"Cloning" in recruitment and strategies of how to reduce it

Recruiting individuals who are similar to themselves or to existing employees, also known as "cloning" in recruitment, can lead to a lack of diversity in the workplace, resulting in limited career progression opportunities for individuals from underrepresented groups.

This practice can be driven by unconscious bias, where employers may favour candidates who share their background or characteristics, and overlook qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. Employers may also feel that hiring individuals who are similar to themselves or to existing employees will lead to a better "cultural fit" and improved team dynamics.

However, this approach can result in a lack of diversity in the workplace, which can lead to a lack of diversity of thought and reduced innovation. Furthermore, individuals from underrepresented groups may feel excluded from the hiring process or have limited access to opportunities for career advancement within the organisation.

To address this issue, employers need to take proactive steps to promote diversity and inclusion in recruitment and hiring practices. This can include implementing diversity and inclusion targets, promoting diversity in job advertisements, using objective criteria for candidate selection, and providing training to address unconscious bias.

Additionally, employers can foster an inclusive workplace culture by promoting diversity in leadership, offering mentorship and professional development opportunities to underrepresented groups, and providing support for employees from diverse backgrounds.s.

How do you stop "cloning" in recruitment

Stopping "cloning" in recruitment requires a concerted effort to promote diversity and inclusion in hiring practices. Here are a few strategies that employers can use to promote diversity and avoid "cloning" in recruitment:

• Establish diversity and inclusion goals: Setting specific diversity and inclusion goals for recruitment can help ensure that employers are actively working to increase diversity in the workplace. This can include setting targets for the percentage of women, people of colour, or other underrepresented groups to be included in the candidate pool or hired for open positions.
• Use diverse recruitment methods: Employers can expand their recruitment methods to reach a wider pool of candidates from diverse backgrounds. This can include partnering with organizations that serve underrepresented groups, attending job fairs or conferences focused on diverse candidates, or using targeted social media campaigns.
• Implement objective selection criteria: Employers can use objective selection criteria to ensure that hiring decisions are based on merit rather than subjective factors. This can include using structured interviews or skills assessments to evaluate candidates and reduce the influence of unconscious bias.
• Train employees on unconscious bias: Employers can provide training to help employees identify and address unconscious biases in the hiring process. This can help employees recognize their own biases and promote more equitable decision-making in recruitment.
• Foster an inclusive workplace culture: Creating an inclusive workplace culture can help attract and retain employees from diverse backgrounds. Employers can provide mentorship and professional development opportunities for employees from underrepresented groups, offer employee resource groups, and promote diversity in leadership roles.

By implementing these strategies, employers can work to promote diversity and inclusion in recruitment, reduce the impact of "cloning," and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.