Supporting Service Members with Career Counseling for a Major Retail Chain
A major multinational retail chain partnered with PeopleScout to support its counseling program for transitioning members of the military, veterans, military spouses, and National Guard and Reserves who are looking to take the next step in their career.
Dedicated career coaches for all program participants
Customizable career paths for participants
Virtual intake meetings and ongoing calls
Situation
This retailer has partnered with PeopleScout since 2013 to support its veteran hiring initiatives. In 2013 when the program launched, veteran unemployment was higher than civilian unemployment. PeopleScout supported the client with direct placement, helping veterans honorably discharged on or after Memorial Day 2013 to find jobs at the retailer. The spouse component was added in 2018.
In 2019, while the veteran unemployment rate had dropped to just under 3%, the retailer was aware of the challenges that military service members were still facing when transitioning to civilian employment. The client wanted to reinvent the program to put an emphasis on career coaching and counseling for all service members to help them apply their leadership skills and teamwork experience to new careers.
Solution
The new program, which officially launched in May 2021, broadens the umbrella of the program to include veterans of any era and actively serving members of all branches of the military, military spouses, and National Guard and Reserves as well. It connects program participants to a plethora of resources from various organizations that have been vetted by the client.
When a new member registers for the program, PeopleScout assigns them a coach who helps facilitate the transition into civilian work. The PeopleScout coach schedules a virtual coaching session with the participant to perform an initial intake. This intake assesses skills, helps identify goals and determines the time commitment they can make to the program.
From there, participants confirm three paths: employment, education, or entrepreneurship.
EMPLOYMENT
PeopleScout career counselors help participants assess their strengths, build their resume and translate their military experience in a way that it applies to the civilian workplace. They also help service members and spouses find opportunities that match their career goals—whether that means employment with the retail client or another organization.
EDUCATION
PeopleScout coaches help participants get the educational foundation they need to reach their overall career goals.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
PeopleScout helps connect participants with the right resources to start their own businesses.
This emphasis on career counseling allows the participant to drive the program at their own pace and use their coach as much or as little as they like. Service members and spouses can take what they want from the program as they build their future.
Results
3,500+ registrants since program launch
At a Glance
COMPANY Multinational retailer
INDUSTRY Retail
PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Talent Advisory
ABOUT THE RETAILER This U.S.-based retailer operates in 24 countries with 2.3 million employees. The organization has a rich history of supporting and hiring veterans and their spouses.
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. This article is the next in our library of DE&I resources, and specifically focuses on the Hispanic and Latinx community.
In the U.S., National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15 to honor the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latinx Americans by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
And it’s no doubt their contributions have been great—especially in the workforce and to the economy. Consider the impact this group has had and will continue to have in the future:
Creators of Jobs Within the last decade, 86% of all new businesses in the U.S. have been launched by U.S. Latinos, with Latinas creating business six times faster than any other group.
Yet, organizations still lack Hispanic representation across all seniority levels. People of Hispanic or Latinx ethnicity make up 18% of the labor force but only 4.3% of executive positions in the U.S., making the gap between the labor force and executive representation wider among Hispanics than any other group.
So how can organizations do their part in closing this gap? Employers should make conscious efforts to attract and retain this diverse group of talent and provide them with opportunities for growth and development.
Understanding the Many Names of this Diverse Group
Before you can effectively attract candidates from Hispanic and Latinx backgrounds, it’s important to understand the terminology that identifies this unique group.
According to Pew Research Center, “the terms ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’ are pan-ethnic terms meant to describe—and summarize—the population of people living in the U.S. of that ethnic background.”
Some have drawn distinctions between the two terms, and their widely used definitions can be summarized as the following:
Hispanic: A person residing in the U.S. with descent from Spanish-speaking countries (this excludes Brazil, where Portuguese is the official language).
Latino: A person of Latin American descent residing in the U.S. (this includes Brazil but excludes Spain).
However, this group has mixed views on how they prefer to describe their identity, with over half describing themselves by their country of origin.
In recent years, a new term has emerged as an alternative to Hispanic and Latino: Latinx. The term is one of many in the global movement around gender-neutral language. Latinx serves as a gender-neutral alternative to Latino and Latina and aims to encompass Latin American and Hispanic people from all racial backgrounds while also including those who identify as transgender, queer, agender, non-binary, gender non-conforming or gender fluid.
According to trend data from Google, the term first appeared online in 2004, but didn’t begin to gain momentum and wider usage until 2014. Today, it sees use around the world, most often in the U.S.
And much like the terms ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’, surveys also reveal mixed feelings on ‘Latinx’ among the population it is meant to represent. Younger people, ages 18-29, are most likely to have heard of and use the term, while older people 65 and up are least likely. Specifically, use is the highest among young Hispanic women—14% say they use it, compared to the 1% of Hispanic men in the same age range. Here are other factors that impact how likely a U.S. Hispanic person is to have heard of Latinx and use the term:
Whether the term Latinx should be adopted as a pan-ethnic term for the U.S. Hispanic and Latino population is still up for debate, with one third of those who have heard the term believing it should be used more broadly, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
Like many scholars, journalists, activists and publications, PeopleScout will opt to use the term for the remainder of this article in an attempt to better include the many groups of people who make up the Latinx population.
