We all need a little help sometimes. Whether it’s augmenting overburdened resources, or filling in a gap in expertise, or adding validity to an effort, there are times when we need to look beyond the organization and engage consultants. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts are no exception. For many, DEI is relatively new with trailblazing efforts and aggressive goals, which is the perfect opportunity to augment with consultants. Luckily, there are many, many, many

“Yes, and …” This is one of the fundamental pillars of improv, the origin of so many of our greatest comedic personalities. Improv, short for improvisation, is when actors play out a scene without any scripts, practice, or foreknowledge of what the scene will be about. They have no idea what their fellow performers will say or do. They must react in the moment, ideally building to something clever and hilarious. The key to navigating this fluid ad-hoc art form is to keep the

For many, diversifying your workforce starts at the source. The more diversity in the candidate pool applying for your job, the more likely there will be diversity in the resulting hires. So, if you are not getting the range of diversity you want in your candidate pool, it may be time to change or expand where you are sourcing your candidates. “I’m already using the biggest job boards, what other options are out there?” A lot. There are hundreds, if not thousands of options a

Picking the right metrics to track is a skill with huge payoff. The right selection will prove the value of the initiative, align it to the organization’s needs, and enable Return on Investment (ROI) calculations. However, even the best selected metrics are only as valuable as the ability to measure and track them. There are three keys to measuring and tracking metrics: 1. Define what will be measured and by what standard of measurement For each metric, identify exactly what

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 first initiative out of the Talent Acquisition department (or not), but it is certainly not the first project the organization has ever taken on. With past experience comes past wisdoms – both what works well for the organization and what falls flat. So, rather than rediscover all the pitfalls and tricks, learn from those that came before.

June, the month of Pride. Vibrant colors decorate logos, marketing campaigns, and advertisements; the rainbow marking solidarity and support of the LBGT+ community. It is beautiful, it is emotional, it is temporary. Celebratory months like Pride, Black History, Mental Health Awareness, Women’s History, etc. are a perfect catalyst to spark interest, focus, and intentional inclusion. But, to be truly impactful in our efforts to engage, include, and celebrate, we must go well be

Imagine what it would have been like if the first math class you ever took introduced calculus or the first science class jumped into quantum mechanics or the first book you were ever handed was Shakespeare. That is absurd! No one can learn calculus without first learning numbers and how to add and subtract them. No one can learn quantum mechanics without first understanding the basics of particles and motion, and no one can understand Shakespeare without first learning the l

While a new employee starting on their first day marks the end of the Talent Acquisition (TA) process, it is only the beginning for that individual and the organization. Their value, impact, achievements, all stretch out in front of them, full of promise and potential. You create a TA program that is an inclusive, engaging, equitable experience for candidates that promotes and drives diversity and excellence. However, how frustrating will it be if it results in employee paths

“Why” is a common theme on the career.place blog. “Why” is the trick to refining job requirements and identifying transferable skills. It drives prioritization and selection of initiatives, technologies, and candidates. It’s behind creating exciting job descriptions. It’s what brings meaning to our work. “Why” is so critically important to so many aspects of what we do. And yet, we often skip the most fundamental “Why” question of any DEI effort. “Why do we want Diversity, Eq

REDUCED TIME TO HIRE With career.place, Launch That reduced its time to hire 66%, down to just 17 days from their previous average of 53 days. Even accounting for an outlier job (a pesky lingering position that took over two years to fill) using their previous process, the average time to hire was still a 63% reduction. Career.Place didn’t stop there. IMPROVED CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE With so many applicants, Launch That was falling into the ghosting challenge, with some candidat

Congratulations to the JazzHR team for releasing their 2021 DE&I Playbook! The 2021 DE&I Playbook is a practical, actionable guide designed for small to mid-sized businesses. Check out the free ebook for practical tips on supporting internal mobility, creating a hiring rubric, and measuring and evaluating DE&I progress. Click here to request your copy. #NoBias #diversityandinclusion

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 employee’s experience is what happens after they’re hired, not before. Unfortunately, for many in Talent Acquisition, this presents a problem. We can control (to some degree) what happens within our domain to ensure that hiring practices are as diverse and equitable and inclusive as possible. But many of us have little say over what happens once o

“What is the difference between diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging?” A common question for those new to the D&I conversation, and for many who are not so new to the conversation. The answer is both simple and vastly complex as it’s full of nuances and subtleties seeped in human behavior, perception, and assumptions. To infuse emotion and nuance into answering this question, we turn to analogies. One of the most common is “the dance”. “The dance” as an analogy to D&I

You’ve done everything you can – expanded your active and passive sourcing, removed every extraneous requirement, added generous relocation packages, benefits plans, and competitive salaries. But, with it all, the diversity is just not there. That nagging thought you’ve tried so hard to avoid comes bubbling back up: “There are no [demographic here] for this job.” Now what? Now you have an opportunity to become part of the solution to address the gaps in the candidate pool it

When it comes to hiring, there are those times when all the stars align and that single, perfect candidate pops out as the obvious and only choice. However, often, the stars align multiple ways and you are left with several great candidates that are great for different reasons. After careful and objective evaluation, you are left with a hard choice – the candidate that is strongest at the job, the candidate with the best potential, the candidate that has the most perfect cult

The desired: You select the topic of interest, put a tiny disk into a tiny slot and press upload. Knowledge floods into your head – every technique and trick and cool move all perfectly organized for total recall. “I know kung-fu.” With perfect mastery, you kick and tumble and flip through the air, dueling in such an exciting match, the spectators are at the edge of their seats. Your limbs blur, your opponent backs away struggling to block punch after punch. The duel ends wit