Category: Candidate Attraction

Legal Ombudsman: Reducing the Time Investment from Hiring Managers by 80%

Posted on by akessler
Reducing the Time Investment From Hiring Managers by 80% for the Legal Ombudsman

Reducing the Time Investment From Hiring Managers by 80% for the Legal Ombudsman

The Legal Ombudsman were finding it difficult to attract the volume and quality of candidates for legal investigators in a highly competitive candidate market. Plus, a time intensive recruitment process meant their hiring managers were spending hundreds of hours on recruiting rather than their daily work tasks. They turned to PeopleScout for expert candidate management, employer branding and talent attraction help.

80 % Reduction in Time Investment by Hiring Managers
87 % Satisfaction Rate Amongst Surveyed Candidates
5 Stars from Hiring Managers

Scope & Scale

The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is a regulatory organization that holds the UK’s legal profession to the highest standards by resolving consumers complaints about legal services providers. The organization was growing and turned to PeopleScout for a candidate attraction campaign and partial-cycle recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) to fill approximately 40 complaints investigator roles.

Situation

The organization was struggling to get engagement with their target audience and attract the volume and caliber of investigator candidates they needed. The market was highly competitive, with multiple organizations recruiting for similar roles. This put the LeO behind their hiring target by approximately 20%.

In addition, the recruitment process required the LeO team to invest significant time—400 operational hours per campaign—which was taking them away from their important work supporting consumers.

Solution

PeopleScout’s in-house creative agency built a recruitment marketing campaign and followed this by sifting candidates, scheduling assessment days and supporting an assessment center.

Attracting the Right Candidates

Our team started by doing a deep dive into the roles and existing employees who were successful as legal investigators. This helped us understand the kinds of candidates we should target and their needs and motivations. Armed with this information, we developed messaging and content that resonated with key audiences and stood out in a highly competitive market. This was used in digital advertising through job boards, search engine ads and social media campaigns which pointed to a bespoke landing page.

Supporting a Streamlined Recruitment Process

With a focus on improving the candidate experience and creating efficiencies in the process, we built a bespoke application form which connected to the Legal Ombudsman’s existing application tracking system (ATS). Upon our suggestion, the LeO added a written exercise to the application process which helped them assess writing competency and assist with the sift process.

PeopleScout completed the first sift. In fact, the attraction campaign generated so many applicants that we extended the time allotted for sifting to accommodate them. We also advised the client to adjust the scoring after the first round of sifting, because candidate quality was so high.

Upon passing the sift, our RPO team scheduled candidates for a virtual interview with the Legal Ombudsman team. From there, candidates participated in a virtual assessment center. We supplied 15 trained assessors to support LeO interviewers in conducting a role play for 104 candidates. The role play mimicked the type of calls and inquiries investigators field in their daily work and gave both the organization and the candidate a sense of how they’d perform in the position. The assessors’ involvement let the LeO representatives engage more with candidates without having to worry about taking notes or keeping an eye on the clock.

“Every assessor I was partnered with was welcoming, easy to talk to and genuinely cared about the candidate experience.”

– LeO Hiring Manager

We handed back a cohort of candidates that were successful in the selection and assessment process and were ready for LeO to extend offers to. The offer and onboarding process was handled by the LeO HR team and supported by our recruitment delivery team.

Results

The client was so happy with the quality of the applicants they received that they increased the number of hires from 30 to 40. In the end, a total of 42 offers were accepted as a result of this campaign.

In feedback surveys, candidates gave a satisfaction rating of 87% for the recruitment process. Many said they enjoyed the assessment center, which can often be stressful for candidates.

“Different by actually enjoyable.”

“Very professional and informative. Enjoyable experience even though it was an assessment. Positive day with some very good staff.”

Legal Ombudsman staff gave the process 4.9 out of 5 stars. They particularly appreciated that the assessment was a true-to-life reflection of the skills required for the role. By streamlining and taking over parts of the recruitment process, we were able to reduce the number hours LeO staff were putting into recruiting by approximately 80%.

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    Legal Ombudsman
  • INDUSTRY
    Government & Public Sector
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Talent Advisory
  • ABOUT THE LEGAL OMBUDSMAN
    The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is a regulatory organization that holds the UK’s legal profession to the highest standards by resolving consumers complaints about legal services providers.
Let’s Connect

Boomerang Employees: How Looking Back Can Help Propel Your Organization Forward

Posted on by jpatel

As employees around the world quit their jobs in droves, the Great Resignation quickly became a global phenomenon and job openings across industries hit all-time highs. In order to keep up with this increasing demand for workers, employers are expanding their talent pools in a variety of ways, including searching across new geographies, considering workers who are changing careers, implementing innovative recruitment marketing techniques and more.  

However, as a result of the Great Resignation, we’re beginning to see an alternative talent pool emerge: Boomerang employees—workers who voluntarily resign from your company and later rejoin. In this article, we’ll explain who boomerang employees are; the benefits and considerations of hiring them; and how to attract this unique group of talent. 

Who Are Boomerang Employees?

Before you consider rehiring an employee who previously left your organization, it’s important to understand the key differentiators that separate potential boomerang employees from permanent alumni.  

As the term suggests, permanent alumni will remain just that—permanently separated from an organization. These individuals likely stayed at the company for many years and had a good grasp of the organization’s overall culture and values. However, at a certain point, these individuals decided that the company was not the right fit for them; this could be due to dissatisfaction with company culture, the need for a career change or any number of other work-related issues. Note here that a key factor in any of these reasons for leaving is an internal desire to resign. 

Conversely, boomerang employees are more likely to have left a company quickly due to external factors, such as a sudden family emergency or an unexpected competing job offer that was too good to decline. So, while permanent alumni chose to leave because they were unsatisfied with the company in some way, boomerang employees are more likely to consider rejoining because they left for other reasons—none of which implied that they had an issue with the company in the first place. 

“Five years ago, I chose to take a career break to raise my family. When the boys started school, I was ready to pick up my career again. As chance would have it, PeopleScout had identified a role working on a project supporting two big clients, and I was excited about the prospect of this new challenge. The company had changed a lot in the time I was away, so I was grateful for the in-depth introduction process and support from management and colleagues upon my return. The flexible working arrangement that PeopleScout offers means that I’m able to achieve the balance between working and looking after my family, which is fantastic. I’m happy to be back and am looking forward to developing my career over the coming years.”  

Shelley Romero, Media Solutions Manager 
PeopleScout UK 

Meanwhile, some people may leave to pursue new opportunities because they’re unsatisfied in some way and are hopeful that the “grass will be greener” elsewhere. Then, if they find that isn’t the case, they may also be inclined to return to a previous company with a newfound appreciation. 

