IATI Stands for Diversity and Inclusion
in the Israeli Advanced Technology Industries

As the saying goes, “You only find what you’re looking for”.
Methods like in-house recruitment, friend referral, and scanning LinkedIn expose us to the same circles of candidates.
Check Facebook groups or comments on your company’s blog for people from new, unrelated backgrounds.
Communicate to recruiters and headhunters that you’d like to consider candidates of various backgrounds, religions, ages, and origins.

Pay attention to gender or cultural bias in your postings.
The gendered nature of Hebrew poses a challenge in this domain and requires special attention.

Too many job requirements may deter qualified candidates.
Research shows that women tend to think they have to comply with all the requirements,
while men are more likely to apply even when they only meet 60% of the qualifications.

When reviewing resumes, avoid judging nonfactual elements, such as design, paper quality, or lack of familiar titles. These may result from cultural differences or lack of inclusion in a previous workplace.

When you interview someone with a different background/gender, try to discuss your similarities rather than your differences. For example, if a candidate uses a wheelchair, ask them about their interests and hobbies rather than living in a wheelchair.

Please do not dismiss a candidate if you are not familiar with their credentials or experiences. Spend some time looking into them and seeing if and how they can contribute to your team.

Verify that middle management is on board with the “diversity mission”, but don’t push or preach; it can antagonize and inhibit results.

When scanning the organization for a candidate to promote into a vacant position, expand your candidate pool to include as many people as possible. That will give you a variety of people to consider. Then, diversity can become one of the deciding factors.

Sure, events are fun but aren’t “one size fits all.” When planning, consider different tastes, cultural limitations, food restrictions, and even dress codes. You may want to plan several tracks for the event, enabling participants to select the most suitable option for them.

Be mindful of the calendar and each culture’s holy days.

Compensation issues are obviously very complex and delicate. Start by studying your data: the components of your compensation package (it’s not just about the cash…) and what the numbers tell about inherent gaps in your compensation distribution.

Clearly define your compensation philosophy. Find ways to share it with candidates and employees when you make offers or offer raises. When the numbers have context and reason, there is less room for negotiation, and consequently, less possibility to offend or be offended.

Different people have different day-to-day needs. For example, Orthodox Jewish employees may need kosher kitchens or a kosher internet connection. Women may find a nursing room helpful, and folks of other religions may need an area to pray. Please don’t wait for them to raise the issue, as some might not feel comfortable doing so, instead try to stay ahead of the current. Whether by taking action or asking the right questions, make sure you help every employee feel welcomed.

Avoid bias in your communications and use inclusive language as much as possible.

Respect the holidays of relevant cultures in what you communicate and when you communicate it (e.g., when you send emails, etc.).

When you use examples or share experiences, try to use imagery that most readers can relate to. Combat experience is not such an example, yet school years are.

Does your organization include islands of clearly biased diversity? What is the profile of your company’s HR team? Who handles maintenance and infrastructure? Look at the IT team: How diverse is it? Facebook has created some excellent bias-awareness training content, which can serve as a conversation starter.

Reports have shown that one-time training sessions are less practical and successful than people imagine. Think of additional ways you can promote awareness on an ongoing basis.

If you appoint a D&I leader, remember they are not the sole person responsible for the organization’s diversity levels. Every manager should be evaluated for their performance on inclusion.