The Power of Diversity Hiring: Even Small HR Teams Can Create Big Impact
The Power of Diversity Hiring: Even Small HR Teams Can Create Big Impact
Diversity, in today's society, is no longer a "nice-to-have." It is an advantage to the business. When a company hires people with diverse backgrounds including varying ages and genders, we have new ideas, improved collaboration, and enhanced service. This is key in the hospitality industry as employees meet guests from diverse backgrounds from every corner of the globe.
The great news is, you don't need massive HR staffing to build a solid diversity hiring strategy. Even with a small HR unit, you can make a positive impact.
Diversity Hiring - What Is It?
Diversity hiring is hiring individuals using their skills and potential, but the process is not discriminatory and has equity in an inclusive process. The goal of diversity hiring is to eliminate bias and create opportunities for people from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to:
women
individuals with disabilities
individuals from an ethnic background
individuals from the LGBTQ+ community
individuals who are neurodiverse
individuals who are older
individuals who come from a different socio-economic status background.
Diversity hiring is based on two important theories from HR:
1. Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1979).
People provide a unique perspective because of their differing identities. A diverse team means deeper problem-solving and innovation.
2. Resource-Based View (Barney, 1991).
Employees are strategic resources. Diverse employees modulate a competitive strategy because they offer higher levels of creativity and better levels of making deeper decisions.
Why Diversity Hiring Matters for Every Workplace
Superior Problem Solving
A wider range of perspectives yields more improved solutions.
Increased Customer Satisfaction
Employees can serve your guests or clients better if they represent their diversity.
An Enhanced Reputation for Your Company
Job seekers are typically more interested in companies with values associated with inclusiveness.
Greater Innovation
Diverse teams create ideas quicker than teams with a homogenous make-up.
Enhanced Employee Engagement
People feel more valued when they see various forms of diversity represented in the organization.
Hotel Example: Marriott’s Inclusive Hiring Practices
Marriott International is a prime example of what diversity hiring looks like in practice even though they are a larger organization that can help smaller HR teams.
1. "Spirit to Serve" Culture
Marriott considers it essential to employ individuals from diverse backgrounds, as they bring unique and diverse experiences to exceptional guest service.
2. Inclusive Hiring Campaigns.
Marriott has long-running initiatives to hire
Individuals with Disabilities
Women Returning to Work
Veteran Employees
LGBTQ+ Community Employees
Refugees and Migrants
They utilize a "Marriott Careers" ad campaign featuring real employees from diverse cultures and communities. They intentionally show candidates and employees from a variety of backgrounds to demonstrate their commitment to building a culture that inclusively welcomes everyone to their organization.
3. Strong Partners and Programs
Marriott partners with formal organizations such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to assist refugees in securing stable employment in hotels within the Marriott partnership. This is a best practice model for small HR teams, as they can connect with local NGOs or community organizations.
4. Training Managers on Implicit Bias
Marriott invests in even the smallest workshop training for managers to teach them the following principles:
No Stereotypes when Loading the Application
Fair and Equal Interviews
Managing Neurodiverse Employees
Not all HR practices can be replicated easily, but small HR teams can utilize short training videos or low-cost modules.
How Small HR Teams Can Apply Diversity Hiring
The message here is that impact does not require a big HR budget. But here is a list of easy steps a smaller organization can take:
1. Update Job Descriptions
Use straightforward, inviting language. Exclude unnecessary requirements, like "must have 10 years of experience." This could eliminate a talented younger worker.
2. Partner with Local Organizations
Talk to your local organization for the community, disability networks, women's groups for women in STEM, or youth associations who may help to find candidates that are more diverse.
3. Use Structured Interviews
All interviewers will ask the same questions of all of the candidates. This will limit bias and give direction to focus on skills.
4. Cultivate an Inclusive Culture
Celebrate different ways to participate in holiday events, open communications, seek and value other ideas.
5. Offer small but meaningful accommodations
This could be:
flexible work hours
training in small easy steps
technology that assist employees
time/space for neurodiverse employees
Small adjustments can develop sizable impact over time.
Diversity Hiring in Hospitality: Why It Works So Well
Each day, hotels serve guests from an array of different backgrounds. Having a diverse workforce can:
Understand culture differences
Reducing the chance for misunderstandings and helping guests feel more comfortable.
Speak several different languages
Helps to ease the process of communication.
Bring empathy and emotional intelligence
Essential to front office, housekeeping, and F&B positions.
Represent the local community
Tourists like seeing their local culture represented in hotel-industry staff.
Hiring people requires fairness, but more importantly it requires a diverse, smarter, more innovative workforce. Let's look at how Marriott's inclusive hiring campaigns demonstrate how impactful diversity can be when leaders believe in it. The best part is that even the smallest HR teams can make a difference if it can make foundational changes.
A diverse workforce helps employees feel valued, provides better customer service, and creates a desire to work for a brand. In today's quick-paced hotel industry, diversity is no longer a choice - it is a long-term strategy for success.
References
Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1).
Tajfel, H. (1979). Intergroup relations and social change. Academic Press.
Marriott International. (2023). Diversity & Inclusion: Our People, Our Culture.
This blog clearly explains diversity hiring and links it to HR theories like Social Identity Theory and the Resource based View. The content should be divided into sections like introduction and conclusion which makes it easy to follow. The Marriott example shows how the ideas work in real life, and the conclusion highlights how even small HR teams can make a difference. Adding references for key facts would make it stronger.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great feedback! I’m glad the explanations and structure were clear and that the Marriott example helped bring the ideas to life. I appreciate the suggestion to add references — that’s a helpful point, and I’ll include them in the next update.
DeleteAlthough Marriott's initiatives are well-highlighted and diversity recruiting is well-explained, this blog might benefit from a more critical examination of the difficulties tiny HR teams encounter when putting such policies into practice. Although the examples are motivational, the blog makes the assumption that all organisations have equal access to training materials and partnerships. The conversation would be more realistic and balanced if it included restrictions, or real-world problems.
ReplyDeleteAs someone working in hospitality, I see firsthand how diversity isn’t just a policy—it’s the heartbeat of our industry. Guests come to us from every corner of the world, and when our teams reflect that same richness of backgrounds, the service feels more genuine and welcoming. What I love about this article is the reminder that even small HR teams can make a big impact. It’s not about the size of the department, but the commitment to creating an inclusive culture. In my own hotel, I’ve seen how a simple change—like updating job descriptions or offering flexible schedules—can open doors for incredible talent we might have otherwise overlooked. Diversity hiring isn’t just good for business; it makes our workplaces more human, more innovative, and more connected to the guests we serve
ReplyDelete