If there's one thing business has learned since the economic meltdown of 2008, it's this: In a tough market, the key to success is innovation. Businesses who do nothing but imitate competitors not only don't get ahead, but start falling further and further behind.
And guess what? Having a diverse workforce is no exception. For many companies, diversity recruiting programs have taken a back seat in the past couple of years. That's a mistake, and here's why:
1. Diversity innovators have a huge opportunity right now
In a sluggish employment market, companies that take the initiative in diversity recruiting have a better chance of standing out from the competition. Not only can they attract the best and brightest of a diverse talent pool, but they can reap other benefits, like an improved employment brand and better media opportunities.
In other words, a little bit of effort can go a long way in the current market.
2. The market may be slow, but it hasn't stopped
The talent pool may be a little less competitive than it was 3 or 4 years ago, but there are still all kinds of roles and industries which are suffering from chronic talent shortages. Diverse talent pools are still the best 'untapped' source of talent for many of these hard-to-fill roles. Ignoring diversity recruiting strategies now will increase your time-to-hire, cost-per-hire and quality of hire in the next 12 months.
3. You're letting your competitors gain the advantage
When your competitors are tapping into the full talent pool - including diverse candidates - they're giving themselves the best opportunity to get the A-list candidates before you do.
What's more, your competitors are setting themselves up for long-term success: When the market improves (and it always does), they'll already be well-established in the diversity talent market, while you're still playing catch-up.
Don't think of diversity recruiting as a 'mandate' that you have to adhere to. Think of it as an opportunity to get ahead of the competition - and set yourself up for success in the long term.
Showing posts with label workplace diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workplace diversity. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Recruiting for Diversity : What the best in the business are doing
We've all heard about the list of Canada's Best Diversity Employers award, but have you ever asked yourself what makes a company a great diversity recruiter?
Here's a look at some of the winners of the 2011 Best Diversity Employers award, and what they're doing to excel at recruiting diverse candidates.
At BC Hydro, more than 16% of employees are visible minorities. Even better, more than 18% of managers are visible minorities. So what's their secret? Not only do they have recruitment strategies designed to increase representation of diverse groups, but they monitor their progress on a monthly basis to ensure those strategies are working. They also have a team dedicated to recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees.
Of Bombardier Aerospace's 12,000 Canadian employees, almost one-quarter are visible minorities. Their strategy has been to develop in-house, specialized training for all recruiters to ensure a bias- and racism-free sourcing and screening process.
Corus Entertainment isn't a huge company, but 9% of their employees, and 11% of their managers, are visible minorities. A key pillar of their recruitment strategy is to ensure that all job vacancies are forwarded to organizations which represent diverse job-seekers, including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Council.
Loblaw Companies Ltd. has almost 100,000 full- and part-time employees in Canada, and 15% of them are visible minorities (14% are managers). Individual stores are encouraged to be active within their communities, participating in diversity-themed events and career fairs. They've also recently opened a 'reflection room' in their head office to meet the spiritual and religious needs of their diverse employees.
At Xerox Canada, 15% of employees are visible minorities. One of the ways they've fostered the recruitment of diverse candidates is to invest in a large Diversity Inclusiveness section on their website - it does a great job of welcoming diverse candidates, and sets the stage for long-term retention as well.
You may not be in a position to set up a 'reflection room' as Loblaw has done, of course. But take a look at your corporate careers section. Do you have a 'diversity' page, or are you just relying on the old-fashioned tagline "Women and minorities are encouraged to apply" at the end of your job posts?
Here's a look at some of the winners of the 2011 Best Diversity Employers award, and what they're doing to excel at recruiting diverse candidates.
At BC Hydro, more than 16% of employees are visible minorities. Even better, more than 18% of managers are visible minorities. So what's their secret? Not only do they have recruitment strategies designed to increase representation of diverse groups, but they monitor their progress on a monthly basis to ensure those strategies are working. They also have a team dedicated to recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees.
Of Bombardier Aerospace's 12,000 Canadian employees, almost one-quarter are visible minorities. Their strategy has been to develop in-house, specialized training for all recruiters to ensure a bias- and racism-free sourcing and screening process.
Corus Entertainment isn't a huge company, but 9% of their employees, and 11% of their managers, are visible minorities. A key pillar of their recruitment strategy is to ensure that all job vacancies are forwarded to organizations which represent diverse job-seekers, including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Council.
Loblaw Companies Ltd. has almost 100,000 full- and part-time employees in Canada, and 15% of them are visible minorities (14% are managers). Individual stores are encouraged to be active within their communities, participating in diversity-themed events and career fairs. They've also recently opened a 'reflection room' in their head office to meet the spiritual and religious needs of their diverse employees.