Strategies to Recruit and Retain Hispanic and Latinx Candidates
If your organization is committed to improving its diversity, equity and inclusion practices, Latinx employees are a vital group to include in this initiative. Latinx individuals come from a wide variety of backgrounds, making the group extremely diverse in culture within itself. By including people from this group across your organization and in executive positions, your business will be better equipped to evolve and innovate as time goes on. Consider these strategies for recruiting and retaining Latinx candidates.
Recruit with Intention Employers need to be intentional in improving representation of Latinx employees in leadership and across the workforce. Make it a point to recruit from industries and universities that are highly diverse.
“If you do not have intentionality with diversity and inclusion, you have nothing.” – Cid Wilson, President and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (via Invariant)
Utilize Employee Testimonials Show candidates that your organization is home to diverse talent by showcasing those employees in your recruitment marketing tactics. You can share their experiences working for your organization through quotes, videos, personal stories or recruiting case studies. It is especially important to highlight diverse talent from all levels of your business.
Expand Your Search When possible, it can be beneficial to expand your talent search nationwide, or even internationally as your organization allows. With the immense rise in remote work since the onset of the pandemic, many Latinx candidates will be looking to organizations with remote and flexible work options as they make the next move in their careers. Or, if your business requires in-person work, a competitive offer might have that top talent considering relocating for the position.
Leverage Employee Networks Look to your existing Latinx employees, as well as all employees, for diverse referrals. In addition, you should seek input from these employees on how to attract candidates with similar backgrounds, as well as hear their ideas for organizational change and goals. In other words, empower them to have a voice.
Provide Mentorship Even if your organization is highly diverse, any member of a minority group might feel excluded at times. By providing opportunities for mentorship both with individuals of the same background as well as those with different backgrounds, employees will feel more included. Encourage mentors to help employees meet their professional goals so they can grow within the organization.
How to Support Your Hispanic and Latinx Employees
Recruiting Latinx employees is the first step in improving diversity in your organization. The next is focusing on ways to make those employees feel supported and included.
For example, at PeopleScout and the broader TrueBlue organization, we have the Hispanic Opportunity & Latin Awareness (HOLA) employee resource group to embrace and support our Latinx employees and associates within the communities we serve. HOLA aims to increase cultural competency and awareness around Latinx issues and concerns throughout TrueBlue, support TrueBlue’s efforts to attract and retain the best Latinx talent and provide the development and support necessary for Latinx employees to grow both personally and professionally.
Here are examples of other companies with impressive initiatives to support their Latinx employees:
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola’s “Hispanic Leadership Business Resource Group” offers its Hispanic and Latinx employees development, networking, community involvement opportunities and helps the company drive innovative business ideas. In 2017, the group had an idea for a Point-of-Sale Spanish Adaptation Tool which allowed bilingual employees to submit their interpretation of Coca-Cola taglines and phrases in different Spanish dialects to avoid the phrases losing their meaning through literal translations.
Furthermore, the company showed their commitment to Hispanic and Latinx employees when there was uncertainty about Dreamers in the U.S. by covering the $500 DACA renewal fees for employees in the program.
Ellucian Ellucian, a software and solutions development company for higher education, gave employees a sense of belonging by celebrating their heritage. The company planned volunteer events, office potlucks celebrating Latinx and Hispanic culture, highlights of influential Hispanic Americans, and an Instagram takeover for Latinx employees to share their experiences working at Ellucian. The first takeover on the company’s Instagram account came from the leader of ¡wepa!, the company’s Latinx ERG.
General Motors General Motors, a vehicle manufacturing company, supports Hispanic employees from the very beginning by specifically targeting professional Hispanic organizations and Hispanic Serving Institutions as part of their recruiting strategy. The company focuses on raising the number of Hispanic professionals in STEM through their recruiting efforts and by providing over $5 million in scholarships for Hispanic STEM students.
Leidos When the defense, aviation, IT, and biomedical research company discovered that the Hispanic and Latinx community was being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 nationwide, they made it their priority to help. Leido’s Latinx ERG partnered with the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs in Washington, D.C. and Neighborhood Health in Alexandria, VA to donate more than 6,000 face masks and 1,500 bottles of hand sanitizer to help combat the spread of COVID-19 within Latinx communities in those areas.
You can find more examples of companies who prioritize their Hispanic and Latinx employees here.
Hispanic and Latinx Inclusion in the New World of Work
The new world of work is not just about where and how work is done, but it’s about the people who are doing the work. It’s a candidate’s market, and people will choose employers who care about their employees as people. In order to be truly successful, organizations must fully understand their workforce, starting with their employees’ diverse backgrounds and identities.
