Category: Employee Engagement

Building a Tech-Enabled Internal Mobility Platform for a Government Agency

Posted on by jpatel
Building a Tech-Enabled Internal Mobility Platform for a Government Agency

Government Talent Solutions

Building a Tech-Enabled Internal Mobility Platform for a Government Agency

This government agency in Australia partnered with PeopleScout to develop and launch a technology platform that facilitates internal mobility for government workers.

Employees manage their profiles showcasing employee demographics, education, work history, skills and competencies 
Employees manage their profiles showcasing employee demographics, education, work history, skills and competencies 
AI technology matches candidates to open opportunities across the government and provides alerts to candidates on open job opportunities
AI technology matches candidates to open opportunities across the government and provides alerts to candidates on open job opportunities
Employee engagement increased, while the use of expensive contingent labor resources went down 
Employee engagement increased, while the use of expensive contingent labor resources went down 

Situation  

As a result of COVID-19, the client was operating with a lean workforce and limited resources. They required a solution that allowed them to leverage the skills and competencies of their existing workforce so they could save the time, cost and resources it takes to access the external candidate market. 

They partnered with PeopleScout to develop and launch a platform which facilitates internal mobility for workers who are potentially impacted by the economic downturn due to COVID-19 or looking to move within their department or other government agencies. This allowed the client to engage their workforce through enhanced workforce mobility, skills development and career opportunities within the department and across the government. 

Solution

PeopleScout created an internal mobility platform using our proprietary talent technology, Affinix™, to give the client insight into the scope and experience of their internal talent. By utilizing candidate profiles, hiring managers are not only able to see employee demographics, education and work history, but also specific skills and competencies.  

When an employee creates their profile, they have the opportunity to rate their own competencies and leaders within the organization can rate and leave comments about their performance as well. This gives recruiters a strong sense of what other positions may be a good fit for internal employees, based on hard and soft skills—such as strong cross-functional collaboration abilities. 

PeopleScout’s Affinix Internal Mobility platform gives the client a holistic view of candidates, and when a requisition is posted within the platform, Affinix automatically looks for employees who may be a good fit and proactively recommends candidates based on their profile. 

At a Glance

  • COMPANY
    Australian government agency
  • INDUSTRY
    Government & Public Sector
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS
    Affinix
Let’s Connect

Addressing Mental Health in the Workplace

Posted on by jpatel

While mental health in the workplace has become a hot topic in recent years, there’s no doubt some stigma still exists around discussing mental health in a professional setting. That said, with the ongoing effects of the pandemic, increased remote and flexible work arrangements, and a global blurring of lines between what constitutes home and work life, addressing mental health in the workplace has shifted from a question of “if” to “how.” 

According to a report by Oracle, 76% of workers believe their company should be doing more to support the mental health of their workforce. However, while many organizations want to help employees constructively address mental health in the workplace, they often don’t know where to start. 

Statistics on mental health in the workplace

In this article, we share tips for creating a healthy work culture, highlight warning signs to look for in employees who may be dealing with underlying mental health conditions and outline some helpful coping mechanisms. In addition, we provide resources that can be shared with employees to aid them as they continue to deal with mental stressors.

Set Guidelines to Enable Healthy Work Culture 

With the rapid increase in flexible work arrangements, home and work life have seemingly blended into one, and it can be easy to forget the line where the workday ends and personal life begins. With so many employees working from home, organizations have seen an increase in worker burnout, leading to lower productivity and reduced overall satisfaction with work. So, how can leaders prevent burnout and keep employee morale high?  

  • Practice self-care: By taking much-needed time to manage stress, leaders will be setting a strong example for employees, leading to improved working conditions overall. Encourage your team to take plenty of breaks, eat regularly, meditate or pursue other activities they enjoy. 
  • Consider tone: A kind tone in an email or message can go a long way during a time of uncertainty and doubt. Without it, employees may feel discouraged to reach out when they need help.  
  • Communicate often: Meet with your employees regularly to check-in not only on work, but on how they are doing in general. Simply asking an employee if there’s anything they need can be extremely impactful in showing you care, especially for employees who are more hesitant to ask for help. 
  • Remain flexible: Remember that employees are dealing with a variety of stressors outside the bounds of work. If certain deadlines are flexible, that can be a huge relief on an employee who may be working through external factors that are taking a toll on their mental health. 
  • Prioritize work-life balance: Set up a designated work area away from the place you spend your downtime, set boundaries and a time you log off work for the day. Being a model for healthy work-life balance and encouraging employees to do the same is an important way to combat burnout.  

Encourage Team Support 

An important part of a healthy work culture is a team that supports one another. In a time where many employees are feeling overwhelmed about the same daily stressors, working together as a team to destress can prove helpful. As a leader, you can encourage teams to participate in group exercises to reduce stress. Forbes offers some suggested activities for remote teams, including group wellness programs, goal setting sessions and “Mindful Mondays.” 

Additionally, to help people feel connected when physically distanced by virtual or remote work, leaders can organize team-building activities and opportunities for virtual socialization, such as: 

  • Interest clubs 
  • Informal message boards 
  • Trivia/game night 
  • Virtual happy hour 
  • Sharing a prompt of the day 
  • Video show and tell 
  • Book clubs 
  • And more! 

Know the Signs of Mental Health Struggles 

how to improve mental health in the workplace

Even with a sound work culture in place, some employees will still struggle with underlying mental health conditions. So, how can employees, coworkers and leaders recognize the warning signs? When should employees ask for help? When should leaders offer support? Consider these assessments to take an account of current mental health states—for yourself and your colleagues. 

Mental Health Assessment 

If you notice some of the following warning signs in an employee or coworker, you may want to reach out and start a conversation on their mental health.  

  • Work Habits: Have you noticed a sudden change in an employee’s work habits? Poor productivity, minimal motivation and trouble concentrating can often be the result of a mental health concern.  
  • Overall Demeanor: If you notice a dramatic change in an employee’s personality, such as sudden irritability, nervousness, restlessness or other unusual behavior, this could be a sign they are struggling with their mental health. 
  • Increased Absenteeism: Is an employee frequently missing meetings, calling in sick or starting work late when they typically always start on time? Excessive fatigue, physical aches and overall lethargy could be associated with depression and anxiety.  
  • Sudden Outbursts: Employees who seem unable to control their emotions, leading to mood swings, outbursts and disruptive behavior, may be experiencing mental health concerns.  
  • Social Withdrawal: If an employee seems unwilling to communicate with others, avoids social interaction with other team members and purposely imposes self-isolation, this could indicate an underlying mental health concern. 

