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Increasing Diversity of Applicant Pools

An image of students having a roundtable discussion

What does it mean to have a reflective/diverse pool?

A qualified and diverse employee base is important at the University. Treating all persons fairly and with respect is critical for UVA in fulfilling its important mission and in ensuring the University remains compliant with federal and state laws.

A “reflective/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.

A position is thought of as “underutilized” if the number of current employees doesn’t reflect the availability estimate. The number that is displayed indicates 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. If a position is underutilized, a recruitment goal will be established. The Human Resouces Recruiter and Hiring Official will work together to develop a recruiment plan.

How do I calculate the makeup of my pool?

After a position has met the minimum posting period, the Human Resources Recruiter will manually calculate the pool to comapre it to the labor market. The pool is calculated by dividing 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.

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 available from Human Resources and the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights or your Human Resources Recruiter.