

The formula for COMPELLING diversity, equity, and inclusion goals
“How do we create truly compelling goals?” Good question. The formula is simple: goals must be CLEAR , MEASURABLE , COMPELLING , and...

Melissa Dobbins
Oct 30, 20244 min read


Tricks to creating effective job titles
Before candidates decide if they are going to click apply, before they grow excited reading the job description, before their interest is...

Melissa Dobbins
Oct 9, 20243 min read


Shifting the privilege conversation to empower change
“The talk.” A phrase that usually evokes an immediate response. Often it brings up memories of that very awkward conversation with a...

Melissa Dobbins
Oct 2, 20244 min read


Using panels to remove bias from the hiring process
Career.Place was hiring. We wanted someone who was passionate about our mission of promoting and creating equitable hiring practices....

Melissa Dobbins
Sep 11, 20244 min read


Ethical conundrum of beauty and gender-norm biases
How deep do biases go? Some, like gender norms, are so ingrained in our culture, we don't realize we are conforming. What can we do to stop?

Melissa Dobbins
Aug 28, 20243 min read


Three tips for driving diversity in your candidate pool
Diversify at the source: three tips for driving diversity in your candidate pool While diversity challenges don’t always stem from the...

Melissa Dobbins
Aug 21, 20244 min read


Tips for evaluating candidate sources
For many, diversifying your workforce starts at the source. The more diversity in the candidate pool applying for your job, the more...

Melissa Dobbins
Aug 7, 20244 min read


Stop Ageism! Here are five tips to combat ageism in hiring
As part of their effort to plan 2020 content, the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), a nonprofit consortium dedicated to...

Melissa Dobbins
Jul 10, 20245 min read


Establishing Meaningful Metrics
Picking the right metrics to track is a skill with a huge payoff. The right selection will prove the value of the initiative, align it to...

Melissa Dobbins
Jun 26, 20243 min read


Avoid mistakes by learning from the past
This may come as a shock, but this initiative is probably not the first in your organization. This may be the first D&I initiative or the...

Melissa Dobbins
May 29, 20242 min read


Creating job descriptions that excite, not bore
For many candidates, job descriptions are the first window into an organization – it is where they first taste what the organization is...

Melissa Dobbins
Apr 17, 20245 min read


Driving DEI support through ROI – how to measure success
Return on Investment, or ROI, is one of the most fundamental calculations behind business decisions. Often times, ROI dictates which...

Melissa Dobbins
Apr 4, 20247 min read


Influencing DEI beyond Talent Acquisition
DEI impact does not stop when a candidate is hired. I know what you’re thinking – of course that’s true, especially as most of the...

Melissa Dobbins
Mar 26, 20244 min read


Tour of the common resume biases
Resumes. One little document that serves to capture a professional lifetime of achievement and experience. With six seconds review time...

Melissa Dobbins
Mar 20, 20246 min read


Inclusion Tips for Candidates during Interviews (Part 2 of 2)
In addition to all the details leading up to and around the onsite and/or virtual interviews, there are plenty of opportunities to create...

Melissa Dobbins
Feb 29, 20245 min read


Inclusion Tips on Preparing Candidates for Interviews (Part 1 of 2)
The latter stages of the hiring process, which include steps like virtual and/or onsite interviews, assessments, meet and greets, etc.,...

Melissa Dobbins
Feb 21, 20245 min read


DEI wisdom from the art of Improv
“Yes, and …” This is one of the fundamental pillars of improv, the origin of so many of our greatest comedic personalities. Improv, short...

Melissa Dobbins
Jan 24, 20243 min read


What to do when there is no diversity in your candidate slate
You’ve done everything you can – expanded your active and passive sourcing, removed every extraneous requirement, added generous...

Melissa Dobbins
Jan 17, 20243 min read


Tis the season – gifts, appreciation, and inclusion
For many organizations and managers, this is the season to show appreciation. With the spirit of the holidays, under the distracting buzz...

Melissa Dobbins
Dec 13, 20233 min read


Up, up, down, down, left, right, … keeping it fair in hiring
In the 1980s there was a beloved secret among Nintendo game enthusiasts called the Konami Code. With this code you could unlock all sorts...

Melissa Dobbins
Nov 15, 20234 min read