By understanding your underrepresented groups of people, like Hispanic and Latinx employees, consciously recruiting them, celebrating their heritage and investing in their growth, we’ll work our way toward a workforce with equal representation and strong inclusion of diverse groups across industries and at all levels of seniority.
We all know that the past year has been tough – especially for women in the workforce. In fact, job losses have disproportionally affected women, who also typically handle the lion’s share of the work at home – which is multiplied once you add lockdowns and homeschooling into the mix. But, we also know that female leaders across the globe have a wealth of knowledge – lessons they’ve learned throughout their career and lessons they’re learning now, as well as advice for other women in the workforce.
That’s why we’re sharing the stories, experiences and advice of our diverse group of female leaders at PeopleScout: We reached out to women from all around the world and at all levels of the company – from our rising leaders to our most senior executives – about what it means to be a woman in leadership in 2021, how they got to where they are, and how to create work environments where even more women can succeed. Here are some of their thoughtful insights.
What does leadership mean?
ANDREA BROGGER chief people officer
TrueBlue, U.S.
“Leadership means flexibility and it means courage. A courageous leader knows when to step ahead and lead when no one else wants to, but they also know when to take a step back and encourage others to step forward and take over the lead. A resilient leader knows their own and their team’s strengths and weaknesses and knows when and where to tap into those as a project or situation changes. They know how to get back up and keep driving forward even when things don’t go as planned.”
CAROLINE SABETTI senior vice president, global marketing and communications
PeopleReady, PeopleScout, U.S.
“Two key leadership practices that I find helpful are maintaining a long-term perspective and seeing the opportunity in obstacles. We all naturally have self-doubts, particularly at times of change or when taking on a high-profile, challenging project. I have found that when you remain mindful of your past successes and remember the obstacles that you have already overcome, you can own the grit, tenacity and power that you possess. Tapping into that power, believing in it, and remembering that you can face more than you may feel in the moment is empowering. And when you maintain that confident and positive outlook and raise your hand to take on more when faced with change or challenge, the biggest opportunities often come your way.”
Any good leader is a lifelong learner taking in experiences, learning from mistakes and listening to mentors. So, what lessons shape our leaders?
ALLISON BRIGDEN interim head of business operations
PeopleScout, U.S.
“One of the lessons that has helped me in my career I learned at a very young age. I remember whenever I would mention something about my sister or brother to my parents, they would say, ‘You should focus on yourself in terms of what you need to do and what your goals and objectives are and not worry about what everyone else is doing.’ That advice has served me well in my career and focusing on what meaningful ways I can personally contribute to our mission and objectives. Everyone has a unique offering they bring that can contribute to the mission and objectives we have as an organization.”
SARAH LUNDGREN director of MSP
PeopleScout, Australia
“After 15 years, I’ve learned many lessons, but the most important to me is that opportunities don’t just happen; you need to create them. I’ve found that networking and building relationships before I needed them were so invaluable to my future opportunities. I also found that I wasn’t afraid to say when I didn’t know something. I was able to validate a time that would work for everyone to return an answer. This also tied back into an opportunity to leverage my network and relationships that I previously built and tap into their knowledge to help me solve what I was looking for.”
SHANNON BENNETT digital marketing manager
PeopleScout U.S.
“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned that has contributed to my success is a mindset of learning through obstacles. The hallmark of my career has been figuring out how to accomplish big goals with a very small team. It’s challenging. And, it really has resulted in so much confidence in my ability to grow. If I don’t know something, I learn it. If I don’t have someone to teach me, I find the right resources to teach myself.”
KATE DENNIS senior director, brand & creative
PeopleReady, PeopleScout & TrueBlue, U.S.
“Don’t be afraid to lean into responsibility and take on tasks or projects that might challenge you, even if they may not fall into your official job description. We, as humans, learn and grow through problem-solving, so we’re able to enrich our skillsets and feel accomplished when we overcome obstacles. By raising your hand often, your colleagues and leaders will learn that they can count on you. And, when you follow through on your promises to them, they learn that they can trust you.”
What advice do you have for the next generation of female leaders?
NUTAN PANDA senior director, global support
PeopleScout, India
“There is no secret to success. It is sheer hard work and investment of the most valuable resource that you have: Your time. I believe moving out of your comfort zone and overcoming your fears by first accepting and then solving for them helps you stand strong and move forward in your career. Get real and acknowledge that you may not be able to do everything on your own. Build your tribe by staying connected with people across functions and teams.”
“The best advice I can give – that I’ve also received – is to be vocal and speak up. Constantly communicate which opportunities and projects you would like to be involved with. Remember, your leaders are not mind-readers, so you need to be very vocal about career goals and the support you need from them so they can help and guide you.”
SARAH CANDELARIO senior director, marketing & communications
PeopleScout, U.S.
“I recommend finding either a mentor or a support structure, whether that’s within your family, with peers or even just friends you have in similar situations. Create a network where you can reach out; ask questions; get feedback and advice; and just talk through some of the issues that you might face being a leader or just being a woman in the workforce on a daily basis. This structure can be a place where you can communicate; talk about ideas and solutions; and get that reinforcement to help you be more confident in your day-to-day job and as a leader.”