“Due to business changes during the pandemic, I was assigned to a new client account and, after much time and consideration, I knew it just wasn’t the right fit for me. Though I did not want to leave, it was in my best interest to resign at that time. However, I stayed in contact with my previous manager and colleagues, and when an opening arose, they asked me, ‘Are you ready to come back home?’ It was never a matter of if, but when I was coming back. Everything needed to align—the right position, team and leadership. I was hesitant to return after my last experience that caused me to resign, but I knew what ‘home’ felt like, and I couldn’t be happier in my current position at PeopleScout!”

Alison Thompson, Senior Recruiter 
PeopleScout

During the pandemic, the world was reminded how quickly life can change. Whether employees left your organization to pursue other opportunities or to prioritize caring for their family, these types of employees create a whole new pool of talent that could be the perfect fit for your organization. After some time has passed, many of these people could be on the job hunt again—and your organization could serve as the right choice at the right time.  

Benefits of Hiring Boomerang Employees 

Rehiring former employees can present a variety of benefits for employers. Here are some of the biggest reasons to consider looking back at your previous hires: 

Save Time & Money 

Hiring a former employee reduces the hiring timeline and cuts down on overall recruiting costs. And, because these employees have previous experience working at your company, they will require less time and fewer resources to onboard and get up to speed to hit the ground running. 

Eliminate Second-Guessing 

Additionally, when you hire a former employee, you won’t have to wonder whether they’ll be a cultural fit; you already know how they fit in with the company and how they work with various people in the organization—something that always remains a slight unknown when hiring someone completely new. 

Gain Fresh Perspective 

Former employees are unique in the fact that they have had some time to step away and see the organization from the outside. Often, employees may have left to advance their career at another company and gain valuable skills. Then, when they return, they’ll be equipped with increased knowledge and experience to bring new ideas and insight into your organization. 

Boost Employer Brand 

Rehiring employees also sends a positive message to existing employees and can improve an organization’s employer brand overall. Specifically, by giving employees a second chance, it shows that the company is willing to bring people back and help them reach their potential—even if they previously left on their own accord. Furthermore, to existing employees (perhaps some of whom were considering leaving themselves), it shows that the company is worth coming back to, thereby leading to improved retention and employee satisfaction. Moreover, it demonstrates that leaving doesn’t have to burn bridges—especially when the company sees the value of the whole person. 

Make Employees Happy 

Plus, employees who left a job during the pandemic may now realize that they miss some aspects of their old company. Returning to a previous employer with new skills and a fresh perspective can mean higher pay, more growth opportunities and, in some cases, the ability to work from anywhere, which may not have been an option pre-pandemic. Consequently, these employees will likely be happy with their decision to return—leading to improved productivity for your organization. 

Questions to Ask Before Hiring Boomerang Employees 

rehire employees

While there are many reasons to hire previous employees, that doesn’t always mean you should. So, before you decide whether turning back to a former employee is the right move for your organization, keep these considerations in mind: 

How Much Time Has Passed? 

Account for how much time has passed since the employee initially left the company. For instance, an employee who left less than a year ago due to a personal emergency is more likely to be able to jump back in and get started than someone who left several years ago and has to learn new processes and technology. 

Are They Adaptable? 

Nowadays, change within an organization can happen fast, and if the employee has been away from the company for a while, it can be helpful to consider their level of adaptability: Are they willing to learn new systems and procedures? Or, will they be stuck in old habits from their first tenure? 

Are They the Best? 

Amid a labor shortage, it can be tempting to settle for the easiest, quickest option to fill an open role. However, it’s important to think long-term: While this employee will cost less to hire and is a good cultural fit, are they truly the best person for the job? Consider whether this employee performed well in their previous tenure with the company, which is a good indicator of how they will fare the second time around. 

Were They Missed? 

While an employee’s individual performance may have been stellar, it’s important to understand their influence on the team. In particular, did they get along well with colleagues, or was it a relief for people when they left? When bringing back an employee, ensure that their return will have a positive effect on the productivity of the team as a whole. 

Why Do They Want to Return? 

Find out what made the employee choose to leave in the first place. Is that reason still going to be an obstacle moving forward? It’s important to ask what has changed since the time when they initially left. While familial or personal reasons would likely be resolved, you might have a bigger issue on your hands if they left because the company was not a good fit the first time. So, ask the former employee why they want to return. Then, if you’re looking for long-term talent, try to get a grasp of whether they’re ready to commit to your company for the foreseeable future. If they aren’t, you may have a permanent alumnus on your hands. 

How to Keep the Door Open to Boomerang Employees 

As the past two years have shown us, things happen—often unexpectedly. For one reason or another, people might be pulled in another direction and have no choice but to leave your company a little too soon. When this happens, it’s important to understand why they’re leaving and if there’s anything the organization could have done to encourage them to stay. If not, perform exit interviews and get an idea of what is working and what can be improved upon in your organization. 

While some employees may choose to reapply to your company in the future, many former employees may never consider rejoining or even know it’s an option without first hearing from a former colleague or manager. In this situation, what’s the best way to reach out to these former employees? 

To start, be sure to part on good terms. If the employee is one whom you would be eager to welcome back to your team again, make sure they know that when they leave. In today’s world that’s driven by social media, it’s easier than ever to stay connected across job changes. So, keep in touch with high-performing employees after they leave and proactively check-in with them when you’re ready to bring them back. 

“Having former employees return to my team has been a true privilege. There is something about a second chance to help someone grow and develop and to be entrusted to help them achieve their career goals that is very special. I have the honor of having three boomerang employees on my current team. I am grateful that they rejoined and for the incredible know-how, passion and commitment that they bring to our team. I will continue to do all I can to support their success so that they can see their future here.”

Caroline Sabetti, Chief Marketing Officer, PeopleReady & PeopleScout 
Senior Vice President, TrueBlue Communications 

In addition, consider these three strategies for re-recruiting former employees: 

1. Existing Employees

If you have an opening on your team and some of your existing employees still maintain relationships with former staff, your current team can be helpful in re-recruiting this talent. Let your current employees know you’d like to consider a former employee for the role and, if they’re willing, they can bring the idea up with the former colleague and encourage them to apply. 

2. Direct Manager Outreach 

For a former employee, it can be extremely powerful to hear directly from a former leader that the company and team wants them back. And, by hearing directly from a manager, the former employee is likely to take the offer seriously and understand that they are specifically who the team and leader want. 

