Nike to Make Changes to Remove Bias in Hiring, Promoting



Nike needs to do a better job of hiring and promoting women and minorities, according to the company's top HR executive. The sportswear giant "has failed to gain traction" in those areas, Monique Matheson reportedly told staff in a memo on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported this week.

The company, based in Beaverton, Ore., will begin making changes to "remove bias from critical moments of the hiring process" by enabling blind resume reviews and eliminating the collection of salary histories, she said in her communication to staff. There also are plans to introduce mandatory awareness training on unconscious bias for all employees.

Nike has not responded to SHRM Online's request for comment on its latest plans to foster diversity and inclusiveness.

Nike made some leadership changes after behavioral issues inconsistent with its company values led to the resignation of two of its top executives, USA Today reported March 22. While no specific reasons were given for those departures, the Wall Street Journal reported that the men "protected male subordinates who engaged in behavior that was demeaning to female colleagues" and bullied individuals who were from other countries.

SHRM Online has collected the following articles from its archives and other sources on strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion in recruiting and developing employees.  

Can Blind Hiring Improve Workplace Diversity? 

Although the concept of blind hiring isn't new—it dates to at least the 1970s—the strategy of hiding certain candidate information until the late stages of the recruiting process has become more popular in recent years, thanks to new tech tools and an increasing awareness of the importance of building diverse workforces. 
(HR Magazine)  

[SHRM members-only policy: Diversity Policy]  

Returnships Offer Employers Ways to Find Skilled Diverse Employees 

Sometimes called "re-entry internships," returnships are for experienced professionals who've taken time away from their careers. They help employers find experienced candidates who have voluntarily—or involuntarily—taken such a break and give them an opportunity to learn new skills and technologies and polish old skills. Returnships also open a new talent resource where employers can find and groom new talent. 
(SHRM Online)  

Hiring for Diversity? Look No Further Than the Crowd

Regardless of the particular challenges a company faces in hiring diverse employees, there is a solution: crowdsourced hiring.

It opens your company up to more talented candidates regardless of geographical location, culture, skills and background. While it may not be terribly helpful in hiring for leadership or very specialized roles, it can be a powerful tool in many arenas, especially technology. 
(Recruiter)  

Multicultural Women Benefit from Male Support in the Workplace

Having male allies in leadership positions at work makes a sizable impact on the career advancement of multicultural women, according to a report from the Working Mother Research Institute. 
(SHRM Online)   

Major UK Companies Starting to Pull Each Other Up on Gender, Race Diversity

Financial advisers and public relations firms are increasingly judged on whether they have inclusive workplaces. 
(Independent)  

Tech Still Lacks Diversity, but Don't Blame the Pipeline 

The telecom, media and technology sector has seen the most decline in diversity representation since 2015 of any industry studied in McKinsey's report on diversity spanning 1,000 companies across 12 countries. 
(LightReading)   

Was this article useful? SHRM offers thousands of tools, templates and other exclusive member benefits, including compliance updates, sample policies, HR expert advice, education discounts, a growing online member community and much more. Join/Renew Now and let SHRM help you work smarter.