Whether it’s family, a manager, a mentor or a friend, we all have at least one person who has contributed to our success. Who provides our female leaders with inspiration?
AISLING HOLLOWOOD delivery director
PeopleScout, UK
“When I was approached about applying for the maternity cover of my manager, I felt a little anxious and hesitant about stepping into that role and what that would mean. A client partner in the organization who’d been there for about 20 years gave me a call [and] told it to me straight. She said, ‘If you don’t go for this, you’ll end up training your manager and knowing that you could have done it better. What do you want to do?’ Sometimes, you need those people to give you a nudge in the right direction and really lay it out for you [in] black and white.”
KASIA FUCHS business support manager
PeopleScout, Poland
“During my career with PeopleScout, I’ve had the pleasure to meet many inspiring women whose passion, work, and impact have encouraged me to follow my career path and become empowered in my everyday work. These are women working on different seniority levels, having different experience, and coming from different cultures and backgrounds. The trust and the support within our current team of women is extremely important and makes me strong and confident.”
We all have a role in making the workplace a better and more equitable place for women and people of all backgrounds. So, how do we do that?
REBBIE HOWELL vice president, client delivery
PeopleScout, U.S.
“I think we underestimate the empathy and the personal aspect that women bring to work. A lot of times, it’s looking to be a leader that listens and understands what’s going on from a work/life balance perspective. Yes, I want to hear about your successes at work, but I also want to get to know you and what drives you outside of work. I would also say empower. It’s fostering an environment and empowering women within the organization to feel comfortable, to be authentic and to speak up. It’s giving a safe space to be able to come to work and do that.”
ANNA TURNER vice president of product
PeopleScout, U.S.
“One of the things we can do is being more thoughtful about the events we have and when they’re occurring. For example, with a team happy hour, one of the challenges is that evenings can be tough for women who have young kids. If you’re a leader thinking about setting up events to help build relationships, consider what might be possible during the workday to accommodate all team members. In addition, start paying attention to who is getting time to talk. The more we level the playing field and give everyone a voice, the better it is going to be for diverse perspectives to emerge.”
A leading manufacturer turned to PeopleScout for a unique, technology-powered candidate attraction campaign to increase women in their workforce.
A PeopleScout manufacturing client operates in an industry that has historically been male-dominated, but the client wants to change that perception. The manufacturer partnered with PeopleScout with the goal of increasing the number of female applicants and hires.
PeopleScout worked with the client to develop the Women in Manufacturing campaign. PeopleScout interviewed nearly 20 women who work in roles across the company and who love their jobs. Using this information, PeopleScout built out candidate personas to target women interested in the industry, and created a campaign featuring real women who work for the client.
Using Affinix®, we built a dedicated landing page and talent community for female candidates. On International Women’s Day, the four-week campaign, Women in Manufacturing, launched to showcase the woman-friendly, inclusive culture at the company. The campaign features employee spotlights, videos and stories to showcase how women are integrated into the culture of the company and integral to the company’s success.
The campaign features profiles of women who work in a range of manufacturing positions.
Employee profiles feature advice and insights for female job candidates.
The customized, targeted landing page was created with Affinix.
The campaign is featured on the company’s social media accounts.
“To make a lasting change, you need to consider both your stakeholders and the sustainability of your effort. Throughout the process of brainstorming, designing, and executing our Women in Manufacturing recruiting campaign, the team has balanced the technological, brand consistency, and tactical challenges to produce a thoughtful program of materials to support us. Through rapid, data-based decision making, they have quickly adapted to the fluid needs on an ongoing end-to-end recruiting campaign.”
– Matt W.
Director – HR Strategy, Analytics, & Talent Acquisition
We all know that the past year has been tough, and it’s been especially tough for women in the workforce. Job losses have disproportionally impacted women, and women typically handle the lion’s share of the work at home – something that gets multiplied once you add lockdowns and homeschooling into the mix.
But we also know that female leaders across the globe have a wealth of knowledge – lessons they learned throughout their career, lessons they’re learning now and advice for other women in the workforce.
We reached out to our diverse group of female leaders at PeopleScout. We heard from women from all around the world and at all levels of the company – from executive leaders to team leaders and managers – about what it means to be a woman in leadership in 2021, how they got there and how to create work environments where even more women can succeed.
You’ll hear a lot of voices in this episode and a variety of perspectives. But the one thing that ties them together is leadership.
Australian employers are investing in creating more diverse workforce.
In this on-demand webinar, Jane Royle, Head of Resourcing at Lendlease, will share practical tips to help you increase your presence within the First Nations community, become an employer of choice and create career pathways for the First Nations people.
Diversity, inclusion and equity are top of mind for many talent leaders and professionals. While much progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. Women and people of color are underrepresented in leadership positions, certain job categories, and entire industries. The wage gap is narrowing, but is not expected to close for quite some time. And for many, persistent injustices and systematic issues impact their lives far beyond the workplace.