At Xerox Canada, 15% of employees are visible minorities. One of the ways they've fostered the recruitment of diverse candidates is to invest in a large Diversity Inclusiveness section on their website - it does a great job of welcoming diverse candidates, and sets the stage for long-term retention as well.
You may not be in a position to set up a 'reflection room' as Loblaw has done, of course. But take a look at your corporate careers section. Do you have a 'diversity' page, or are you just relying on the old-fashioned tagline "Women and minorities are encouraged to apply" at the end of your job posts?
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Political Correctness vs Reality
When it comes to actually creating a diverse workforce I have often talked about how it is as simple as making sure that you are looking at everyone. Meanwhile I have written here before about how sometimes that isn't really enough. In the previous context it's because sometimes you need quotas to break the non-diverse culture of an organization.
But I have become more aware of another reason to implement quotas. To actually attract diverse candidates.
Now this isn't applicable to all of our affinity groups, but for some at least the existence of quotas, either formally or informally, actually encourages applicants. To be blunt telling an affinity group that a specific job is going to be filled by someone from their group can, in some cases, make a huge difference in attracting candidates to the role.
On the face of it this flies in the face of my statement that you simply need to look at everyone but I'm not sure that it really does. At the end of the day you can't see all candidates if they are not visible to you and this is really about just making sure that those candidates are visible to you, or in other words making sure that candidates from the different groups are actually applying to your job.
But doesn't encouraging one group to apply in this way actually discourage other groups. Quite possibly yes but again I think that to effect change in the reality of your workforce and hiring cultures you sometimes have to break existing patterns even if it seems somewhat counter-intuitive. I think it helps to take a step back and examine why candidates would be more likely to apply to a job that is being held out for a certain quota.
There is an obvious answer that it seems like less competition. If I as a candidate feel that the number of candidates will be restricted artificially it means a better chance for me to land the job even if I am not the most qualified. This is a point that while cynical has some truth to it but there is a second answer that has more of an impact. For some affinity groups the experience is that even when they are more qualified then other candidates they will be passed over for opportunities. I have talked before about the ways, both passive and active in which this happens but the fact is that either way it does happen. Just because we don't want this experience to be true for diverse candidates doesn't mean that many don't actually have this experience.
In any case though it's a tricky subject to navigate. Do you make it clear that certain roles will only be filled by diverse candidates or do you just rely on your employment brand as a diverse employer to make the difference? We'd all like it to be just the second but again the reality is that for some affinity groups this simply isn't enough.
I don't have an answer to the above questions, although to be honest I don't think that anyone really does. I do think though that if your goal is a truly diverse workplace I'm not sure organizations have any choice but to implement policies, at least in the short-term, like quotas in order to demonstrate to candidates that they are truly committed to a fully inclusive workplace.
But I have become more aware of another reason to implement quotas. To actually attract diverse candidates.
Now this isn't applicable to all of our affinity groups, but for some at least the existence of quotas, either formally or informally, actually encourages applicants. To be blunt telling an affinity group that a specific job is going to be filled by someone from their group can, in some cases, make a huge difference in attracting candidates to the role.
On the face of it this flies in the face of my statement that you simply need to look at everyone but I'm not sure that it really does. At the end of the day you can't see all candidates if they are not visible to you and this is really about just making sure that those candidates are visible to you, or in other words making sure that candidates from the different groups are actually applying to your job.
But doesn't encouraging one group to apply in this way actually discourage other groups. Quite possibly yes but again I think that to effect change in the reality of your workforce and hiring cultures you sometimes have to break existing patterns even if it seems somewhat counter-intuitive. I think it helps to take a step back and examine why candidates would be more likely to apply to a job that is being held out for a certain quota.
There is an obvious answer that it seems like less competition. If I as a candidate feel that the number of candidates will be restricted artificially it means a better chance for me to land the job even if I am not the most qualified. This is a point that while cynical has some truth to it but there is a second answer that has more of an impact. For some affinity groups the experience is that even when they are more qualified then other candidates they will be passed over for opportunities. I have talked before about the ways, both passive and active in which this happens but the fact is that either way it does happen. Just because we don't want this experience to be true for diverse candidates doesn't mean that many don't actually have this experience.
In any case though it's a tricky subject to navigate. Do you make it clear that certain roles will only be filled by diverse candidates or do you just rely on your employment brand as a diverse employer to make the difference? We'd all like it to be just the second but again the reality is that for some affinity groups this simply isn't enough.
I don't have an answer to the above questions, although to be honest I don't think that anyone really does. I do think though that if your goal is a truly diverse workplace I'm not sure organizations have any choice but to implement policies, at least in the short-term, like quotas in order to demonstrate to candidates that they are truly committed to a fully inclusive workplace.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Diversity and Pride
Back in May an interesting diversity in the workplace story broke and quickly slipped beneath the waves but it's relevant to pride week and so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it now.