Employee Self-Assessment 

If an employee is experiencing several mental illness warning signs at one time, they may want to reach out to a manager or mental health professional for help. Here is a list of common signs and symptoms from the American Psychiatric Association that you can share with your employees: 

  • Sleep or appetite changes: Dramatic sleep and appetite changes or decline in personal care 
  • Mood changes: Rapid or dramatic shifts in emotions or depressed feelings 
  • Withdrawal: Recent social withdrawal and loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed 
  • Drop in functioning: An unusual drop in functioning, at school, work or social activities, such as quitting sports, failing in school or difficulty performing familiar tasks 
  • Problems thinking: Problems with concentration, memory or logical thought and speech that are hard to explain 
  • Increased sensitivity: Heightened sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells or touch; avoidance of over-stimulating situations 
  • Apathy: Loss of initiative or desire to participate in any activity 
  • Feeling disconnected: A vague feeling of being disconnected from oneself or one’s surroundings; a sense of unreality 
  • Illogical thinking: Unusual or exaggerated beliefs about personal powers to understand meanings or influence events; illogical or “magical” thinking typical of childhood in an adult 
  • Nervousness: Fear or suspiciousness of others or a strong nervous feeling 
  • Unusual behavior: Odd, uncharacteristic, peculiar behavior 

Practice Healthy Coping Techniques 

After noticing an employee may be experiencing some warning signs of a mental health issue, or after an employee approaches you for help regarding their mental health, you’ll want to approach the subject with care. Most importantly, show empathy when having conversations around mental health in the workplace. Your employee is likely feeling overwhelmed and maybe a little anxious talking in a professional setting about such a personal topic. It’s important that your employee feels comfortable sharing what they’re feeling and that you reassure them you are willing to listen and help with no fear of judgement or risk of a negative impact on their professional reputation. 

Depending on the severity of the situation, you may recommend your employee see a mental health professional to talk further about their condition. However, as a starting point, you can suggest healthy coping techniques for some common mental health concerns: 

Stress

Stress is a normal biological reaction to a potentially dangerous situation. When you encounter sudden stress, your brain floods your body with chemicals and hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Typically, after the response occurs, your body should relax. However, too much constant stress can have negative effects on your long-term health. (Healthline) 

Coping with Stress: 

  • Emphasize work-life balance 
  • Exercise regularly 
  • Eat well  
  • Make time for hobbies 
  • Connect with a support system 
  • Meditate or practice yoga 
  • Get enough sleep 
  • Spend time with a pet/loved one 

Anxiety

Anxiety refers to anticipation of a future concern and is associated with muscle tension and avoidance behavior. Anxiety disorders can cause people to try to avoid situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms. Job performance and personal relationships can be affected. (American Psychiatric Association)

Coping with Anxiety: 

  • Practice focused deep breathing 
  • Aromatherapy 
  • Take a walk 
  • Meditate or practice yoga 
  • Write down thoughts 
  • Identify triggers 

Depression

Depression negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home. (American Psychiatric Association)

Coping with Depression: 

  • Stay connected with others 
  • Prioritize face-time (even virtually) 
  • Care for a pet 
  • Do things you enjoy (or used to) 
  • Try to get enough sleep 
  • Exercise 
  • Don’t skip meals 
  • Take a walk in the sunlight 
  • Challenge negative thoughts 
  • Read a good book/watch a funny movie 

Grief

Grief is the natural reaction to loss. Grief is both a universal and a personal experience. Individual experiences of grief vary and are influenced by the nature of the loss. Some examples of loss include the death of a loved one, the ending of an important relationship, job loss, loss through theft or the loss of independence through disability. (Mayo Clinic)

Coping with Grief: 

  • Lean on friends and family  
  • Accept and face your feelings 
  • Express feelings creatively (writing, drawing, etc.) 
  • Try to maintain hobbies/interests 
  • Preserve memories (photo album, memorial, etc.) 
  • Join a support group 

Additional Mental Health Resources 

The tips and techniques outlined in this article are not comprehensive, but they offer a starting point for organizations who may not know how to approach the topic of mental health in the workplace—especially during such a challenging time. In addition to the strategies, assessments and coping techniques outlined above, we encourage you to share additional mental health resources with your employees, such as:  

Race in the Workplace: How to Support BIPOC Colleagues Through Meaningful Conversations

Posted on by jpatel

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.

Here are some resources to help get you started:

Helpful resources to consult before discussing race in the workplace.

During the Open Dialogue

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.

Organizational Support in Practice

How can organizations facilitate intentional dialogue? Here are some of the ways we at PeopleScout and the broader TrueBlue organization are encouraging thoughtful discourse on race in the workplace:

How PeopleScout is encouraging thoughtful discourse on race in the workplace.

Respectful Conversation Starters

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:

  1. What’s your favorite part about your racial or ethnic identity?
  2. Would you mind explaining a little more about why you feel that way? I’ve never thought about it that way before.
  3. How often do you think about your racial or ethnic identity?
  4. Have you ever felt you were treated unfairly because of your racial or ethnic identity? How so?
  5. How has your racial or ethnic identity affected your personal life? What about your professional life?
  6. Can you recall a positive experience around your racial or ethnic identity? A negative one?
  7. Do you find value in forming relationships with people of different racial or ethnic identities? What can you learn from one another?
  8. 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?
  9. What aspect of your racial or ethnic identity makes you most proud?
  10. What are some ways I can better support you?

Leading in the New Reality: Keeping Employees Engaged Across Flexible Work Arrangements

Posted on by jpatel

Improved employee satisfaction and overall productivity have proven that the new models of flexible work organizations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic won’t be going anywhere any time soon. In fact, 83% of U.S. companies surveyed by Mercer are considering implementing flexible working at a greater scale than they were prior to the pandemic. In order to improve employee engagement, just as leaders had to adapt to managing remote teams at the onset of the pandemic, they will again need to readjust their approach as they lead teams across a variety of locations, schedules and unique work arrangements.

At PeopleScout, implementing flexible work to support our people is something we know well. One example of this is Emily Gordon, a single mother to a pediatric cancer survivor and PeopleScout’s vice president of global implementation.