Every employer has a responsibility to do their part to right these wrongs, and there is certainly no shortage of actions that could be taken right now to make an impact. We can start by building a more diverse talent pipeline that will feed into our workforce and provide more opportunities for people from underrepresented groups.
Many companies in several different industries still struggle to source diverse talent. One problem that persists is the lack of diverse professionals in the talent pipeline. Many fields suffer from their own version of the pipeline problem that has plagued the tech industry. A workforce that is diverse is more creative and innovative, research suggests.
Companies without a diverse pipeline will continue to hire the same groups of people, which will inhibit growth, progression and their competitive advantage. Being able to diagnose some of the causes of this problem can help organizations overcome this issue to create a more diverse workplace. What’s more, having a diverse set of employees can also attract a wider or untapped customer base, making your organization more profitable. In this article, we will cover strategies and best practices for sourcing diverse candidates.
Start with a Diversity Sourcing Audit
With any process or procedural changes, you need a sound business case for changing your approach. That is why it is always worth looking at your organization as a whole (job functions, processes, departments, markets) to find concrete ways in which bringing on board a more diverse workforce is likely to make a positive impact.
A diversity sourcing audit can help you in the following ways:
It informs which areas to prioritize. You have a general goal of diversifying your workforce across the board. Yet at the same time, you’ve identified that more diversity could be especially welcome in your customer service and marketing departments. Over in your technical department meanwhile, you are struggling to find suitably skilled people to fill key roles. These departments might be prime areas to focus your efforts.
It avoids you adopting a “quotas for quotas sake” approach. If you focus on how and why greater diversity in your workforce might benefit your business, it becomes possible to go about it in a way that benefits everyone.
It makes it easier to achieve buy-in. Establishing a strong organization-specific case for greater workplace diversity makes it more likely that key players within the organization (the board, departmental heads, all those involved in the selection and interviewing process) will take it seriously.
Diversity Sourcing and Institutions
Often, when organization’s begin a diversity sourcing program the easiest thing for many organizations is to source talent from local colleges and universities. While this strategy could save time, money and resources, it may result in a homogenous group of candidates in the talent pool. Expanding the search to more diverse colleges and universities can expand and widen the pool and increase the likelihood of finding candidates with a skill set that matches the open positions that must be filled.
Employee Referrals Are Key in Recruiting Diverse Candidates
Enlisting your employees through an employee referral program is a great way to source diverse talent. If you notice a lack of underrepresented groups in your talent pipeline, seek assistance from your diverse employees. For example, a woman in the STEM space is likely to know other women in STEM, and may also help your recruiters gain inroads into professional organizations representing women in STEM.
Employee referrals can also help lower your recruitment costs and may increase employee engagement. Because it’s so easy for an employee referral system to lead to preferential treatment and unconscious bias, particular attention and emphasis should be placed on identifying individuals from underrepresented groups.
Recruiters, Sourcing Tools and Hiring for Diversity
For instance, if you find that there’s a large drop in minority candidates moving between the onsite interview and skill 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.
Once you have a slate of diverse candidates, it is time to restructure your candidate engagement strategies to make them more diversity-friendly. With diverse candidates, you want to ensure that you can strike a chord that resonates with them by sending highly personalized and creative messages.
When looking for candidates, try to dig deep into their experience and their interests instead of just skimming through it. Looking for recognizable names of schools and companies won’t help you learn more about each individual candidate. You are looking for what they have done, not where they have done it.
You want to start looking through the different projects that they might have owned or contributed to, or the various levels of responsibility that they have in their current role. Remember, tenure does not always equate to impact. Also, don’t forget other clues beyond their resume. Dig into the different areas of the business they might have impacted through their organization’s social media or blog presence.
Recruiting technology tools like PeopleScout’s Affinix, allow you to build automated workflows so that your candidates receive scheduled messages from members of your recruiting team, sharing more information about your opportunity.
What’s more, Diversity and inclusion programs provide companies with the opportunity to tap into the strengths of their workforce. According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, 67% of job seekers said a diverse workforce is important when considering job offers and 57% of employees think their companies should be more diverse. This means that companies that implement a diversity and inclusion program are more likely to attract top talent.
Conclusion
Diversifying your pipeline is not an easy feat, but by taking actionable steps, you can fill your candidate pipeline is with diverse candidates. By setting measurable milestones on your sourcing initiatives, you will ensure that you are progressing forward, and if you’re not, you can easily recognize it and adjust your strategies.
Sourcing a diverse slate of candidates is only one part of building a more diverse and inclusive workplace. You must be intentional in your efforts to evaluate candidates fairly, so you are not unintentionally weeding out great talent at each stage of the pipeline. It can be helpful to leverage sourcing tools to track conversion rates between these stages to understand where you should focus your attention.
As more people across the U.S. began to recognize the systemic racism that many Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) were already facing, the injustices became a catalyst that sparked conversations around the world. Meanwhile, many organizations have heard the call to action and want to do their part in showing support to their BIPOC employees. So, how can organizations help drive effective change around race in the workplace? Simple: Encourage employees to partake in open, honest and respectful dialogue with their colleagues.