“I had the opportunity to work for our sister company Staff Management | SMX before leaving for another position outside of TrueBlue that allowed me to get specific experience in a different facet of marketing. After gaining valuable experience for a period of time with a different organization, my former leader at Staff Management | SMX reached out to me to discuss an opportunity to join PeopleScout in a new role. I was thrilled to be able to rejoin TrueBlue and put to use the experience I gained outside of the company. Rejoining TrueBlue and joining PeopleScout was an easy decision due to the positive experience that I had during my original time with the organization, as well as due to the ability to work directly for my former leader once again.”  

Sarah Katz Candelario, Vice President of Marketing and Communications 
PeopleScout 

3. Email Campaign 

If your company is looking to fill multiple roles at once, a larger campaign might make the most sense. This can include a list of all high-performing employees who left in the last year and serve as a check-in to see where they are in their career now and whether they’d be interested in taking on a new role in the company. 

Beyond the Boomerang Employee 

While looking to former employees serves as a strong new talent pool, it’s just one part of an organization’s larger rehiring and retention strategy.  

For example, in addition to traditional boomerang employees, the pandemic has also introduced an alternative group of potential employees—those who were furloughed. While these employees didn’t leave voluntarily, they can still be considered for boomerang status and serve as yet another talent pool to reach out to when needs arise. 

But, in order for people to be willing to come back, organizations must ensure that their company is one that people want to return to (or, ideally, one they won’t want to leave at all). This means fostering a welcoming and empowering culture, as well as placing strong emphasis on growth and development of all employees. 

In summary, when people feel valued, included and invested in, they’re less likely to leave your company for another. Then, even when human factors cause them to be pulled away, they’ll be willing and ready to return when the time is right. 

[On-Demand] Hiring in a Candidate Driven Market: Challenge Accepted

Posted on by edyson

[On-Demand] Hiring in a Candidate Driven Market: Challenge Accepted

The talent landscape is changing. Fueled by a candidate-driven job market, talent leaders across all industries are searching for skilled candidates available to fill a record number of open positions. Job seekers have the upper hand; they’re more willing to leave jobs for employers they’re unsatisfied with and expect more from companies they apply to. This includes socially responsible practices, competitive wages and quality of life considerations.

So, how can you source and attract the right high-quality talent faster in our candidate-driven market? Join PeopleScout’s Candance Lamon, vice president of global delivery and Jill Polistico, director of client delivery for our on-demand webinar Talking Talent webinar: Challenge Accepted: Tactics and Strategies for Hiring in a Candidate’s Market.

In this webinar, Candace and Jill discuss tactics and strategies for sourcing, engaging and hiring candidates as well as providing best practices for navigating a candidate-driven job market.

This webinar will cover:

  • The current talent market outlook for employers

  • Strategies for improving your employer brand and candidate experience

  • Tips for building a strong company culture to reduce turnover

  • Best practices for structuring talent programs to meet evolving changes in the workplace

  • And more!

Global Talent Acquisition Strategy: Time-to-Hire Cut in Half

Posted on by akessler
PeopleScout Cuts Time-to-Hire in Half with Global Talent Acquisition Solution for Manufacturer

Global RPO

PeopleScout Cuts Time-to-Hire in Half with Global Talent Acquisition Solution for Manufacturer

A global manufacturer of engineering solutions turned to PeopleScout for global recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) to fulfill their need for highly specialized, hard-to-find industrial engineering talent at their manufacturing sites, innovation centers and service centers across 16 countries.

50 % Average Reduction in Time-to-Hire
16 Countries & 9 Languages
16 Countries & 9 Languages
Scope Expanded After Exceeding Hires Target
Scope Expanded After Exceeding Hires Target

Scope & Scale

The manufacturer engaged with PeopleScout for a global RPO solution to make 150 hires for over 30 of their sites across 16 countries including Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

For most of their hires, they were seeking specialty talent with expertise in engineering and industrial design. These skills help build equipment for businesses all over the world that focus on chemicals, air and water treatment, mining, pharmaceuticals, marine, construction and other industrial applications.

Challenge

The client came to us after their previous RPO provider failed to deliver on the manufacturer’s global talent acquisition challenges. With some requisitions still open after 500 days, many of their site managers had taken recruitment into their own hands. Each manager had their own approach which resulted in a disjointed candidate experience and high levels of frustration for hiring managers and internal stakeholders. The global talent acquisition leader had very little visibility into time-to-fill and cost-to-fill metrics from country to country and wanted to see a consistent process across all regions that showcased their employer brand. 

The manufacturer also had growing concerns about the future of their labor force. With the average age of an engineer in the mid-50s, a huge portion of the global engineering workforce is due to retire in the next 10 years. The client needed to get ahead of this by recruiting talent with specific engineering skills to prevent a future talent gap.

However, engineers are highly sought after, with 63% of European manufacturers indicating the engineering skills shortage is making it harder to find qualified workers. The manufacturer needed candidates with unique experience in mechanical engineering and automation and who also matched their language requirements which varied by country and role. So, attracting these rare engineers—and convincing them to make a move—meant we had our work cut out for us.

Solution

Our diverse, multilingual and multicultural delivery teams in our Bristol and Krakow delivery centers plus remote teams got to work executing an end-to-end RPO solution. They sourced, screened and evaluated candidates in English, Swedish, German, French, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Using Labor Market Insights to Inform Strategy

With competition from other well-known, international companies in certain markets, some roles were particularly challenging with over 200 similar open positions across competitors in one location alone. The PeopleScout Insights Team was commissioned to conduct in-depth research across markets and uncover potential candidate motivators that would give the organization a competitive edge.

In one case, our market data indicated that the labor pool for engineers in Czech Republic is small. So, we approached the client with the idea to expand the geography of our search to include candidates who lived across the border in Poland who could commute. By doing this, we filled business-critical automation engineer roles that saved their productivity levels. 

Global Process Meets Local Expertise

We created a global process to meet the requirements of the global talent acquisition leader and then worked with hiring managers in each region to adjust our approach to account for nuances like culture, job role and labor market across their sites.

Applying our team’s deep regional expertise, we adapted our strategy in each location, using the appropriate databases, job boards and online and offline marketing tactics to reach the right candidates for every role in each country. For example, in smaller cities, we knew it was less likely that blue-collar candidates would be seeking employment via online channels, so we took out ads at bus stops.

For other roles, we increased awareness of organization’s employer brand through targeted recruitment marketing efforts on job boards and social media. We also partnered with local universities to get in front of students who were looking for their first jobs after completing their studies. 

Talent Pooling with a Focus on Diversity

Because most engineers in Europe aren’t actively looking to change jobs, our recruiters found most success through proactive headhunting. By engaging directly with passive candidates via social media, email and phone, they filled many existing requisitions and created talent pools for future vacancies, which reduced the overall time-to-fill.