The story was about Rick Welts, the CEO of the Phoenix Suns, a professional basketball team playing in the NBA who "came out" as gay in an interview with the New York Times.
It's an interesting story for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that, as is well known, and as I have personally experienced, team sports at a high competitive or professional level are environments have historically been quite hostile to LGBT persons both individually and collectively. Mr. Welts was quoted in the story saying that "This is one of the last industries where the subject is off limits. Nobody’s comfortable in engaging in a conversation.", and I think that's pretty true. So from simply the aspect of breaking down a barrier it's a pretty significant moment.
But I think there's a more significant aspect to this story then the sports angle and that's the executive angle.
One of the discussions I often have with employers around diversity is on the importance of mentoring programs and there's a good reason for this. You can give your current employees diversity training, you can make sure you are looking at including different groups in your sourcing strategy but if your diverse employees, whatever their affinity group, don't feel that there are roles and a place for them in your company you're simply not getting all that you could be from your diversity strategy.
Now the ideal is of course close mentorships or internships but both of those can require a major investment of time that you simply might not have. That's okay. Even providing example role models for candidates can be helpful. Having diverse individuals at every level of your organization sends a clear message to candidates and employees alike, "there is a place here for you". We're not talking about tokenism here, having two diverse VPs but no diverse people in middle management fools nobody, but when your organizational structure is inclusive all the way through it can inspire and motivate your diverse candidates and employees.
Now having said all that, how does LGBT fit into it? I had an interesting discussion a few months ago with Brent Chamberlain, Executive Director of Pride At Work Canada who made me more aware of how strong some of the stereotypes surrounding LGBT and work can be. For example, there are many young gay men who actually feel that careers as hairdressers, in fashion or as graphic designers are all the opportunities that are open to them. And while any of those careers can be fine it's sad if you think that on the basis of your sexuality you're restricted to them. So in this line one of the programs that Pride at Work talks about is, just like it is for other diversity affinity groups, mentoring. Letting affinity group members know that every opportunity is open to them is an important step.
So back to the story, I think that more than the sports part of it (which I think could be valuable as well), there is the part of being a CEO that I suspect may have more of an impact. The fact Mr. Welts is a CEO of a sports team is no doubt why the story was even covered but the fact he is a CEO may provide inspiration, hope and widening of potential opportunities for young LGBT people no matter what industry they are in.
Or so I would hope.
It's hard to say, or measure, the impact of stories like this on groups as a whole. Is it as impactful as someone working in the same organization as the diverse, or in this case LGBT, candidate? Almost certainly not. But I think it can have some positive impact and that's a start and in this case a good reminder of how far we have come and how far there is in fact to go when we all celebrate the pride events of this week.
The story was about Rick Welts, the CEO of the Phoenix Suns, a professional basketball team playing in the NBA who "came out" as gay in an interview with the New York Times.
It's an interesting story for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that, as is well known, and as I have personally experienced, team sports at a high competitive or professional level are environments have historically been quite hostile to LGBT persons both individually and collectively. Mr. Welts was quoted in the story saying that "This is one of the last industries where the subject is off limits. Nobody’s comfortable in engaging in a conversation.", and I think that's pretty true. So from simply the aspect of breaking down a barrier it's a pretty significant moment.
But I think there's a more significant aspect to this story then the sports angle and that's the executive angle.
One of the discussions I often have with employers around diversity is on the importance of mentoring programs and there's a good reason for this. You can give your current employees diversity training, you can make sure you are looking at including different groups in your sourcing strategy but if your diverse employees, whatever their affinity group, don't feel that there are roles and a place for them in your company you're simply not getting all that you could be from your diversity strategy.
Now the ideal is of course close mentorships or internships but both of those can require a major investment of time that you simply might not have. That's okay. Even providing example role models for candidates can be helpful. Having diverse individuals at every level of your organization sends a clear message to candidates and employees alike, "there is a place here for you". We're not talking about tokenism here, having two diverse VPs but no diverse people in middle management fools nobody, but when your organizational structure is inclusive all the way through it can inspire and motivate your diverse candidates and employees.
Now having said all that, how does LGBT fit into it? I had an interesting discussion a few months ago with Brent Chamberlain, Executive Director of Pride At Work Canada who made me more aware of how strong some of the stereotypes surrounding LGBT and work can be. For example, there are many young gay men who actually feel that careers as hairdressers, in fashion or as graphic designers are all the opportunities that are open to them. And while any of those careers can be fine it's sad if you think that on the basis of your sexuality you're restricted to them. So in this line one of the programs that Pride at Work talks about is, just like it is for other diversity affinity groups, mentoring. Letting affinity group members know that every opportunity is open to them is an important step.
So back to the story, I think that more than the sports part of it (which I think could be valuable as well), there is the part of being a CEO that I suspect may have more of an impact. The fact Mr. Welts is a CEO of a sports team is no doubt why the story was even covered but the fact he is a CEO may provide inspiration, hope and widening of potential opportunities for young LGBT people no matter what industry they are in.
