity campaign. Diversity may very well be an important pillar of your employer brand, but is it the heart of your employer brand? If it is, then I suggest you’re not showing how your organization differs from the millions of other law-abiding employers.
Also, when a company requests a visual representation in their diversity ad, I typically get one of two edicts handed to me. It’s either, “Give me a photo showing a group of people from every imaginable race, gender, height, weight and shoe size,” or “We’re placing the ad in Black EOE Journal. I want a photo of a black person.” The first edict is, in my opinion, a surefire way to water down the impact of any ad. In this day and age, it’s all about me, not all about us. As the old advertising adage goes: When you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one.
The second edict sticks further in my craw. Does including a photo of a black person (to follow the example) make the black audience feel more comfortable? Let’s face it: When it comes time for the interview, the candidate is going to find out real quick whether your organization is diverse. Will he or she see a company that is not all black, not all white, and not all Asian? Hopefully, what the candidate will see is simply the best darn people for the job. If a black candidate can’t get past the fact that a Hispanic woman is featured in your ad, then how well is she/he going assimilate into your (hopefully) diverse environment?
A diversity ad cannot be about patronization. Organizational diversity isn’t something that can be claimed in an ad. It must be demonstrated through experience and promoted through reputation. A company needs to have faith in the competitive advantages of its employment offering and be confident that those advantages transcend race, gender, height, weight and shoe size.
What organizations need to understand is that diversity campaigns are not about the types of ads they run. Diversity campaigns are, purely and simply, about media plans. You need to find a diverse audience and steadfastly communicate to them the qualities that make your organization a special place to work—not just for minorities, but for everyone who possesses the skill sets, experiences, and personal characteristics that make candidates a “right fit” for your organization.
Call me an idealist, but I believe a campaign based on a diversity-screaming headline and the race of the people in the photo only serves to prolong our obsession with the outer shell. The concept of diversity gains strength from referencing not ethnicity or gender, but a healthy variety of ideologies, perspectives and experiences. Until the day comes when companies and candidates alike can stop focusing on the outer shell, we will never truly focus on the value and relevance of the content within. We will never make Equal Opportunity Employer mean “we hire the best darn person for the job. Period.”
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Comments (4)
Comment by Russ Doherty, October 19, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Love your comments, I completely agree that a diversity campaign is not a seperate campaign but a campaign within an overall organizational strategy to find, interview and hire the best people for the job.
There are reasons to advertise on specific websites and journals that in themselves target a minority population. However, the reason i see for that is more or less for governmental compliance than for recruiting.
Large circulation publications, newspapers and websites are going to attract a diverse set of eyeballs by default… they are large and many people read/visit those places.
Thank you for your fresh perspective
Comment by Eric Peterson, October 23, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Thanks for your feedback, Russ.
Your last point about the diversity inherent among the audience of large-circulation (broadcast) media brings up another point worth mentioning: “Diversity” can mean different things to different geographic locations. A company can aspire to attracting a diverse mix of ethnic origin, but those aspirations are largely dictated by the ethnic demographics in the geography of said company’s hiring location. Unless there’s an appetite for a major relocation initiative (the wisdom of which is questionable), the ethnic mix of a given geography “is what it is,” to quote the greatest NFL coach of our time. It is my opinion that a company should consider itself successful in it’s diversity and inclusion efforts if it is able to reflect the demographics of the surrounding communities.
Comment by Erik Samdahl, January 22, 2008 at 7:39 pm
In regards to using a black person in a black-oriented magazine, I disagree with your assessment to some degree. Sure, the person may figure out that you’re not as diverse as you say you are, but the point of an ad is to get someone to take that next step (i.e. come to your site, fill out a form, send in a resume, etc.). I’m a marketing person, and for that specific point, certain ethnicities do prefer to associate themselves with others of their same heritage; whereas others don’t care as much. Using a black person to market your company in a black magazine makes sense.
I’m not saying your ad should scream diversity if you’re really not that diverse, but simple things like imagery, etc. can suggest an awareness of diversity without specifically promoting it - and in reality, a fair amount of candidates just want a legit shot, and probably don’t care that much about being involved in the most diverse company in the region.
I agree with your idealistic view, but we’re not there yet and probably won’t be for quite some time.
Comment by Eric Peterson, January 30, 2008 at 10:46 am
Thanks for your thoughts on the matter, Erik.
With all due respect to traditional marketing theory, it has been well-documented that today’s audience has developed a more sensitive “BS filter.” I have to believe that the majority of the audience - today, a much more marketing-savvy audience - sees such tactics as patronizing. Readers have to know that a decision was made by marketers to insert a photo that would make the ad more appealing to them…to make the reader more comfortable.
That is exactly what would make me uncomfortable, if I could put myself in the reader’s shoes.
I wouldn’t feel the same way if, for instance, I were developing an ad selling laundry detergent. Washing clothes is a personal experience, and doesn’t hinge on a diverse group of people driving toward a common goal. In this example it makes more sense to me to portray a demographically-appropriate individual in the ad. After all, one doesn’t need to be concerned that there will be a diverse group of people standing around the washer on laundry day.
On the other hand, an employment opportunity is as much about the organization as it is about the individual. Therefore, the individual must be able to integrate into a multi-ethnic culture in order to be successful. The photos in a recruitment ad should be a truthful representation of that culture (unless the ad concept dictates a “This is you” approach). If featuring a subject that is not of the same ethnic background as the reader causes that reader to pass over the recruitment ad, then the ad has likely served as a valuable pre-screening tool, eliminating from consideration those who are not truly comfortable working in a multi-ethnic culture.