It’s undeniable that the OFCCP has done a remarkable job protecting marginalized populations from discrimination in the hiring process and that the workplace is more diverse and inclusive as a result. But complying with OFCCP rules can be a lot to work with for recruiters who are new to federal contractors, especially with updates to the regulations being implemented every year. In fact, just last spring we saw another update to the OFCCP recruitment guidelines for companies with contracts with the federal government.
At JobCirc, we know that diving into the weeds of recruitment and OFCCP compliance is never that exciting for those trying to figure it out for the first time, so here are some ABCs to make learning the basics at least a little bit more poetic.
Activity tracking is required
As a recruiting entity, the OFCCP now requires federal contractors to track all activity related to recruitment, outreach, and job posting. This gets as specific as saving every single search you make on job boards and other online job searching databases. In response to these regulations, some sites do save your searches for you, but be sure to note which ones do and which ones don’t so that you don’t miss anything important.
While it seems tedious, this kind of tracking does come in handy when it comes to tracking recruitment efforts and making plans to meet required benchmarks for hiring protected applicants such as individuals with disabilities (IWDs) or veterans.
Be inclusive in job advertisements
Promoting workplace inclusion is a huge piece of the OFCCP’s responsibility. But part of this is making sure that job seekers from marginalized sectors of society feel confident that they won’t be discriminated against during the application and hiring processes. To ensure this, the OFCCP requires recruiters for federal contractors to clearly let job seekers know that they won’t be discriminated against by using an inclusive tagline.
Most recently, the OFCCP added IWDs and veterans to the list of job seekers protected from discrimination. To date, the anti-discrimination language REQUIRED in job advertisements is as follows:
“We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.”
Collect data according to regulations
C stands for Collect the data! This is similar to A, but extends to more general data outside of just applicants. The updated regulations from last year require companies that have contracts with the federal government to collect basic annual data on both applicants and hires. In order for companies to collect the necessary data, applicants must fill out a special EEOC-related form.
To give you a better idea of information the OFCCP is looking for, the following are some of the annual data that must be collected and retained for 3 years:
· The number of job openings
· The number of jobs filled
· The total number of job applicants
· The total number of applicants hired
· The number of applicants who self-identify as IWDs
· The number of applicants with disabilities hired
Hopefully this quick guide to recruiting is helpful to new recruiters working to comply with OFCCP guidelines for the first time. While these ABC’s cover the basics and at least get you pointed in the right direction, the guidelines are incredibly specific. Be sure to visit the OFCCP website to make sure you’re doing everything you can to promote workplace diversity and inclusion in accordance with the law.