Since women remain underrepresented in engineering fields across Europe, the manufacturer put great importance on increasing the number of women engineers they hired. In addition to adjusting the verbiage in job descriptions to make them more inviting to a wider variety of candidates, our recruiters paid special attention to reaching out to women by targeting online groups for women in engineering and women in tech.

Results

In the first year, we surpassed the initial target of 150 positions to deliver 245 total hires across 30 sites with a quarter sourced through proactive search and engagement. We filled the 500-day-old roles and reduced the time-to-hire by approximately 50% on average through our talent pooling efforts. In the process, we won over sceptical stakeholder groups, including the client’s EMEA engineering leadership. In the second year, we’re growing our partnership with over 300 hires projected.

In one instance, we were asked to source specialist inside sales talent. These individuals needed IT experience, manufacturing experience and to be fluent in German. With such specific requirements, advertising wouldn’t have worked, but because of the talent pool we built, we filled these two positions in less than three days.

“We have forged an excellent relationship with the PeopleScout team. They fully understand our challenges and needs and are able to meet our recruitment requirements in an efficient and professional manner.”

– Talent Acquisition Manager

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    Global manufacturer
  • INDUSTRY
    Manufacturing & Industrial
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Recruitment Process Outsourcing
  • ANNUAL HIRES
    300
  • LOCATIONS
    Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom
Let’s Connect

How We Created a Custom Behavioral Assessment Framework for a Leading British Bank

Posted on by akessler
How a Custom Behavioral Assessment Framework Created a £24M Savings for a Leading British Bank

How a Custom Behavioral Assessment Framework Created a £24M Savings for a Leading British Bank

PeopleScout’s talent advisory team created a new candidate assessment center for a large British bank, resulting in a 58% reduction in recruitment costs totalling £24M.

58 % Reduction in Recruitment Costs

resulting in a £24M savings

55 % Reduction in Attrition

in the first year

50 % Reduction in Application-to-Hire Ratio

from 32:1 to 16:1

Situation

Arriving at the right assessment solution for a complex, multi-billion-pound contemporary business is a major challenge. But, this was a challenge that PeopleScout’s team of psychologists was built for when our banking client came to us with a big brief. The banking group had just launched a crucial new set of values. They wanted us to create a custom behavioral assessment framework, along side a full suite of candidate assessment tools to support hiring into core customer-facing roles across the bank.

Solution

Insight

We began by carrying out a comprehensive job analysis, involving focus groups with over 300 colleagues as well as one-on-one interviews with job incumbents, senior stakeholders and transformation stakeholders. We identified synergies and differences between role requirements and complexity across the financial services organization. The detailed research and analysis revealed three job families across all roles, each with four levels of complexity. We developed definitions and behavioral indicators for each group and each level in the framework.

Design

Following sign-off on the new behavioral framework, we developed the assessment matrix and recommended key assessment methods. We streamlined and simplified the existing multi-stage process, bringing both the process and tools into alignment with the new values. This made it easy to understand and implement across the bank. We recommended a three-stage process across the framework, allowing for tailoring to job family and complexity levels, using specific skills assessments and assessment center micro-exercises.

We recommended a two-stage application, with a short form at the beginning to reduce early candidate drop out.
We followed this with a more comprehensive data collection form, completed after candidates were more engaged with the job opportunity.

Pre-Screening: Situational Judgement Test

The pre-screening stage comprised an online scenario-based behavioral assessment or Situational Judgement Test (SJT). SJTs are strong predictors of future job success, and it gave the bank an opportunity to provide deep insight into the brand culture and their values. It also created a positive candidate experience, while increasing diversity and reducing both time-to-hire and recruiter effort.

Mid-Screening: Motivational Fit

The mid-screening stage took place through video or telephone interviews, dependent on the role. The interview provided the client with deep insight into motivational fit and communication skills and enabled them to evaluate numerous critical behaviors for the roles. Plus, it ensure only the best applicants reached the most time-intensive, face-to-face final stage.

Final Screening: Assessment Center

This final screening stage was an assessment center for the more complex roles, incorporating interviews, role-plays and group exercises. We introduced a series of inclusive and realistic micro-exercises, assessing the candidate’s values, potential and mindset as they correlated to the job family and level. For example, to assess for a growth mindset, we created a micro-exercise in which the candidate was provided with feedback on their previous performance and given the opportunity to reflect and learn from it. They were then asked to demonstrate how they would incorporate that feedback.

We significantly upgraded the bank’s assessment center capability by increasing the use of behavioral exercises for primary evidence gathering, combining scores across assessment tools to triangulate data and providing robust final evaluations.

Informed Choices

Candidates shared appreciation for the chance to demonstrate the breadth of their skills and that they felt fairly assessed. They also gained sufficient insight to make informed decisions about whether the organization was offering the environment they were seeking, and whether its values and purpose were aligned with their own.

Our solution showcased the bank’s brand and culture, and the built-in job preview features ensured candidates were given sufficient knowledge at the automated pre-screening stage to make an informed self-assessment of their own match to the organization. This meant that poor-fit candidates withdrew before resources were unnecessarily committed in the higher-touch, mid-screening stage of the process. It also supported the client in creating a respectful, two-way selection process, which is expected by modern job seekers.

Results

We built-in various ways of measuring the cost-efficiencies and overall return-on-investment of the end-to-end assessment solution. The client was delighted with the results:

  • A reduction in the classroom-based training time required as the caliber of candidates was improved.
  • Improved conversion at every stage of the assessment process, meaning less business time was required for assessment.
  • The application-to-hire ratio was cut by half, from 32:1 to 16:1.
  • There was a 55% reduction in first-year attrition.
  • There was a 58% reduction in recruitment cost, saving £24M.

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    Leading UK bank
  • INDUSTRY
    Financial Services
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Talent Advisory
  • ABOUT THE CLIENT
    This client is a leading UK financial services group that includes several retail banking brand. The company has been partnering with PeopleScout for over 20 years, making it one of our longest-standing client relationships.
Let’s Connect

Co-Op: How We Significantly Reduced Time-To-Hire for a Leading UK Insurer

Posted on by cspivack
Co-Op: How We Significantly Reduced Time-To-Hire for a Leading UK Insurer

Co-Op: How We Significantly Reduced Time-To-Hire for a Leading UK Insurer

Co-op Insurance came to PeopleScout for a new assessment center and streamlined recruitment process, resulting in a reduced time-to-hire and quality new talent.