In late 2016, when Emily had her final interview before joining PeopleScout, she was sitting in a hospital hallway while her daughter was finishing her fight with pediatric cancer – or so she thought. Emily’s daughter was nine years old when she battled cancer the first time and almost 11 when it returned. As a result, Emily’s goal was to find a company in which she could both work remotely and continue to support her daughter and family. But, prior to COVID-19, there were limited options for people who needed to be adaptable and still work full-time to support loved ones. Thankfully, PeopleScout’s work flexibility options gave Emily that opportunity.

Emily’s team was willing to work with her on video, which enabled her to be in the hospital with her daughter for more than 100 days in a year, while also exceeding work goals and supporting one of PeopleScout’s largest RPO clients. In turn, Emily has been comfortable hiring people who also need flexibility, such as in part-time or split-shift roles. As Emily’s story illustrates, the need for flexible work options exists outside of COVID-19. These unique situations existed before the pandemic and will continue when it eventually passes; it’s up to organizations to have flexible strategies in place to support their workers.

Even with the variety of benefits of workplace flexibility, the management of it is not without its challenges. Chief among them is how to improve employee engagement, especially during COVID-19. When employees cannot safely interact in close quarters, making sure they remain motivated and attentive is not always easy. In this article, we outline tips for how to effectively manage teams and improve employee engagement through the remainder of the pandemic and beyond.

“My team was already leveraging technology and reporting to support communication, and when COVID-19 hit, we amplified that across the whole portfolio. We meet twice a week for up to an hour to just talk, listen, give updates and support one another. All it takes is a willingness to over-communicate. Flexibility does not mean less work or performance. In my experience, it means people work harder to achieve goals because they are grateful for the support and understanding that work is not one-size-fits-all.”

Emily Gordon, VP of Global Implementation

Focus on Communication

Communication was important before and throughout the pandemic, so it’s no surprise that a strong communication strategy is at the top of the list for best practices in the new work reality. Regardless of whether you’re leading in-person teams remotely, leading a remote team while you remain in the office, or a combination of both, frequent communication is paramount.

Specifically, managers should schedule regular check-ins with the team as a whole to quickly solve challenges, share knowledge, and communicate openly about what’s working and what might need improvement. Likewise, one-on-one meetings are also important so managers and employees can share feedback and stay on the same page even if they’re working in different locations. Keep in mind that, because many of these flexible work arrangements are still new, it might take some time to find the right meeting cadence that works for both parties. For instance, while it might start out as a weekly check-in, you may find that one employee prefers ad-hoc calls while another prefers a set schedule to keep them on track. Try to remain as flexible as possible when it comes to these check-ins; they’re crucial for helping employees feel connected and cared for.

Quick Tip: Remember to trust your people and approach communications with a sense of empathy and a people-first focus.

Improve Employee Engagement Through Collaboration

Because employees may be scattered across different locations, working different hours or job-sharing, it can be easy to feel a little disconnected from each other – especially for workers who are not regularly going into the office. Fortunately, leaders can help solve this challenge by leveraging the following tools and strategies that foster collaboration and connectedness across teams.

Create a Team Brief

Your flexible work model may see some people working special hours to care for kids or loved ones, while others are using a hybrid model to work both in the office and remotely on alternating days. To ensure everyone is on the same page, it can be helpful to create a short team brief that outlines key expectations, covers how and when you’ll communicate, and transparently shares each employee’s schedule.

Quick Tip: Utilize tools like Teams and Slack (or your preferred communication platform) to set messages for when you’re away and when you’ll be back online.

Encourage Video Meetings to Improve Employee Engagement

While some employees are working in-person because their job duties require them to or they don’t have the means to work effectively at home every day, others may be fully remote for safety and family obligations. However, if you’re not careful, these employees can easily feel left out because they’re missing out on the face-to-face interactions and impromptu conversations that naturally occur when people work together in the same office.

Quick Tip: Ensure employees have the tools necessary for high-quality video calls, including proper audio and video equipment.

Fortunately, according to OwlLabs, 93% of people agree that video conferencing is effective at improving the connectedness of remote employees. Therefore, encourage calls to be taken on video so virtual workers have the opportunity to view and share non-verbal reactions, as well as their verbal insight. At the same time, pre-determine which meetings will be on video so employees have a chance to prepare. And, to combat video fatigue, be flexible in allowing people to remain off video if it is not conducive for them on a given day.

Quick Tip: Create a digital space where meeting attendees can post thoughts and notes once they’ve reflected on the call. This can give remote employees the chance to contribute to the “meeting after the meeting” that often occurs in person.

To enhance participation in video calls, show people how to ask questions in the chat, virtually raise their hand, and/or use breakout rooms so everyone has a chance to work and connect with one another.

Utilize Shared Dashboards

With people working various hours and in different places, staying aligned on goals and the work that is being done can be a challenge. However, by leveraging available technology, you can create team dashboards that share which projects are currently in progress and who is working on what. This can then give the whole team insight into the work that everyone is contributing, as well as the progress being made toward goals –regardless of when and where they’re working. Digital project management dashboards are also a great way to assign tasks, track targets and share ideas.

Quick Tip: To boost connectedness, create sub-channels within your communication platforms to group individuals with similar professional skills and personal interests.

Build Community to Improve Employee Engagement

It’s important that neither the in-person nor the remote teams become isolated from the other. As a manager, it’s your job to ensure you’re not mistakenly focusing more on one team over the other. To that end, a great way to build team culture and community is to spend some time each month on a virtual happy hour, coffee break or other team-building activity perfect for hybrid teams. Then, when the pandemic is no longer looming over us, it will also be important to make time to see people in-person when possible. For example, if you are traveling to the same location as an office or remote employee, set aside some time to meet them for a cup of coffee or lunch. Or, if you normally have a virtual check-in at the time you’re visiting, conduct your meeting face-to-face.

Quick Tip: To create equity between your remote and in-person teams, try to find unique ways to extend perks to virtual team members, as well. For example, when providing lunch for a meeting at the office, offer your remote workers a gift card for their lunch at home.

Create opportunities for hybrid teams to connect with each other on a personal level. For example, if it’s “bring your kid to work day” in the office, allow remote employees to bring their child to video sessions. This is an easy way to stimulate real connections between colleagues.

