Wondering how you can make your hiring process more accessible, equitable, and inclusive?

Kelsey Smart, Principal and Financial Advisor at Smart Investments & Insurance, has kindly shared with us the steps she takes to ensure her hiring process aligns with the organization’s values:

““You deserve employment security, regardless of your background and lived experience.”

This statement drives Smart Investments’ recruitment and team-building process.

“At Smart Investments, we commit to providing equitable, thriving opportunities for employees, which includes being a certified Living Wage Employer. We’re proud of the way we recruit, interview, and hire new staff.

Here are our 5 top tips for an accessible, equitable and inclusive hiring and team building process:

1. Transparency in the recruitment process.

"We state the rate of pay upfront in a job posting. If a job is worth doing, then a living wage should be the bare minimum. If an employer can provide a thriving wage, that’s even better."

2. Health benefits for all staff

“It is important to us that all team members be entitled to a health spending account. Most part-time jobs come with absolutely no health benefits. This does not align with our values of equity in the workplace, so, we made sure that this role would have some custom benefits just like our full-time roles!"

3. A voice in decision making

“Diversity in the workplace, without a lens of justice and equity, can mean that marginalized folks are part of a team, perhaps on a tokenized basis, or without a voice in decision-making. Instead, we aim for an equitable, inclusive space where all team members are invited to the table for less hierarchical decision-making."

4. Supporting and encouraging a diverse workforce

“We want Smart Investments to be a place where everyone can thrive, so we unapologetically state in our job postings that if you are; Indigenous, Black, Racialized, or a Person of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, non-binary, managing gender or name changes, neurodivergent, low income, Living with disabilities (visible or invisible), speaking English as an additional language, or dealing with marginalization of any kind then you are wholly welcome here!"

5. Support with the interview process

“We offer compensation for those completing an interview, in recognition of the time and labour involved for applicants. We also share interview questions with candidates beforehand if they prefer this, so they can prepare answers rather than letting nerves take over.”

The result of their most recent posting? They received more than 80 applications in just 5 business days, which meant they had a spectacular pool of candidates from which to choose. With the daunting task of narrowing it down to just 5 interviews, we look forward to hearing who will be the newest team member in the coming weeks!