Reduction in Time-to-Hire
Reduction in Time-to-Hire
73 % Assessment Center Pass Rate

up from 41%

Positive Candidate Feedback
Positive Candidate Feedback

Employing 70,000 people, the Co-op is known across the UK as a leader in socially conscious, community-led business. As well as being the country’s fifth largest food retailer, it is also a major general insurer. Co-op Insurance came to PeopleScout with a problem. They were having big issues recruiting the voices of the organisation: high-quality, productive, right-fit Claims Advisors who would stay. Also, the time-to-hire was very slow and a drag on the time of the resourcing team. Their recruitment process needed a complete overhaul.

SITUATION

The process we were presented started with a manual-intensive résumé screen. Because of the volumes that were coming through, the Co-op resourcing team was conducting daily résumé screens. This ate up immense amounts of time and resulted in the team screening candidates based on experience. That meant they were inconsistent in the way they were screening candidates (about 70% passed the screen). Those who passed this stage then had a qualifying call. This was not a formal telephone interview, but an introductory call to check the experience on their résumé, discuss any gaps and make sure they were eligible to work in the UK (85–95% passed this stage). Finally there was a face-to-face assessment centre—consisting of a computer-based assessment and interview. Following this, was the offer and induction.

SOLUTION

The right solution meant two considerations: what to assess and how.

  1. WHAT – We conducted a period of job analysis to understand what good looked like in the role.
  2. HOW – We needed to identify a solution which would support progressing candidates at speed through the process, providing a realistic job preview and automatically screening candidates so there was less manual intervention by the resourcing team.

We suggested removing the résumé screening step which meant there was less reliance on experience only. This allowed us to assess the whole person, progressing candidates who had no experience but great potential. We developed an online tool that incorporated a situational judgement test which tested for attention to detail and a video interview. Candidates completed this in one sitting, further reducing the time-to-hire. We also supported in the design of an assessment center.

RESULTS

The Co-op’s resourcing team was delighted with the new process. It’s easy to use and gives them back invaluable time to work on other projects. The assessment center significantly reduced time-to-hire, owing to the speed and efficiency of the new process. The pass rate at the assessment center stage is 73%—a big increase on the previous rate of 41%. This means that a much higher proportion of the best-fit candidates are going further in the process. In addition, new hires have been identified by the business as individuals who are motivated to succeed, with a propensity for learning and a growth mindset. Candidate feedback has been very positive, with many saying it gave them a proper understanding of the role.

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    Co-op Insurance
  • INDUSTRY
    Financial Services
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Talent Advisory
  • ABOUT CO-OP
    Co-op Insurance is part of Co-op Group, one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, owned by millions of members. As a leading UK insurer, the organization offers coverage for business, home, life, motor, travel and pets.
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Disrespect & Demand: Why Candidates Abandon Recruitment Processes

Posted on by akessler

By Joe Mongon, Head of Recruitment Delivery, EMEA

Talent shortages and the effects of The Great Resignation are now well-established narratives in the recruitment space. Yet, organisations are still putting up barriers between great opportunities and great talent. New research shows that candidate abandonment rates are over 65% due to a poor candidate experience. Candidates are dropping out of every stage of the recruitment process, not just the application process.

Often this results in “ghosting”—when the candidate drops off with no communication to the recruiter or hiring manager—with 28% of job seekers admitting they’ve done it. But, it’s a two way street—77% of candidates say that employers have done the ghosting.

Other barriers to candidate engagement that are contributing to abandonment include:

  • Overly complex or repetitive applications
  • Screenings, tests, or assessments take too long or require unreasonable amounts of time and effort to complete
  • Recruiters or hiring managers schedule interviews but never show up (ghosting), or reschedule several times, or are disruptive during the interviews themselves
  • Job offers take weeks or months to materialise
  • Lengthy and arduous onboarding practices (which get worse in heavily regulated industries)

Tips to Reduce Candidate Abandonment

Evaluating your candidate experience, particularly the number of steps and how much time each takes to complete, is imperative. Recruiters should work with hiring managers to prepare them for final stage interviews to ensure that experience is positive for candidates.

Think about any steps that can be eliminated. In times past, we’ve advocated strongly for assessments and even design them through our award-winning Assessment Services team through our Talent Advisory offerings. But, sometimes eliminating or scaling back assessment steps can actually help deliver more qualified candidates at scale and speed. We’ve seen this work particularly well in recent entry-level hiring projects, like customer service roles.

RPO Delivers an Excellent Candidate Experience

Advocating for changes like this can cause some discomfort – but it can also get results. This is an area in which an RPO partner can make a big difference. We can bring the agility and insight needed to problem solve in this candidate-led market. 

Infographic of how to hire in a candidate-led market. Only 12% of companies use candidate feedback to improve the candidate experience. Only 30% of organisations survey new joiners to assess their experience. 8 out of 10 organisations don't have time or resources to improve the candidate experience 54% of organisations surveyed have never benchmarked their candidate experience Only 5% of candidates rate their experience as excellent

Any organisation recruiting right now must meet candidates where they are. The best solution is the one that engages and retains qualified candidates at every stage of the process. Shorter applications, streamlined assessments, commitment to best practice interviewing, clear guidance and additional support in onboarding should all be a priority for your business. Fo

Talking Talent: Talent Technology and the Human Touch, Building a Balanced Recruitment Process with Rick Betori

Posted on by nfuqua

Rick Betori’s role as PeopleScout’s managing director of the Americas has a few similarities with a previous leadership position he held as coach of his children’s baseball teams.

“The ball is always going to roll in between someone’s legs,” he told me from his home in the Chicago suburbs. “And, it’s not about the fact that it went through their legs; it’s what they do after and how they respond when things don’t go according to plan. That’s one of the most important things I can do in my role as a leader.”

Rick thrives when there’s a challenge to tackle, when there’s a problem to solve and when there’s the opportunity to connect the right person with the right job in a difficult labor market. It’s an important quality as employers face a talent landscape that has been transformed by the pandemic.

Although Rick joined PeopleScout in 2021, he has been a part of the TrueBlue organization since 2011, most recently leading delivery operations at PeopleReady, where he helped spearhead the company’s digital transformation. As such, he understands how technology, combined with human expertise, can solve the toughest talent problems. We talked to him about the role of talent technology in 2022.

You’re not new to TrueBlue, but you are a relatively new face here at PeopleScout. What makes you really excited about talent acquisition right now?

I’m excited because I believe that we can truly help companies that are facing some of their largest hiring challenges in their histories. Talent acquisition teams need creative partners to help them succeed, and I’m thrilled to be a part of finding those solutions.

I’m also passionate about our talent technology platform, Affinix™, and what it does to help candidates seamlessly move through the application process. Candidates have so many choices today; when they’re searching for a new role, they expect a great experience, and they want it to be fast. I also think that now more than ever, data and analytics will be key in helping employers stay ahead of their competition in a difficult talent market.