Flexible work models are quickly becoming the norm and are already proving to be an integral part of the way we work during the pandemic. The modes of work established in these instrumental months will pave the way for a future of flexible work beyond the current global health crisis. In that future, leaders will need to prioritize communication, collaboration and connectedness to create sustainable team engagement, productivity and culture.

Diversity and Inclusion: Building Employee Resource Groups and Driving Change

Posted on by edyson

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?

employee resource groups

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 the importance of inclusion 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.

what is an erg

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.

What’s more, according to a report from the Society for Human Resource Management, 90% of companies examined said ERGs helped make new hires more comfortable during the onboarding process, and 70% of organizations relied on ERGs to build a workforce to reflect the demographics of their customer base.

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

erg diversity

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.

Succession Planning: Maintaining Talent Continuity

Posted on by edyson

The immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic by many organizations correctly focused on workplace safety, maintaining business continuity and preserving relationships with key clients and suppliers.

Now, organizations are rebuilding and preparing themselves for the new normal. And, they are taking a good look at their people, processes and systems, including creating or revisiting organizational succession plans.

Establishing a well thought out succession plan is now more important than ever and will continue to be a vital process as baby boomers move into retirement and skills gaps and shortages that were challenges before COVID-19 persist. In this article, we explore best practices for designing and executing a successful succession planning program to help your organization better prepare for workforce disruptions.

ebook

Five Tips for Leading Teams Through Crisis

Download ebook

What is Succession Planning?

For some organizations, succession planning simply means making sure there are replacement candidates for key positions. For organizations with a more comprehensive view, succession planning is a systematic process to ensure leadership continuity in key positions, retain and develop institutional knowledge within key employees for the future, encourage individual advancement and ensure the stability or “bench strength” of key personnel.

Having employees identified as backups makes good business sense, as it allows organizations to fill vital roles with qualified successors quickly. A successful succession planning program should align talent management with an organization’s culture, vision and strategies.

Key Benefits of Succession Planning

  • Identify skill gaps and training needs
  • Retain institutional knowledge in a knowledge economy
  • Replace unique or highly specialized competencies

Building Your Succession Planning Team

The role of HR in succession planning should be to support business leaders, facilitate the process and provide tools and guidance along the way. Engaging stakeholders, particularly senior leadership, is critical. As part of the process, you should conduct interviews with them, invite them to take surveys and attend focus groups to get a better understanding of which roles are considered most essential to operations and the future talent needs of your organization

Plan for Both People and Positions

The first step of succession planning begins with identifying which positions your organization should target based on urgency and how critical the roles are to your organization’s operations. Your succession plan should address both specific positions and individuals to ensure you are covering all of your bases.

When identifying individual employees as potential successors for a role, consider the following traits:

  • Flexible and willing to change roles and work environments
  • Interested in professional development and learning new skills
  • A good communicator who works well with other teams and departments

When identifying positions to include in your succession plan, considering the following:

  • Positions central to strategic goals or that can provide you with a competitive advantage during uncertain times
  • Positions that are specific to your organization or industry
  • Positions of influence and leadership within your organization
  • Jobs with long learning curves, training requirements, specialized licenses and certifications
  • Positions that require institutional knowledge and experience

Assessing Successor Candidates

Once critical positions have been identified, it is time for your succession planning team to identify the employees who can potentially fit into those roles when opportunities emerge. But what should your team look for in a potential successor? To answer this question, examine a candidate’s knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). The three terms seem interchangeable. However, they are distinctly different dimensions of a potential successor’s qualifications.

Knowledge: Focuses on the candidate’s understanding of key theoretical concepts important in the role.

Skills: Skills are the capabilities or hands-on experience needed for the application of theoretical knowledge important for the role.

Abilities: Abilities are the innate traits or talents that a person brings to the role if selected as a successor.

KSAs are the core competencies used when assessing talent and can create a better picture of a potential candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and are useful in paving an organization’s development programs and eventually, a successors’ growth in their new role. 

It is essential for you and your organization to develop a KSA profile of each candidate and see if their attributes align well with a specific role.  

Your succession planning team can start building KSA profiles by asking these three questions: 

  • Where does the organization see the role evolving in the next three to five years? 
  • What unique or specialized competencies are needed to succeed in the role?
  • What qualities should the new successor possesses in order to thrive in the role and meet your organization’s business objectives? 

A successor does not need to be someone who will think, talk and react the same way as the incumbent, you just need to be confident that the candidate can step up to the plate when called upon.

Develop Future Leaders Today

While every job is important, leadership positions within your organization would significantly impact your business if left open for a long period. In fact, according to SHRM’s Selecting Leadership Talent for the 21st-Century Workplace report, the cost of replacing a senior executive can range from $750,000 to $2.5 million, and up to $52 million for a chief executive officer. Leaders will undoubtedly be a significant competitive advantage as your organization rebounds and recovers. This means retaining, developing and leveraging future talent is even more important than it was pre-pandemic.

Your succession planning team, which should include HR and other key members of your executive leadership team, should conduct a thorough review of the skill sets of each member of your leadership team and identify candidates with similar skills who could become potential successors. Your team should also determine skills that you might be missing on your current leadership team and will be needed to emerge successfully from the pandemic and beyond.

PeopleScout Solution Spotlight

Design and delivery of leadership and development centers for a law enforcement agency.

  • Our client’s promotion criteria were historically focused on operational knowledge; we lead a shift in focus to also consider leadership capabilities and behavior.
  • We designed a behavioral framework aligned with national law enforcement standards and local leadership aspirations and organizational values.
  • We led the creation of both operational and behavioral exercises for each rank in the law enforcement agency.
  • We trained talent assessors and developed a digital assessment platform with automated feedback reports to create a more centralized process for succession planning.

Leverage Succession Planning to Retain Institutional Knowledge

According to research conducted by Panopto, 42% of the skills and expertise required to capably perform in a given position will be known only by the person currently in that position. Institutional knowledge is a combination of experiences, processes, data, expertise, cultural values and information possessed by specific employees or teams within your organization. It can span decades and is comprised of your organization’s tangible and intangible knowledge that defines who you are and how you operate. While some of this knowledge gets translated into processes and policies, most of it resides in the heads and hands of individual employees.