Well, maybe not so simple. While now is not the time to be silent, it’s also not the time to have unchecked and uninformed discourse on such a sensitive topic. So, to ensure everyone involved feels respected, heard and understood, organizations should create safe spaces where employees can listen, learn and have important dialogues with their coworkers, leaders and team members.
Engaging employees in conversations regarding race in the workplace can be challenging; while some people might feel hesitant to speak on a topic they may not know much about, others might be reluctant to share the injustices they’ve experienced firsthand. That’s why we put together these tips for how to effectively reflect on racism through open dialogue; we encourage you to share them with employees across your organization.
Before You Talk
Take Ownership
The first step in fixing the problem is acknowledging that there is one – and that you might be contributing to it. Recognize the implicit biases that contribute to racism and consider how you can unlearn them. As you learn, grow and begin your work toward becoming a better ally, leverage resources that can help guide you along the way.
Educate Yourself
Understand that educating yourself is no one’s responsibility but your own. Likewise, before opening the dialogue with your BIPOC colleagues, it’s important to have some background knowledge on the issue. For instance, avoid putting your BIPOC colleagues in a position in which they feel as though they are the “teachers” on racial disparities; instead, be proactive in your own learning about diversity, inclusion and social injustices. Coming to the conversation with a basic understanding of the detrimental effect of the racial inequalities that BIPOC face will benefit you, your BIPOC peers and the effectiveness of the discussion as a whole.
If discussing race in the workplace is new for your organization, it may be helpful to host conversations in a moderated environment. Bringing in speakers with a background in racial justice work or designating a moderator to lead the discussion will alleviate any pressure your employees may feel about jumping straight to a one-on-one conversation. During a moderated dialogue, encourage your employees to:
Acknowledge Vulnerability
Conversations around race in the workplace are difficult. To acknowledge the difficulty and vulnerability required for a discussion on such a sensitive topic, it can be helpful to validate what one another is feeling – whether it’s grief, anger, confusion, discomfort or otherwise. At the same time, each person should acknowledge that while they are experts on their own individual experiences, no one has all the answers, and that’s okay. The purpose of these conversations is to continuously learn and grow.
Step Up by Stepping Back
With Black professionals holding just 3.3% of all executive or senior leadership roles in 2018, it’s not surprising that non-BIPOC professionals have dominated conversations in the workplace. Therefore, it’s important to take care not to overpower the discussion. Instead, be purposeful in allowing the voices of your BIPOC colleagues to shine. Then, you can learn about their experiences and build a better understanding of their perspectives.
Engage Thoughtfully
As you work to understand one another’s viewpoints, don’t be afraid to ask genuine questions. By asking questions respectfully and with an open mind, you’ll allow your BIPOC peers to answer without fear of being judged. In particular, word your curiosities with compassion so that the other party doesn’t feel defensive or uncomfortable when sharing their experiences. Creating a safe space like this will form a strong sense of trust and respect that will go both ways.
Beyond the Conversation
Continue to Check in
Make a habit of checking in with your colleagues regularly to continue the important conversations around race. As a manager, remember to ask about the professional goals of your employees and how you can help them work toward accomplishing them. Similarly, as a peer, help amplify your colleagues’ successes – as well as the injustices they’ve faced – and always keep in mind how you can provide BIPOC peers with opportunities, resources and support.
In addition, check in with yourself. Know that there’s always more to learn and more that can be done. While this guide serves as a starting point for the important conversations that need to be had across organizations, it is by no means exhaustive. Therefore, continue to look for ways to educate yourself, learn from others and be part of the change toward equality for all.
Starting the conversation around race in the workplace can be challenging and it’s important to practice cultural sensitivity as you begin discussions. It’s also essential to remember that, even in designated group or one-on-one conversations about race, not everyone will feel comfortable answering certain questions. So, make sure you give your peers a chance to come to you willing to talk – and don’t be offended if they’re hesitant. Here are some open-ended questions that respectfully inquire about cultural differences to help get you started:
What’s your favorite part about your racial or ethnic identity?
Would you mind explaining a little more about why you feel that way? I’ve never thought about it that way before.
How often do you think about your racial or ethnic identity?
Have you ever felt you were treated unfairly because of your racial or ethnic identity? How so?
How has your racial or ethnic identity affected your personal life? What about your professional life?
Can you recall a positive experience around your racial or ethnic identity? A negative one?
Do you find value in forming relationships with people of different racial or ethnic identities? What can you learn from one another?
Have you ever felt left out of groups with people of different racial or ethnic identities than your own? How did this affect you? What could someone have done to make you feel included?
What aspect of your racial or ethnic identity makes you most proud?
A Dynamic IT Recruiting Solution to Support Growth and Improve Candidate Experience
PeopleScout partnered with this healthcare revenue and payment cycle management company to provide RPO recruiting solutions for niche IT roles.