And finally, I’ve been a part of the TrueBlue family since 2011, so I’ve been able to witness the passion and energy of the PeopleScout team working to put our clients first. It’s been great to dig in with the team in these last few months. They bring this infectious energy to do what’s right for our clients and their applicants. I’m proud to be a part of this organization moving forward.

Throughout the last couple of years, we’ve seen a lot of employers add technology to their recruitment process out of need. For talent acquisition leaders, where do you think their relationship with talent technology stands today?

I hate to start the answer to a question with “it depends,” but it really does vary.  We have seen many employers add technology solutions to deal with increased workload, compliance concerns, and to eliminate or simplify administrative tasks.

More recently, employers feel the pressures of attracting top talent, so they’re taking the next step, focusing on easing and improving the process for candidates. More companies are starting to leverage technology to reduce friction for candidates in the application process and at the same time, building a stronger employer brand.

Finally, we’re seeing leaders stepping back and asking, “How can technology, data and analytics inform our decision-making from a talent standpoint?” These leaders want more information around changes in roles; how the market is responding in their specific area; and how factors like the rise of the gig economy and the COVID-19 pandemic have influenced their prospective talent pools.

The right technology can really make the recruitment process feel even more personal and enhance an organization’s employer brand. How can you make that happen?

It’s about more than the right technology; it’s about the right technology at the right time. Employers can make the greatest impact by targeting specific points in the candidate’s journey.

For example, we know that candidates want to feel a sense of control in the process, and they want to feel as though things are moving forward. That means employers need to keep candidates feeling engaged and empowered. So, the right technology intervention could be implementing a pre-screen that candidates can complete by text or adding an interview self-scheduling tool. These give candidates the ability to feel like they’re taking the next step in the process, rather than waiting to hear back from someone.

Employers should also evaluate specific tools to ensure they fit with their brand. For example, candidates applying to a technology company would expect the process to include more advanced technology, more automation and a more cutting-edge approach to the recruitment process. On the other hand, candidates for positions where the work is focused on manual tasks or face-to-face interactions may expect a different experience. It’s not one size fits all.

Why should employers reevaluate their technology stacks now?

In the current market, talent acquisition teams need to move faster than ever to identify and secure talent. The days of long recruitment processes, multiple interviews and multiple steps are over.

Candidates have so many opportunities facing them today…and it’s not just different employers. Think about the impact of virtual work. It used to be that companies simply competed with other organizations in their area, but now, they compete for top talent with companies across the globe.

Add that to that the fact that many employers are reporting a record numbers of job openings and they can’t ramp up their internal teams fast enough to keep up with the number of requisitions they’ve got to fill.  The right tools, and the right partner, can make the process easier and even provide them a competitive advantage.

Adding new technology to an established process can be scary. What advice do you have for talent leaders to help them gain buy-in in their organizations?

First off, I’d say, if there wasn’t any fear, I’d be surprised. It’s human nature. But that’s not a reason not to automate.

It starts with having a good, strong, proactive communication plan around the process—explaining what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. It should be transparent and easy to understand. The plan should clearly demonstrate the benefits for the team, and then, it’s important to gather feedback. There must be open lines of communication. It’s about letting people weigh in as you fine-tune the process. Finally, it’s great to recognize and celebrate the early adopters. We’ve seen a lot of success in highlighting the employees who engage and really embrace the change early on.

With internal buy-in, it’s tough, and you can’t underestimate the challenge. However, a good, solid plan executed by leadership goes a long way.

Are there any final thoughts you’d like to leave us with?

I want to put an exclamation point on something I said earlier about the importance of speed in the current talent market. I know the types of pressures that talent leaders are under right now. I don’t have a crystal ball to tell you how long it will last, but I can say that when you find the right partner, they can help you start this process in a way that feels manageable, and that can also help you prepare for whatever challenge lies ahead.

Employee Engagement at King’s College Hospital: Saying a Big “Thank You” to Nurses

Posted on by akessler
Employee Engagement at King’s College Hospital: Saying a Big "Thank You" to Nurses

Employee Engagement at King’s College Hospital: Saying a Big “Thank You” to Nurses

As one of the busiest NHS trusts in the UK, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust turned to PeopleScout for help with attracting nurses and other clinical professionals. Learn how we helped the Trust say a big “thank you” to their staff with a larger-than-life employee engagement campaign.

300 Pieces of Artwork
18 Installations Across 3 Sites
13,159 Thank-yous Sent to Staff

King’s College National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust is one of the busiest trusts in the UK, providing healthcare services for a population of over 1 million people. It supports numerous clinics and hospitals, including King’s College Hospital, a leading teaching hospital and trauma center serving several boroughs in southeast London. Their vision is to hire brilliant, diverse staff who provide outstanding care for their patients and continue to educate and innovate for the future of medicine.

The Challenge

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust came to PeopleScout with a challenge. They were, like many other healthcare organizations, struggling to recruit for clinical roles such as nursing.

To address this, our initial objective was to develop a “Why King’s” message for an employer brand campaign. But after conducting focus groups with employees, it became clear that, to fix the attraction issue, we needed to start with employee engagement.

Retention of staff wasn’t an issue—King’s was overarchingly seen as a place where, with the right motivation, employees could grow in their career. The problem was an overall feeling among staff that there was a lack of recognition and appreciation from senior leadership. While there was a great deal of pride and loyalty within teams, there was no strong sense of unity across the five sites within the Trust.

Before we could go out with an authentic employer brand message, we needed to show employees that they are valued, encourage staff recognition and galvanize the organization.

And we needed to do this on a big, Trust-wide scale.

The Strategy           

We designed an employee engagement campaign that would not only recognize employees, but would also be a big, bold, morale-boosting showcase of Kings’ values:

  • Always aiming higher
  • Working together
  • Inspiring confidence in our care

Little did we know just how important this message would become as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world. As the UK began clapping for the NHS in March 2020, we were designing a campaign that would greet the King’s staff on the frontlines and serve as a constant reminder of their incredible work, both before and throughout the pandemic.

This was so much more than an attraction campaign. It was our ‘Big Thank You’ to those who had sacrificed so much to keep us all safe.

Bringing It to Life

Six Days. 166 Participants.

As soon as lockdown restrictions lifted, we safely photographed and filmed people from across a range of clinical and non-clinical roles from all of King’s sites. Staff gave up valuable break time to take part in something that honored their colleagues as well as recognized their own contributions.

350 Thank-Yous

Using comments made about participating staff members by their colleagues, we created 350 thank-yous—for both individual participants and general messages to all staff.

