Increasing Diversity of Applicant Pools
What does it mean to have a diverse pool?
A qualified and diverse employee base is important at the University of Arkansas. Treating all persons fairly and equally is critical for fulfilling our mission and in ensuring the university remains compliant with federal and state laws.
A “diverse” pool of applicants means that the number of qualified persons that applied for a particular job approximates the number of applicants that are reasonably estimated as available in the area for which recruitment efforts are directed. The estimates are based on a variety, and often compilation, of sources including the U.S. Census, U.S. Department of Education, and others identified as relevant.
If a position is underutilized, personnel in OEOC will work with the department to ensure their recruitment efforts reach the identified underutilized demographic. A position is thought of as “underutilized” if the number of current employees doesn’t reflect the availability estimate. The underutilized number is used to calculate the percentage of women or minorities that should be present in your applicant pool were it to be truly reflective of the availability of qualified applicants/candidates in your recruitment area.
How do I calculate the makeup of my pool?
An automatic applicant pool report is available for your use within Workday. To utilize this report, click the Report tab for the posting and select Departmental EEO Report. To complete the calculation of the pool use the information provided by the Departmental EEO Report. You must divide those persons that are women or minorities by the overall number of qualified and active applicants you have to review. An applicant that withdraws for some reason should no longer be considered as an applicant. Subtract them from those listed in the report.
How do I diversify my pool?
There is no one set of actions to take that will diversify an applicant pool. The process is often a combination of efforts focused on increased or broader advertising in appropriate publications or web sites, requesting referrals from community-based organizations, attending job fairs targeted to the community for which a recruitment goal has been established and other like activities. For assistance or ideas in this area please review some of the resources listed below. You can also contact Equal Opportunity, Compliance & Title IX.