Diversity-conscious recruitment, booking and jury work

Be aware of bias

We humans gravitate towards people who resemble ourselves, our taste and lifestyle. In our complex world, we create many mental shortcuts and categorise things, information and people into predefined ‘boxes,’ whether consciously or unconsciously. It is important to be mindful of these biases during the hiring process.

It is crucial to recognise that concepts of ‘quality’ and ‘skills’ encompass subjective elements. For instance, some people may think that spelling errors in an application disqualify the applicant, while others may be influenced by an applicant’s sense of humour during the job interview. These subjective factors can significantly impact hiring decisions.

Additionally, it is worth considering whether we prioritise individuals who fit seamlessly into the existing staff or if we value perspectives and networks that are distinct from those already present. Can expertise in diversity, as well as knowledge, experience, networks related to minority groups be viewed as desirable skills in the assessment process?

Do a job analysis

What is needed in this job? How can we measure this in candidates?

Be aware of bias and think about “what the job demands”, rather than “what you want”.

Advertise all positions

In the field of arts and culture, many jobs are created and distributed through social networks and collaborations among friends. This makes it more difficult for people who are new to the industry, or who are not included in certain social networks, to get a job. Essentially, a culture built around networking and exclusive social environments can create obstacles to achieving equality and diversity. Therefore, it is crucial to acknowledge this issue and aim to advertise all positions.

Use the network’s network

Make an effort to ensure that the job advertisement reaches a wide audience. Acknowledge that your own network might have limitations, and reach out to people in your network who can help you expand the reach of your message. One effective approach is to tap into various Facebook groups and other social media platforms that cater to different audiences. By diversifying the channels through which you advertise positions, you can enhance the likelihood of attracting a broader and more inclusive pool of candidates.

Inclusive language and images

A bureaucratic language attracts bureaucrats, and a casual tone may attract a different type of applicant. Reflect on how the choice of words, choice of images, appear in texts and how you describe tasks, qualifications and working environment help to decide who applies for a job with you.

You can, for example, encourage underrepresented groups to apply in the call for proposals, and share a sentence about how the business works for a shared and accessible environment.

Example of a diversity declaration:

We want our workplace to reflect the diversity of society and seek qualified applicants of different ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, religions and ethnic backgrounds. We want employees with different skills, from different disciplines, and with different life experiences and perspectives so that we can perform our tasks even better. We make adaptations for employees, for example by offering technical aids, adapting furniture or changing procedures, work tasks and working hours.

Put together a diverse committee

Several people should cooperate on setting criteria and making assessments – preferably different types of people, so that different views and perspectives can challenge each other.

After reading many applications, it is normal to become tired and find that your enthusiasm is dropping. The applications that are read just before lunch often receive a different assessment than those read after lunch. To address this issue, we recommend that different members of the hiring committee begin reviewing applications at different points in the pile. This helps to reduce the impact of varying energy levels or low blood sugar on the assessment process.

Use a form to standardize

To mitigate biases in recruitment processes, carefully consider the desired skills and qualities in a new employee and apply consistent assessment when evaluating all candidates. Use a standardized assessment form to maintain consistency and fairness.

Consider positive action

Don’t be afraid to talk about positive action (moderat kvotering). In the arts and culture field, informal ‘positive action’ already exists in the form of networking and hiring practices based on personal connections. We humans are drawn towards people who resemble ourselves, our taste, style and lifestyle. Positive action aims to counterbalance these habits, invisible structures, and conscious and unconscious prejudices that collectively create barriers for minority groups.

Positive action means that candidates are assessed according to formal qualifications in the usual manner. However, when two or more candidates possess similar qualifications, there is an opportunity to prioritise a candidate who contributes to a better gender balance or representation within the organisation.

When candidates are equally qualified for a position, it becomes relevant to highlight how the experiences, networks and perspectives of a member of an underrepresented group can bring positive contributions to the existing staff.

By implementing positive action, organisations can ensure that formally qualified candidates are hired, while also valuing the lived experiences and unique skills that others on the staff may not possess.

Consider different methods

There are several ways to getting to know different candidates and their skills, beyond traditional application letters and CVs. One method is to utilise a question sheet, which allows for mapping the candidates’ insights, perspectives and expertise, without their ability to master the application genre limiting their chances.

The Government’s initiative to promote inclusion is based on the recruitment model known as the Rooney Rule, originally derived from the American National Football League. Under the Rooney Rule, a certain number of applicants with minority identities must be invited for an interview. The rule does not dictate who should be hired, but ensures that both majority and minority persons are considered for the position. The goal of the Government’s initiative is to achieve a 5% representation of disabled individuals or those with gaps in their CV among new hires. Moreover, if there are qualified applicants from these underrepresented groups, at least one candidate from each of these groups must be invited for an interview.

Arts and culture hold the power to engage, inspire, evoke emotions, foster unity,and teach us valuable things about ourselves and the world. Therefore, it is important that cultural programmes include a wide range of stories and experiences, representing diverse perspectives and voices.