3,000+Annual Hire in IT Roles
40%Reduction in Time-to-Hire
Tech-Enhanced Candidate Experience Powered by Affinix®
A healthcare revenue and payment cycle management company needed an RPO partner to support the rapid growth that occurred when it acquired a healthcare IT business. Healthcare IT is a niche field with a limited number of candidates and many hard-to-fill positions. To meet its new workforce demands, the client engaged PeopleScout to implement a full-cycle RPO program for both exempt and non-exempt hiring. In addition, they partnered with PeopleScout to provide additional support to their internal talent acquisition teams in areas where hiring volume increased through our Recruiter On-Demand (ROD) solution.
Situation
The client requires a scalable RPO solution that is flexible enough to navigate hiring spikes throughout the year and to access talent in the niche healthcare IT field. PeopleScout’s RPO program spans high-level technology roles as well as HR, finance, marketing, sales, legal, customer service and sourcing for executive-level candidates. Due to COVID-19, the client also required a new digital interviewing platform to create a consistent experience for candidates as they move through the hiring process.
Solution
Solution Highlights
Full-Cycle, Exempt and Non-Exempt Hiring
3,000+ Annual Hires
Recruitment of Hard-to-Fill Roles
Dedicated Veteran Hiring Resources
Tech-Enhanced Candidate Experience Powered by Affinix®
SOURCING FOR LEADERSHIP ROLES
The client leverages PeopleScout’s experience and expertise to source executive-level candidates to fill key leadership roles.
SOURCING FOR NICHE ROLES
PeopleScout’s expert recruiters work with the client to identify qualified candidates in the competitive healthcare technology talent landscape.
EMPLOYER BRANDING
PeopleScout’s RPO teams consult with the client to craft precise employer branding messaging and a social media strategy to attract talent for hard-to-fill open positions.
ATS IMPLEMENTATION
PeopleScout assisted the client in the implementation of a single ATS platform to decrease redundancy and recruiting errors and create a pipeline of better-quality candidates.
IMPROVED CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE
PeopleScout implemented Affinix digital interviewing technology to ensure a consistent experience for candidates as they move through the hiring process.
EMBEDDED RECRUITMENT SUPPORT
PeopleScout recruiters are embedded within the client’s organization and work with their internal teams to navigate sourcing, screening and hiring challenges to improve talent acquisition outcomes for all positions in scope.
DIVERSITY & VETERAN HIRING
To support the client’s commitment to diversity and veteran recruiting, PeopleScout has a specialized focus and dedicated resources in this area.
IMPROVED METRICS
PeopleScout’s RPO team provides the client’s leadership with full transparency by monitoring and reporting on metrics important to them including time-to-fill, candidate quality and the speed of the recruiting program.
Results
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
PeopleScout has improved the client’s recruitment performance by merging people, process and technology to enhance the experience with the recruitment process for candidates, recruiters and hiring managers. Average days to offer accept dropped from 62 days to 37 days for exempt positions, and from 40 days to 22 days for non-exempt, below the client’s target goal of 50 and 40, respectively.
INSIGHTS & EXPERTISE
The client values the input and insights provided by PeopleScout’s experienced RPO team and their ability to quickly source and hire candidates for hard-to-fill positions.
ACQUISITION SUPPORT
The client has successfully navigated the challenges presented by its acquisition of the previous client’s healthcare IT business with the support of PeopleScout talent acquisition professionals.
EXPANDED TALENT POOL
PeopleScout’s RPO solution has expanded the client’s talent pool and now sources veteran and diverse candidates more efficiently.
At a Glance
COMPANY Healthcare revenue and payment cycle management company
INDUSTRY Healthcare Technology
PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Affinix
Diversity, equity and inclusion have long been a key point of discussion in many organizations’ human resources departments. While the topic has always been top of mind, events in 2020 have shined new light and emphasis on the importance of social justice, anti-discrimination and diversity and inclusion.
Why is Inclusion Important?
However, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Diversity & Inclusion Survey, two-thirds of respondents indicated their organizations have not adopted practices to reduce unconscious biases and other barriers to inclusion. Moreover, even among organizations that have adopted such practices, employees are not likely to be aware of the efforts. This illustrates theimportance ofinclusion in the workplace for candidates.
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. Employee resource groups, also known as affinity groups, have emerged in the workplace as a standard component of diversity and inclusion initiatives. In fact. according to a report from Bentley University, nearly 90% of all Fortune 500 companies have ERGs.
For many organizations, the benefits of employee resource groups have evolved from the primary intent — to provide a forum in which members of an organization who share common interests, issues, or concerns meet to address those issues — to multifaceted benefits that impact an organization’s strategic diversity and inclusion efforts in recruitment, retention, mentoring, leadership development, marketing, customer relations and return on investment.
What is an Employee Resource Group?
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. Wilson and his African-American employees designed and launched the National Black Employees Caucus in 1970 to address racial tension and the issue of workplace discrimination.
Modern ERG programs are the enduring legacy of Mr. Wilson and his colleagues’ courageous efforts. In its most basic form, an ERG is an employee identity or experience-based group that helps employees within an organization build community and share a common cause.