For example, what happens if your organization’s top sales manager is decides to take an early retirement or accepts a new position at another organization? Do you have a ready replacement? If yes, do they possess the deep institutional knowledge of your organization needed to rally their team and engage clients effectively?

With succession planning, you can ensure that knowledge sharing can occur concurrently between an employee and their potential successor, giving the successor the unique opportunity to gain useful skills and knowledge without a long, on-the-job learning curve. In the following graphic, we outline best practices for training and developing successor talent.

Training and Development of Successor Candidates

Training and development for potential successor candidates can take many forms and should include both real-life scenarios and classroom-style training. Below are a few common exercises to help ease the candidates into their future roles. 

  • Stretch Assignments: Just like the name implies, the employees will have to complete a set of tasks or assignments that stretch their limits. Examples include leading a special project, being assigned to a challenging task, or chairing a committee. 
  • Job Rotations: Enable successor candidates to rotate and assume different roles to obtain new experiences and learn more about the operations and processes of your organization. 
  • Mentoring and Coaching: Create or leverage existing corporate mentorship programs and pair successor candidates with senior employees to provide candidates with ongoing guidance, deeper insights and career support. 

Communication is Key

Clear and concise communication makes the succession planning strategy much smoother. According to research conducted by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, around 25% of employees in line to take over a key role in an organization did not know they had been chosen for the role. Consider what this might mean — an employee might believe they have no real future at your company and so might make plans elsewhere.

Be sure to inform each employee you have identified as a potential successor — especially in the case of leadership roles — that they have been ear­marked for a future role (without making an outright promise). Take this opportunity to determine if they are interested. While they might be content with their current position, knowing that you see real promise in them might make them feel valued, resulting in better employee retention.

Conclusion

A well-implemented succession plan will give your organization a sense of the investment you will need to make should backups for key positions be necessary. Whether it’s temporary or long-term, employees who are asked to assume greater responsibilities need support. Regularly checking in with employees will make you keenly aware of what they will need to be successful.

Remember, succession planning is not a one-off task. Organizations need to be agile to keep up with the fast-paced and ever-evolving world. You should regularly discuss and reevaluate your strategy with key stakeholders including front-line managers, your executive leadership team and HR leaders to make sure your plan is up to date.

The Importance of Inclusion in Your Diversity Program

Posted on by jpatel

The seemingly never-ending obstacle course of 2020 has been filled with highs, lows and everything in between — from a landmark ruling for LGBTQ+ workers to an international awakening to systemic racism and a global pandemic that has impacted the lives of millions. As organizations around the world face a future more unpredictable than ever before, one thing remains certain: the business case for diversity and inclusion (D&I) is stronger than ever. 

In order to face unique challenges, organizations will need unique thinking, the kind that only comes with a truly diverse team — whether in age, gender, sexuality, race or otherwise. According to a report from the World Economic Forum, companies with above-average diversity scores report nearly 20% higher revenue due to innovation. Moreover, this article from The Conversation cites research from more than 300 Australian studies that conclusively shows how workplace racism has a direct, detrimental impact on performance, accounting for an estimated 3% loss in average annual gross domestic product. 

That said, the driving motivators for organizations to foster effective D&I programs should not be focused only on performance metrics, but rather the desire to make employees feel represented, understood, respected and cared for. While most companies are able to increase their level of diversity, they struggle with cultivating a culture in which those diverse voices are heard — leaving room for improvement in their inclusion efforts. 

D&I: Defined 

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace has been a hot topic for years, so why does it often seem like minimal meaningful change has occurred? Unfortunately, the downfall for many organizations is the misinterpretation that diversity and inclusion are synonymous. To avoid making this mistake, it is important to understand the difference between diversity and inclusion, to better understand why it’s time to shift focus to the latter. 

The definition for diversity is relatively straightforward, and simple enough for most organizations to achieve by tracking demographics and collecting concrete data to ensure they hire and promote people of varying backgrounds. 

However, the definition for inclusion is more difficult to effectively measure results against because every organization can interpret words like “including” and “accommodating” differently.  

According to Deloitte, “without a shared understanding of inclusion, people are prone to miscommunication, progress cannot be reliably evaluated, leaders can’t be held accountable and organizations default to counting diversity numbers.” 

Deloitte goes a step further by using its research to create a holistic definition comprised of four distinct yet connected elements:  

  • Fairness and respect: The starting point for effective inclusion is ensuring people are treated equitably and with respect — in both nondiscrimination and basic courtesy.  
  • Valued and belonging: People will feel included when they believe their authentic self is valued by others and they feel a sense of connectedness with their peers. 
  • Safe and open: Inclusion is experienced when people feel safe to speak up without any fear of embarrassment or retaliation. 
  • Empowered and growing: True inclusion happens when people feel empowered to grow in their role and do their best work — diversity of thinking can emerge.  

By looking at the depth of these definitions, it’s clear that building and maintaining an effective inclusion program requires considerably more time and effort than it does to reformat a hiring process to increase diversity. While diversity can be measured and those metrics can be used to set and achieve goals, inclusion calls for a continuous cultural reset.  

Inclusion Requires Action 

In a 2020 report by McKinsey & Company, data from three industries with the highest levels of executive-team diversity — financial services, technology and healthcare — showed that “while overall [employee] sentiment on diversity was 52% positive and 31% negative, sentiment on inclusion was markedly worse, at only 29% positive and 61% negative.” Furthermore, the levels of negative sentiment about equality and fairness of opportunity, key indicators of inclusion, were also particularly high — proving that even more diverse companies struggle with effective inclusion.  

So, what are some steps organizations can take toward fostering better inclusion? To gain some insight, LinkedIn asked Black talent leaders their thoughts on what talent acquisition teams can do to accelerate diversity and inclusion. Here are three of their tactics: 

Change how and where you look for talent  

This starts with having diverse recruiting teams. Having recruiters from a wide variety of backgrounds will help employers change the way they think about how and where they find talent — shifting their sourcing beyond the geographies, companies and schools they’ve become accustomed to. 

Make a “top-down investment” in diverse employees 

To build diversity into the succession plan, organizations should invest time, money, training and executive sponsorship into their diversity efforts, ensuring representation across the business. By hiring and promoting diverse talent, an organization sends a message of inclusion that ripples throughout the company and into the industry — positioning you as an inclusive workplace that recognizes the value of diverse talent. 