300 Pieces of Artwork. 18 Installations Across Three Main Sites.

We used the secondary color palette from the NHS brand to create something that would stand out from the usual NHS blue to celebrate our King’s stars. With 300 pieces of eye-catching collateral in tow, we plastered our larger-than-life installations across three main sites, including a huge projection onto the outside of the hospital at their central location. Images went up on walls; inside and outside of buildings; on fence railings, stairs and windows.

Imagine the feeling: Arriving for another exhausting shift on the COVID frontlines to see an over 300-square-foot personalized message of gratitude to you, from your employer, projected on the outside of your workplace for all your colleagues and the local community to see.

That’s recognition on a big scale.

Not only did the installations delight staff, they also expressed the appreciation of King’s leadership and echoed the community’s warmth and gratitude for the Trust and the wider NHS.

Results

In times of unprecedented turmoil, unimaginable pressure and unbelievable sadness, this uplifting campaign created a feeling of belonging, camaraderie and engagement among staff. As COVID-19 raged, what had started as an idea to recognize and celebrate those who brought the King’s values to life, evolved to become a wider message for all, “Thank you to all of you, for everything—and whatever comes next, we’re all in this together.”

The campaign has been instrumental in building a sense of pride not just in individual teams, but in the Trust as a whole. We’ve helped create positive advocates who are proud to be Team King’s and who contribute to a culture of recognition and gratitude. As a result of this campaign:

  • There was a 50% increase in the number of recognitions made by staff to their colleagues following the campaign.
  • 13,159 thank-you letters and badges were sent out to all staff.

Their Chief Nurse is beyond thrilled with the results. Not only with the execution (which has also, on a practical level, brightened up some of the older hospital buildings), but with the impact she directly attributes to this campaign—renewed feelings of inclusion, recognition and engagement across the King’s staff.

“You’ve captured the people and heart of King’s and brought our values to life. The staff response to these images has been extraordinary and has created a real buy-in and the internal buzz that we were after.”

Nicola Ranger, Chief Nurse & Executive Director of Midwifery, King’s College Hospital

In addition to the employee engagement benefits, the Trust is leveraging the content in their on-going talent attraction and recruitment efforts via a custom careers portal and targeted recruitment marketing campaigns. We created a video for each person we interviewed to showcase King’s employer value proposition (EVP) and communicate the opportunities they offer.  

This feel-good, reputation-healing employee engagement project will have an impact on the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust workforce for years to come.

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    King’s College NHS Foundation Trust
  • INDUSTRY
    Healthcare
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Talent Advisory
  • ABOUT KINGS:
    King’s College NHS Foundation Trust provides healthcare services through numerous clinics and hospitals, including King’s College Hospital, a leading teaching hospital and trauma centre serving several boroughs in southeast London.
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A History of Progress: African Americans in the Workforce

Posted on by edyson

From the first African slaves brought to the shores of the American colonies in the 1600s to the present day, African Americans have an active and intricate role in the history of labor in the western hemisphere and beyond. African Americans have filled a wide range of roles vital in building and sustaining the nation’s economy, even in the face of racial discrimination and persistent challenges.

Yet African Americans have often found themselves availed with few economic and career resources of their own, historically restricted to lower-paying sectors of the economy. Moreover, despite improvements in workplace diversity, African Americans have faced a long history of workplace discrimination as employees and job seekers continue to face obstacles.

At PeopleScout, we are committed to providing you with information to help guide you on your DE&I journey. We aim to cover a wide range of DE&I topics, including issues regarding BIPOC, the LGBTQ+ community, gender gaps, people with disabilities and more. In this article, we cover the history and experiences of African American workers and offer advice and recommendations for employers looking to build more inclusive workplaces.

The Complex Legacy of Slavery and African American Labor

hiring discrimination

In the 17th century, to meet the expanded labor needs of the rapidly growing North American colonies, European colonists who depended primarily on indentured servants from Europe opted for a cheaper and more plentiful labor source, African slaves. 

Historians estimate that up to 12 million African slaves made the middle passage during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Following the Revolutionary War, the rural South’s demand for slave labor increased due to rising cotton production supplanting traditional cash crops like tobacco and sugar. The South’s demands for slave labor and growing calls for abolitionism in the Northern led to decades of political and social tension.

In 1861, the tensions between North and South erupted into civil war in America. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation made it official that enslaved “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” By freeing 4 million enslaved African Americans, the Emancipation Proclamation dealt a blow to the Confederate states’ labor force.

The Union’s victory in the Civil War granted 4 million African slaves’ freedom and in 1865, the 13th Amendment officially abolished slavery. Unfortunately, significant obstacles to full enfranchisement laid ahead during the Reconstruction era.

Racial Discrimination in the Workplace: The Emancipated Black Worker, Sharecropping and Black Codes

After the end of slavery, Southern legislators passed a series of laws also known “Black codes” intended to bar African Americans from skilled trades. While Northern states outlawed similar practices, white craftsmen resisted accepting Black workers into trade work. These restrictions on ex-slaves made them reliant on their former owners for work as landless sharecroppers.

employment discrimination

Sharecroppers exchanged their labor for tools, seeds, fertilizer, and access to land to harvest their crops. While having more independence than during slavery, sharecroppers paid substantial rent, interest and also turned over a large portion of the crop to their landlord.

To escape the the racial discrimination and oppression of the sharecropping systems and Jim Crow laws of the south, many black families migrated west and north in search of better-paying jobs in manufacturing and professional roles. However, many Black migrants were excluded from professional trades and manufacturing jobs, often confined to unskilled labor or domestic service.

A History of Progress in The Face of Racial Discrimination:

  • 1619 First African Slaves Brought to the New World: A Dutch ship brought 20 Africans ashore at the British colony of Jamestown. In the years to come, slavery spread quickly through the American colonies.
  • 1865 The Thirteenth Amendment Abolishes Slavery: The end to official slavery was perhaps the greatest labor victory in U.S. history, yet the struggle for equal rights was far from over.
  • 1866-1877 Reconstruction Era: During the Reconstruction era, the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments to the constitution ended slavery and granted citizenship to African Americans. Unfortunately, Reconstruction did not produce economic equality for millions of newly freed men and women.
  • 1881 Tuskegee Institute Founded: Booker T. Washington became the first principal of Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama, on July 4. Tuskegee became the leading vocational training institution for African Americans.
  • 1925 Pullman Company Porters form the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP): The first all-Black labor union in the U.S. formed in 1925 to address low wages, long hours and mistreatment from passengers. By 1935, the BSCP was the first African American union organization to be granted membership into the American Federation of Labor.
  • 1941 Black Activist Desegregate Defense Industry: In 1941, A. Philip Randolph, head of the BSCP along with other Black labor activist successfully leveraged their political organizing efforts to lobby President Franklin D. Roosevelt to end racial segregation in the defense industries.
  • 1961 Executive Order 10925 Establishes the EEOC: In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set forth Executive Order 10925, which established the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, or EEOC. Kennedy’s order not only made it unlawful for government contractors to discriminate, but also gave the EEOC the right to impose sanctions on any organization which violated the spirit of civil rights laws.
  • 1964 The Civil Rights Act of Outlaws Workplace Discrimination: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other major figures of the civil rights movement successfully petitioned for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The view of African American labor as first enslaved, then free, changed when the modern civil rights movement helped expand the scope of American democracy and the rights of all.