ERGs are generally based on building or strengthening community, providing support and contributing to personal and professional development in the workplace. Most ERGs are volunteer based, though some companies support organizers with a percentage of paid time off or other recognition, including leadership development opportunities.
What is the Purpose of an ERG Program?
While each ERG must define its purpose and goal, common ERG drivers are:
An ERG program creates an open forum for employees who share a common identity to meet and support one another in building their community and sense of belonging.
ERG programs empower these groups by offering them financial support, organizational support and access to decision-makers.
ERG programs facilitate a clear line of communication from ERGs to leadership to voice concerns and solve problems.
ERGs provide a resource for leadership regarding employee and community issues, needs and policies.
ERG programs seek to advance a respectful and inclusive company culture and reinforce the importance of inclusion.
What Does an ERG Look Like?
ERGs come in a variety of forms, with some of the more popular ones taking the shape of:
Diversity groups that foster a sense of belonging among employees that belong to a minority group in the organization
Volunteer programs where employees can support charities and other volunteer initiatives
Affinity clubs where employees with similar interests get an opportunity to socialize
Professional development groups that provide employees the opportunity to share knowledge with their peers from other departments
The Value of Employee Resource Groups and Why is Inclusion Important
ERGs deliver value to organizations and their workforces in multiple ways. They build a sense of community and belonging for employees by connecting people in a social and professional way and encouraging interaction between employees.
ERGs empower employees by giving each group a collective voice to speak with decision-makers and management. Groups are also empowered to assemble and voice concerns as a community. ERGs support learning and development by offering formal and informal leadership opportunities and creating visibility for employees who are active.
ERGs also provide a resource for leadership and decision-makers regarding staff/community issues, needs and policies. And ERGs offer to the company their expertise and experiences to improve equality and equity. They can also be an asset in business decisions to make better, more inclusive products and services.
Lastly, ERGs can also support retention because employees are likely to stay with the company longer if they have built or are part of a strong community within the company and feel heard again, this is why why is inclusion important.
Creating an Employee Resource Group
If you or other employees within your organization would like to start an ERG, it can be difficult to know where to start. Below, we outline the steps to get your ERG off the ground.
Align Your ERG with your Organization’s Broader Objectives
For your ERG to be successful, your purpose should be tied to your organization’s overall mission and values. Is your organization focused on giving back to your community? Or is your goal to build a more diverse workforce?
Choose a topic around diversity and inclusion for your employee resource group that aligns with overall company goals. Think about writing a mission statement for your ERG that touches on your organization’s core values. Showing how your ERG advances the overall organizational strategy will help earn support from other areas of the organization.
Secure Executive Support
Executive support for your ERG is essential for continued success. To gain buy-in, find executive or C-suite sponsors who are personally committed to diversity and inclusion or social impact initiatives. Executives are busy and oftentimes metrics focused, so it may be helpful to come with talking points and data that showcase how an ERG will make a positive impact on your organization.
Make sure HR leaders are invested as well, as you will need their support to share ERGs during the new hire onboarding process and in promotional materials for the ERG.
Building Your ERG Team
Before launching the ERG, establish a communication plan and identify benchmarks for success, including long-term goals and potential challenges. Recruit colleagues willing to take on a leadership role, such as committing to a monthly meeting or making time to plan and execute events.
Then, find other like-minded coworkers who are passionate about supporting your ERG. It’s just as important to have members who are willing to participate and spread the word as it is to have leaders and planners.
Deploying Your ERG Program
A strong communications plan is a major component of an employee resource group’s success strategy. You can begin by creating a simple presentation that outlines the ERG’s goals, events and ideas for participation. You can leverage your organization’s marketing team to use your organization’s brand standards to create a logo for the ERG that ties it directly to the organization. This is an effective way to clearly communicate that your ERG is supported by leadership and is an important initiative.
Equipped with your members and materials, generate excitement for the ERG by hosting a company event. Throwing a happy hour — virtually now, because of COVID-19 — is a great way to introduce your ERG’s mission, lay out future events and recruit attendees to grow your group’s core membership.
How Your Organization Can Support Your Employee Resource Group
Your organization can support your employee resource groups in a variety of ways. Your ERG may receive budget and organizational support. However, your organization should not dictate which groups should form, who should join each group or what impact the groups should have. That should be a decision of the group, but it’s important for the organization to provide tools to work towards and measure that success.
This could include charter documentation, purpose workshop, road-mapping templates and exercises, budget tracking tools, support in setting and tracking OKRs, a platform for communication with their group and potential members, visibility within the organization and meetings with senior leadership.
Conclusion
A sense of belonging and inclusion in the workplace is important in order to empower employees and help them bring their whole self to work. Building a strong network or community is a very important step in creating this sense of belonging.
In order to truly empower and support ERGs, it’s important to give the employee resource groups the autonomy to define the scope of their group, to define membership eligibility and most importantly, to define what success means to them.