Leverage the power of remote work  

Continuing distributed work strategies beyond the current crisis will allow recruiting teams to source, engage and hire talent where they are. Organizations will no longer be limited to talent that lives in the same geographies as their physical offices, meaning they can expand their scope to locations that are historically diverse.  

These tactics may seem like large feats, and that’s because they are. Building an organization that is truly diverse and inclusive is a huge undertaking that takes time, effort and serious commitment. While you work on the organizational overhaul, keep in mind that there are also some smaller steps you can take along the way: 

  • Provide resources. Inclusion can’t be mandated; it requires the “changing of hearts and minds.” Organizations can do their part by encouraging open dialogue and providing educational resources, like this anti-racist reading list from DiversityInc. 
  • Break up cliques. We are naturally drawn toward others who are like us, which can often result in cliques. Create opportunities to position employees outside of their comfort zone and into work groups made up of people with various backgrounds. 
  • Form inclusive groups. Create a dedicated task force focused on updating policies that promote your company’s values. Project Include offers more suggestions for creating systemic inclusion here. 
  • Offer professional development. Offering development programs and mentorship opportunities to underrepresented employees who may have a steeper hill to climb can help them in their career ascent.  
  • Showcase diverse talent. Representation matters, and employees and candidates will understand how you value diverse talent when you celebrate and share their stories. 

A Continuous Journey 

It can be easy to get lost in the mindset that inclusion is a “one and done” activity. That mindset has a certain allure, because it would mean we could all rest assured knowing we’ve created a workforce that is 100% diverse and effectively inclusive. In reality, inclusion is a continuous journey that requires a concerted effort, focus and determination to effect meaningful change. You can think of it like a long road trip — one that requires multiple checkpoints, refuels and stops to check you’re still going in the right direction. To ensure you’re always on the correct path, it can be helpful to perform a regular inclusion audit that asks: 

  • Does the organization have a continuous representation of diverse talent? 
  • Is diverse talent represented in leadership roles? 
  • Is there room to remove bias in the hiring process? Promotion process? 
  • Are we listening to employee concerns? 
  • Are we regularly surveying employee sentiment on D&I? 
  • Do we know what’s working? What isn’t? 
  • Have we asked employees what they want and need? 

It’s clear that simply hiring diverse talent is not enough. While it’s a start, it’s only part of the solution. Workplace experience and true inclusion is what will help employees feel represented and valued, leading to diverse hires that stay, grow and thrive. The road ahead is a long one, but by implementing the strategies outlined in this article, your organization will be well on its way toward a better diverse and inclusive workplace. 

Talking Talent: Building a Healthy, Authentic Company Culture

Posted on by nfuqua

In this episode of Talking Talent, we’re talking about company culture – why it’s important, how to build one that attracts the employees you want to hire and what you can do to embrace authenticity.

Right now, your company culture is especially important. COVID-19 has changed the way we’ve all worked. A strong culture can help support your employees’ mental health throughout this crisis, and in the long term, it can help with a robust recovery by helping you hire and retain the best talent.

In this episode, we hear from three experts. The first is Vanessa Hawes, Senior Employer Brand & Communications Strategist at PeopleScout

As a member of PeopleScout’s talent advisory practice, Vanessa supports our clients to effectively launch, embed, manage and measure their employer brand. Vanessa leads a number of strategic employer brand accounts, as well as supporting the RPO division and PeopleScout globally. Vanessa takes an active interest in inclusion and diversity, especially female representation in business and STEM and social mobility.

The second is Frances-Leigh Husband, Sales Manager at Guardian Jobs.

In her role, Frances heads up both the Guardian Jobs public services and client relationship teams. With more than 15 years of experience at the Guardian, she has overseen the evolution of the digital business model and developed a sales strategy which has produced new revenue streams and delivering growth.

Finally, we’re joined by Helen Durkin, the EMEA Employer Brand Program Manager at Indeed.

In her role, she responsible for building Indeed’s employer brand reputation and owning the content and advertising strategy across EMEA. With more than 10 years in the industry, Helen has experienced most of the challenges within the employer branding space. Helen has won awards for her work—and even served as an award judge herself, so she knows her stuff.

We recorded this podcast earlier this year, before the COVID-19 crisis had impacted much of the world, but we believe the insights are still valuable and relevant today.

Tips for Leading Through Crisis

Posted on by jpatel

Leaders have great responsibility – to inspire and motivate teams to work toward a common purpose in good times and bad. In times of uncertainty, the importance of good leadership is elevated to an even higher level. 

As organizations across the globe face the unprecedented challenges brought about by the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), our leadership team at PeopleScout is starting first and foremost by leading with compassion and empathy. While each of us is experiencing the COVID-19 crisis differently, we are all in this together as it relates to the uncertainty and fear we face. 

ebook

Five Tips for Leading Teams Through Crisis

Download Ebook

Lead by Putting People First  

Now, more than ever, people must come first. Effective leaders focus on what their teams need to be successful. Right now, needs have shifted in dramatic ways, as has the definition of success. As leaders, we need to empathize with those needs and quickly adjust how we respond.   

In the case of COVID-19 or a similar public health crisis, it is important to be intentional about putting people first in two main ways: 

  1. Provide leadership that safeguards people. Because COVID-19 threatens the basic human need for safety, this is the most obvious and immediate need and it requires decisive leadership. Quick action is necessary to keep employees and clients safe and to keep business running during an extreme crisis. Even when we don’t yet have all the facts or understand the long-term outcome, we must make the best decisions possible to safeguard our people given what is known about the situation.  
  2. Lead with empathy. As a leader addressing a rapidly unfolding crisis, this can certainly be difficult to remember to do deliberately. But by endeavoring to understand the variety of ways people are experiencing a crisis – both directly and indirectly – one can more effectively communicate and lead.  

These are unprecedented times, with people facing tremendous fear. Fear for their health and the health of their loved ones. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the economic impact. Fear because their job – in the case of first and second responders – puts them at elevated risk.  

This fear is magnified by the new stresses that we are all facing in different ways in day-to-day life. To be effective, you must seek to understand the variety of unique fears and stresses being experienced and provide the necessary leadership to best meet people where they are.  

Aspire to the Philosophy of Servant Leadership 

Through servant leadership, the good of the team and understanding the experience of the team is always central. Grounding yourself on those tenets can be helpful when facing any crisis – especially one of this magnitude. 