Racial Diversity and African Americans in the Modern Workforce

African Americans continue to face both explicit racial discrimination and more subtle forms of discrimination in the workplace. According to a survey conducted by Gallup, 72% of Black professionals have experienced racial discrimination in the workplace—a higher percentage than all other ethnic group surveyed.

Although companies claim they want to overcome these explicit and implicit biases and hire and promote diverse candidates, they rarely do so in effective ways. In this section, we outline ways in which employers can address racial inequality as well as better support and promote inclusion for their African American employees.  

African American or Black?

discrimination in the workplace

Racial identity can be very personal, and the language employers use to refer to a person’s race is a reflection of that. “Black” and “African American” are not always interchangeable. African American is typically used to refer to descendants of African who were enslaved. Some individuals prefer the term Black because they do not identify as African or because being Black about more than about race, it may also carry cultural meaning as well.

Moreover, some people identify as Black and African American and use the terms interchangeably for themselves, depending on the situation. Whether someone prefers “African American” or “Black” is very much up to the person, so it is always advisable to ask an individual which term they prefer.

Employee Resource Groups Can Help Support African American Employees

Being African American in the workplace can be emotionally taxing. Research by the University of Virginia shows that because Black employees feel a strong sense of difference between themselves and their mostly white peers, and as a result their ability to contribute is diminished. This sense of isolation can take a toll.

Creating employee resource groups (ERGs) is an approach you can use to build a more inclusive environment and addresses diversity and inclusion in a more holistic, community-based way.

The first employee resource groups were initially workplace affinity groups created in response to racial strife of the civil rights era. Joseph Wilson, the former CEO of Xerox, developed the concept following race riots in Rochester, NY in 1964.

ERGs can empower underrepresented groups by giving each group a voice to discuss issues with decision-makers and leadership. ERGs support learning and development by offering formal and informal leadership opportunities and creating visibility for employees who are active. ERG groups provide resources and guidance for cooperate leadership regarding diversity issues, community needs and policy.

Discrimination in the Workplace: Systemic Inequality and Corporate Culture

Often, Black employees report feeling less supported, engaged and dedicated to their employers than their non-Black coworkers. Many employers create diversity and inclusion programs to help improve the day-to-day experience of employees, however, many initiatives often fall short.

The problem?  Many DE&I programs tend to focus on helping employees from marginalized and underrepresented groups fit into the status-quo company culture and do not take enough action to remove systemic barriers to equality within their organizations. Organizations can start by leveraging data analytics to assess whether employees feel included on their teams and are treated equitably within the organization at large.

To collect diversity information on their workforce, employers should refer to EEO data collected for compliance obligations. Once the diversity data is collected, it should be compared to the data available on the labor market. Employers should look for gaps in diversity and then draft a plan to hire and retain more members of underrepresented groups.

Support African American Employees in Being Themselves

racial diversity

Members of underrepresented groups often feel pressure to conform, suppressing personal values and feel uncomfortable bringing their whole selves to work. This can lead to a particular struggle with feeling inauthentic at work. Research by McGill University shows that the pressure to create “facades of conformity” to fit in with the culture of their employer.

African American employees might straighten their hair or “finetune” their résumés by deleting ethnic-sounding names or companies. They might suppress emotions related to racism in the workplace and in the world at large.

Employers should assess how much of themselves their Black employees feel comfortable bringing to work. Here we outline a few ways leaders can encourage employees to bring their true selves to work:

  • Leaders should listen to everyone and incorporate the views of their diverse workforce to improve the exchange of ideas, perspectives and values.
  • Encourage Black employees to speak up for racial and cultural authenticity and to be seen as individuals who are unique for reasons other than their ethnicity.
  • Create mentoring opportunities to empower Black employees to share their true selves at work rather than learning to conform to cultural expectations.

Another challenge African Americans face in the workplace are the politics of respectability. Respectability politics refers to attempts by marginalized groups to control the behavior of their own members to show the groups social values align with mainstream values instead of challenging the status qou for its failure to accept difference. Respectability politics narrow the parameters of the Black experience, and can denying employees the opportunity to be their truest selves.

Sourcing African Americans Candidates

Recruiters may come with their own set of unconscious biases that may manifest as racial discrimination when hiring, hurting an organization’s efforts to source diverse candidates. Implementing technology into the recruitment process can help decrease the unconscious bias that may take place during recruiting.

For instance, if you find that there’s a large drop in minority candidates moving between the onsite interview and skills assessment, unconscious bias training may be in order. Follow your data closely so you can make more informed decisions and continue making progress on your organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. What’s more, you should also build a team of recruiters who hail from a wide range of backgrounds.

There are also websites and job boards such as Jopwell that allow recruiters to advertise open roles to a talent pool that is full of diverse candidates so you can source from a variety of different places. Don’t rely on the same sources over and over again when seeking out new candidates. Focusing on only the sources that you know best can result in a talent pool of similar candidates and a lack of diversity.

Moreover, employers who are intentional about increasing African American diversity should look to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who produce nearly 20% of all the African American college graduates.

Organizations can partner with these schools to find promising entry-level employees with not only the necessary skills and education, but also the drive to make an impact early in their career. With the rise and ease of virtual career fairs and other ways to engage job seekers, it’s easier than ever to access these highly desirable candidates.

What’s more, HBCUs provide to their students with career guidance and support to prepare them for the workforce, making these institutions an ideal place to recruit early talent. With an emphasis on mentorships, internships, and other ways to participate actively in the larger community, HBCUs prepare students for life outside the classroom while offering a safe, nurturing, and inspiring environment—a place to thrive.

How Employers Can Help Make Racial Discrimination in the Workplace a Thing of the Past

Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

Despite increasing corporate investment in DE&I efforts, African Americans continue to face major barriers to advancement in the workplace. Now more than ever before, organizations and society should strive to benefit from the experiences, knowledge, and skills of all, not just a few. Organizations that understand racial discrimination, the reality and history of the African American experience will be better able to embrace and champion policies and programs that help to level the playing field. This will be hard but rewarding work that helps not only African Americans, but also the entire workforce and society at large.