The field of arts and culture has a unique influence on our society as a whole. When films, music, books, visual arts and performing arts showcase representation and diversity, they become powerful agents for equality.

What about the majority?

Are there few women and minorities within the field or genre you work with? Then it is difficult to achieve good representation and 50/50 gender balance overnight.

Countering equality barriers by seeking out and promoting underrepresented groups can give people from overrepresented groups tougher competition. Measures for equality must be done in a proportionate way: the measures must strengthen underrepresented groups and contribute to better representation, without creating a disproportionate disadvantage for the majority. What does that mean in practice? Work towards the goal little by little.

If you allow an 80/20 gender distribution in the field to become a guideline for programming with an 80/20 gender distribution, you will reinforce and continue underrepresentation. If you book 50/50, this will mean tougher competition for performers who belong to the majority – perhaps disproportionately tough competition? If you book 70/30, you help create change, without the disadvantages being unreasonably great for the majority. The fact that underrepresented groups get somewhat less competition is to make up for structural barriers and disadvantages these groups otherwise have, for example a lack of role models and networks.

When you make room for some new performers from underrepresented groups, you help create role model effects and you move towards the goal of better representation. This is how you help create a change over time.

Set goals

Critically examine and reflect on representation in both current and past programmes. There is much talk about the importance of mirroring society.

Just under one in five Norwegians are multicultural. About one in five Norwegians have a disability. Around 10 % are LGBTQ. Norway is home to various national minorities and indigenous peoples. About half of the population is women. Is this reflected in the cultural programme you offer your audience?

If any groups are underrepresented, set specific diversity goals to close the gap.

Set aside time

When planning line-ups and events, remember to prioritize representation from the very beginning. Take time to do thorough research before booking performers. Start early and accept that it can take time to find new, exciting artists and performers.

Use the network’s network

Go outside your own network. Seek out and surround yourself with people who can introduce you to new or unfamiliar parts of the field. Remember that you don’t have to do it all on your own. Collaborating with other players and organisations can greatly assist in reaching out to new groups of people. Maybe you’ll find that you also have something to offer them.

Do not limit the genre

Avoid using genre as an excluding factor; instead, strive to embrace diversity across multiple genres. Dare to introduce the audience to various forms of artistic expression.

By broadening and diversifying the focus of your programme, you not only attract new performers, but also reach new audiences, volunteers, and expand your network.

When it comes to artistic assessments, how should diversity be incorporated? Can a focus on diversity hinder the freedom of artistic assessments?

The concept of quality

Exploring the concept of quality and its influence on our perceptions is valuable when discussing art. What defines good art? What defines high-quality? When we reflect on these questions, we can recognise how historical and current norms and power dynamics have influenced the notion of high culture. Stay mindful of societal norms and biases, actively engaging with self-awareness as you navigate these discussions.

Conscious of bias

We humans are drawn towards people who resemble ourselves, our taste, style and lifestyle. In a complex world, we create many mental shortcuts and categorise things, information and people into ‘boxes’ – either consciously or unconsciously. This type of bias must be kept in mind during the hiring process.

Identify society’s norms of whiteness, heterosexual norms, gender norms, ability norms, body norms, middle class norms, etc., and explore how these can be expressed in your part of the arts and culture field.

Who is assessing?

Multiple individuals should collaborate to establish criteria and conduct assessments. It is preferable to involve people from various backgrounds to encourage diverse viewpoints and to challenge one another.

To cultivate a diverse and equitable cultural field, we must ensure proper representation among those who possess the authority to define and make decisions.

Our personal identities significantly influence our perceptions and our understanding of what we consider high artistic quality. Therefore, we must strive for diversity in juries, committees and boards to prevent decisions being governed by the preferences of the majority culture.

By actively encouraging, suggesting and voting for people with different backgrounds for positions in the cultural field, we open up for a more nuanced understanding of quality and can contribute to increased representation among artists and artistic expressions.

When and how do we assess?

After reading many applications, it’s normal to become tired and find that your enthusiasm is dropping. The applications that are read just before lunch often receive a different assessment than those read after lunch. Different people on the jury should start at different places in the application pile, so that not everyone reads the same applications with low blood sugar.

The Rooney Rule

In order to both think about representation and be able to make free artistic assessments without regard to gender, age, ethnicity and other identities, you can be inspired by the Rooney Rule. The method, which originally originated in the American National Football League in the 2000s, involves ensuring that underrepresented groups are included when candidates are to be considered. The Rooney Rule does not stipulate who should be selected, but ensures better representation in the selection.

One option is to adopt a twofold process in jury work, when purchasing art, and in other processes where art and artistry are to be assessed. During the process of making a selection of candidates – for example, when looking for new works of art for procurement, candidates for an award, or in the first sorting of applications for grants or admission – you should endeavour to find a representative selection of candidates for further consideration, for example by ensuring that gender, age, ethnic background and functional variation among the candidates reflect the population. Once you have made a selection of candidates and ensured good representation, you can concentrate on the artistic assessments.