As we consider leadership through crisis, there are several servant leadership principals that I find highly applicable, such as: 

  • Seeking to understand by listening 
  • Being aware of people’s feelings 
  • Striving to empathize  

In our organization, we have some incredibly talented leaders. Some of the best decisions I make are because I listen to those who may have a different viewpoint, instead of believing my way is always right. 

As we face this unprecedented situation, where uncertainty reigns, it is our responsibility as leaders to lead by example and with integrity, humility and an unwavering commitment to treating people the right way. This is essential, because during crisis it is easy to allow emotions and the need for rapid decision making to distract from the necessity of putting people first.  

Communicating During Crisis 

Access to information for employees is critical during a crisis, and even if you think you’re communicating enough, you probably aren’t.  

In times of uncertainty and instability, the quality of the message is paramount. Employees will be hyper-focused on every message you share and need to know you are being transparent and authentic. They need to trust you are telling them what you know, as well as what you don’t know, and that you are sharing honest information on the decisions being made and the actions being taken.  

Sometimes we are afraid to be transparent, which can cause us to lose the trust of our people.  Balance can be difficult during crisis, so we must stay focused on being honest, but optimistic.  We need to believe we will get through this, without minimizing the pain in the journey. 

It is also important for leaders to be visible. Given the scale of the crisis, it is easy to go into bunker mode as you and the crisis team home in on the response and the most pressing concerns. While that focus is critical to business stability and keeping people safe, it is also important that leaders are visible to their teams and the broader organization. 

The lack of visibility of key leaders and any perceived silence on topics that are creating stress in the business breeds rumors and anxiety. So, it is critical to get out there and avoid the tendency towards introverted leadership that naturally arises in times of crisis.  

Team Leadership During Crisis 

As a leader, you must be highly engaged in the response, but you must also empower your teams to make decisions quickly by making it clear that you support them and that they won’t be second guessed. A few select leaders will not have the capacity or expertise to manage all aspects of the crisis response, so it’s important to give your teams the ability to make decisions independently.  

As we’ve seen with the pace of the COVID-19 crisis, the situation is evolving quickly, so it’s essential to create a crisis management function that can keep up. Cross-functional teams should be created with members from across the organization to address the evolving situation from a variety of perspectives.  

As we manage through COVID-19, our crisis leadership team is meeting regularly to ensure we are acting quickly and responsibly. That team isn’t dependent on me; they will meet and take action even if I’m not available, and they know I trust their judgement and respect their decisions. That said, I make a concerted effort to be present because it allows me to be informed and provide input in real-time.  

Personal Leadership During Crisis 

From a personal leadership style, leaders must balance optimism with realistic thinking and act based on a realistic assessment of how the crisis will unfold.  

Care must be taken not to give in to doomsday thinking – which is easy to do in this cycle of bad news and scary headlines. Conversely, it is important for leaders not to take an overly optimistic stance. My goal through COVID-19 and other crisis situations is to provide informed optimism – to avoid eroding trust and future back peddling.  

Self-management is also critical during a prolonged crisis. If you don’t maintain your health, balance and perspective you can’t be level–headed and exercise good judgement. Although it would be easy to skip in favor of one more call or email, I prioritize taking a break for my 7 p.m. walks with my 8-pound JackChi dog to relax and process the events of the day. 

Another important trait to focus on is resilience. The resilience you demonstrate and your daily intent to be your best self through crisis will motivate others to do the same – to believe in your leadership and to stay engaged even when things are difficult. It is our role as leaders to provide level-headed, calm leadership that enables employees to have confidence that we are taking the most thoughtful approach possible given the situation. This will allow them to be their best selves through adversity. 

Looking Beyond the Crisis 

While this can be difficult – especially in the case of a public health crisis that threatens employee safety – you must look for and examine the long-term opportunities that are created by the change. 

The world will change permanently as a result of COVID-19, and those who harness innovative, long-term thinking through the crisis will find new ways to operate and will create solutions to meet new client needs. This sort of thinking will allow you to identify opportunities to optimize how you operate, communicate, manage and deliver services, and create ways to be more responsive, scalable and flexible.  

It will be through effective leadership that these opportunities will be identified and acted upon, rather than allowing the crisis at hand to blind you from them. Even in a terrible situation like this, I do believe we will find silver linings. As a leader, intentionally looking for those silver linings helps to maintain balanced and informed optimism and good long-term decision making. 

Keeping Candidates and Employees Safe with a Virtual Hiring Solution with Allison Brigden

Posted on by edyson

As organizations around the globe confront the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, even the most seasoned talent leaders find themselves in uncharted territory. We’re creating a mini-series with our experts here at PeopleScout about the issues that are most pressing during this uncertain time.

This profile shares insights from PeopleScout Global Leader of Affinix Client Success and Strategy, Allison Brigden, on transitioning to a virtual talent acquisition solution. Allison leads the Affinix Client Success Team and our strategic technology partnerships.

Allison shared her insights about virtual hiring solutions from her home in Chicago.

Allison, we know that things are hard right now, but a lot of organizations that provide essential goods and services need to keep hiring and it’s important to keep both employees and candidates safe during the process. What’s the best way to do this?

The best way to do that is to continue your recruiting process, but do it virtually. Recruiting has undergone a digital transformation and essentially all of the recruiting steps can be handled virtually. By moving to this type of process, you can provide access to jobs in a completely safe environment without contact for both the employer and the job seeker. Of course, candidates have been able to apply online for a long time and recruiters can review resumes online, but most interviews have still been done in person. 

Interviews can be done virtually through technology that allows you to have a live, two-way video or a pre-recorded video that the candidate can do on their timeline, at their convenience. Later, the audio or video recording can be reviewed by both the recruiter and the hiring manager.

This technology can easily support a process that can be fully virtual from the time candidates apply through the offer and onboarding. As I said, the technology has been available for a while, but it hasn’t been fully adopted. This is an opportune time for us to use the available technology. 

A virtual hiring solution allows us to put health and safety first, but also provide access to jobs for those who need one during this challenging time. There’s also been a huge spike in jobs for remote workers in the past few weeks. A virtual hiring solution is directly aligned to that remote work environment as well, so it’s a very good time to introduce that and transition to a virtual process for your recruiting.

So, what does a virtual talent acquisition solution look like?

A virtual hiring solution leverages technology, but it can also have a highly personal touch. By using technologies to their full advantage, recruiters can and will have more time to spend with applicants. Technology can engage one applicant with multiple interviewers and live two-way video engagement. You can even have a panel interview with five different interviewers connecting with a candidate at the same time.

You should strive to make your virtual conversations feel more personal, just because you are leveraging technology doesn’t mean that you have to lose that personal touch as part of the process.

To further answer this question, I think a virtual hiring solution should involve the following components:

First, you should have an easy application that can be done on a mobile phone. It should feel like an online shopping experience and should only take four to eight minutes. There should also be an immediate next step, so that the applicant can drive the process.

This could be a text exchange where you’re asking questions about the interview schedule or the requirements of the job, or it can be a video exchange or a candidate-friendly assessment process. All this can be done on their mobile phone. 

Another really important component is automated self-scheduling. This allows the candidate to look at the available interview times and select one for themselves, either via text or via an online web experience. This also allows candidates to drive that next step – whether it’s a phone interview with the recruiter or a live video interview. Giving the candidate the ability to drive forward in the process is also a very important component of a virtual hiring solution.

The offer and the post-offer process can also be done virtually. This has been done over the phone for a long time, but there are also more options for a personalized and engaging onboarding experience, which can help right now when people are feeling a little bit isolated or disconnected. 

As an example, after someone has accepted an offer have a welcome video sent to their phone or preferred device where you welcome them and tell them what to expect on their first day. 

The entire virtual hiring process can be fully branded to elevate your employer brand and the connection you have with applicants. These are the components you’d want to have in place while building your virtual process.

In summary, a virtual hiring solution can be very safe while still being highly effective. It doesn’t require contact, but it also gives you that chance to connect with potential new employees and provide them a personalized experience.

Can you tell me some of the short-term and long-term benefits that people would see with a virtual hiring solution?

Things are changing quickly and it’s very important to remember that we’re all in this together and we need to be understanding and flexible as things develop. PeopleScout can definitely help with both short-term benefits for the job seeker as well as long-term benefits for the company. 

Short-term benefits are fairly clear. The virtual interview and scheduling process provides a completely safe, no-contact method to further the recruiting process, which is a clear short-term benefit. Another short-term benefit is speed-to-hire. We typically see a reduction of four to eight days in the time it takes to fill a job.

Virtual interviews and automated scheduling reduce the amount of time it takes to fill a job and that’s a short-term benefit in getting an essential worker on the job sooner. By providing a more automated applicant-driven process, you can enhance the candidate experience and lead to acquiring better talent faster. 

Virtual interviews and automated scheduling are also a long-term benefit because companies will see improvements in their business outcomes as people reach productivity faster.  A few additional benefits include saving money and travel costs for interviews, if you would normally have candidates travel in for an interview and a lower overall cost-per-hire.

Once you have a virtual process in place, you don’t need to return to previous hiring practices, you can continue the virtual process and reap the same benefits.

Giving candidates more control in the process, whether that be the option to record an on-demand video or audio interview, or scheduling an interview themselves, puts them in a position of controlling the process, or driving the next step, which is a great improvement in the candidate experience. If you implement this virtual process today, you’ll see these short-term and long-term benefits that you can carry forward as the future unfolds.

How do you transition or implement a virtual hiring solution?

The good news here is that this transition is more of a light lift than a heavy lift. Most likely, a large part of an employer’s process is already virtual. Everyone can apply online. Recruiters can work online to interact with the systems already in place.

Mostly you need to focus on the steps that are traditionally face-to-face, like the interview itself or some parts of the onboarding process. You probably don’t need to overhaul the whole application and hiring process, but rather just introduce this virtual interviewing and scheduling component. And, if you’re working with a provider, like a recruitment process outsourcing partner, they can actually handle much of that transition for you. Even if you just have an in-house team, it’s not a very difficult transition to make.

The biggest challenge will be the adoption and training. I would definitely want to have an employer focus their efforts on helping the hiring managers understand the process and share the short-term and long-term benefits so that they can drive adoption within their organization.

For a lot of organizations, hiring face-to-face may be deeply ingrained into the culture. How can you make virtual interviewing work in a way that still feels authentic and personal for both the hiring manager and the candidate?

A big part of this is comfort level. And the only way to truly get comfortable with something is to start using it. So, the comfort level will increase for everyone involved as they continue to use the technology. This is true for candidates too. The first time they do an interview like this, they might have increased nervousness. 

After they’ve been through it once, we’ve seen that the next time they become more comfortable. But there are things you can do to make it the best experience possible, and to make it feel authentic and personal.

Even though this is a virtual interview, as a recruiter, you want to be prepared so that you have meaningful questions to ask. Make sure you have pertinent information about the job on-hand, and make sure you’ve reviewed the resumes so you’re not going in cold to this interview experience.

As a candidate, you want to be sure that you have the same level of professionalism that you would have in a face-to-face environment. This extends to not just how you dress for the interview, but making sure that you have a quiet place to participate, etc. Another best practice would be to test the technology first. Most virtual interviewing technologies allow you to test your video and your sound, so you’re able to see what the video looks like before you begin the process. 

For employers, I also recommend testing your connections and making sure everything looks and sounds good. Once the video interviews begins you should also reinforce your employer brand by letting the candidate know unique things about your company culture that may appeal to the candidate. Displaying your company culture is important during the virtual hiring process, as candidates do not have to opportunity to visit your facility.

Beyond displaying your company culture and employer brand, you need to make sure you ask the right questions during the interview to better understand a candidate’s experience and competencies, and very importantly, communicate openly and authentically about the role and your expectations. 

After the interview is done, it’s important to provide some sort of feedback to the candidate, and let them know what the next step is in the process. Whether or not a candidate is moving forward in the process or not, provide them that information in a timely way so they’re not left wondering and feeling disconnected from your brand and keep all of the interactions warm. 

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

I would just say that it is important for those essential workers that we need in the healthcare industry and front line retail and essential goods industries to be able to hire at this time. Being able to move forward with this process and keep recruiters busy and employed to fill these critical jobs is very important and it’s a great way to help in this uncertain time. And then lastly, I would just say keep safe everyone. Follow the recommendations of the CDC and the world health organization and we will all come through this challenging time together.

To learn more about ways employers can respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, visit our Resource Center.