Or so I would hope.
It's hard to say, or measure, the impact of stories like this on groups as a whole. Is it as impactful as someone working in the same organization as the diverse, or in this case LGBT, candidate? Almost certainly not. But I think it can have some positive impact and that's a start and in this case a good reminder of how far we have come and how far there is in fact to go when we all celebrate the pride events of this week.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
What does diversity mean to you?
Seems like a simple question doesn't it? But I think the answer can tell a lot about where an organization is on the diversity scale.
It starts with the "big four" groups inherited from the legal/equity perspective, visible minorities, aboriginal, women and persons with disabilities but in most cases diversity in a company means more than that. Other groups that are often part of it may include new immigrants, LGBT and older workers. But there are even more than that.
I recently came across a definition of diversity that included occupation types! The general idea is that when we talk about “uniting in diversity” we need to be including all the different groups that make up our organization, including groups that are not obvious at first glance. And when you think about it, the concept of inclusion does mean that different business function areas in your company should be working together just as different ages, races or genders are inside each one.
So is diversity really just another word for teamwork?
Someone once said that diversity isn't about the differences between us but about the uniqueness we all share. Isn't that also a good definition of good teamwork?
Successful teamwork takes the unique skills and strengths of individual members and uses them to achieve shared objectives that wouldn't otherwise be reachable on their own. I think you can say the same for successful diversity workforce initiatives. As an organization we source from a number of alternate sources, tapping unique skills and experience in order to best achieve the goal of hiring the best possible candidate.
I have said it before and I'll say it again, diversity isn't about accommodation or promoting the inferior, it's about the best talent you can find. The only way you can have the best talent is if you can find and hire it, and you can't do that unless you are looking at everyone. So I guess you might say that for me, diversity, in the employment sense is as simple as this, "look at everyone". I'm not sure it needs to be any more complicated really.
It starts with the "big four" groups inherited from the legal/equity perspective, visible minorities, aboriginal, women and persons with disabilities but in most cases diversity in a company means more than that. Other groups that are often part of it may include new immigrants, LGBT and older workers. But there are even more than that.
I recently came across a definition of diversity that included occupation types! The general idea is that when we talk about “uniting in diversity” we need to be including all the different groups that make up our organization, including groups that are not obvious at first glance. And when you think about it, the concept of inclusion does mean that different business function areas in your company should be working together just as different ages, races or genders are inside each one.
So is diversity really just another word for teamwork?
Someone once said that diversity isn't about the differences between us but about the uniqueness we all share. Isn't that also a good definition of good teamwork?
Successful teamwork takes the unique skills and strengths of individual members and uses them to achieve shared objectives that wouldn't otherwise be reachable on their own. I think you can say the same for successful diversity workforce initiatives. As an organization we source from a number of alternate sources, tapping unique skills and experience in order to best achieve the goal of hiring the best possible candidate.
I have said it before and I'll say it again, diversity isn't about accommodation or promoting the inferior, it's about the best talent you can find. The only way you can have the best talent is if you can find and hire it, and you can't do that unless you are looking at everyone. So I guess you might say that for me, diversity, in the employment sense is as simple as this, "look at everyone". I'm not sure it needs to be any more complicated really.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Don't just talk "Diversity" - Do Something
If you happen to live in the GTA then you already know and see how visible minorities represent more and more of the population (you can almost call them visible majorities now) If you happen to sell a consumer product then I am certain your marketing department is already figuring out how to sell to diverse groups. That's good but what about hiring them?
You may be thinking it's time to look at hiring more of the diverse people that you see around every day. But how do you get started?
The secret in this process is going to be that you need to actually do something.
Okay, I know, that's not exactly Zen but you are going to need to take action. Many of the companies I see and speak to every day tell me they think diversity is a great idea but are either not ready or unsure of how to take the necessary steps to move forward. It's time to stop talking about what a great idea diversity is and actually experience it.
In the very near future your workforce is going to get more diverse, like it or not. Prepared or not. If you continue to source talent for your organization like you always have – you are putting yourself in a competitive disadvantage. You need to source talent in new and different ways using sourcing tools that are tapping into the growing pool of talent that is coming into the country at the rate of about 250,000 people every year. It's Canada's Hidden Talent Pool.
So keeping that in mind, when it comes to diversity you should already be connecting with this talent pool, and if you're not you need to get started now. An overall diversity strategy for your business will of course pay the most benefits and be the most successful but don't let the enormity sink you before you start. Set a small, reachable, goal for increasing the diversity of your workforce this year and get actioning on it. I know that every company with diversity strategies, even (or perhaps especially those) with successful ones have had learning experiences along the way. You should expect to encounter issues you hadn't thought of and you can expect to find opportunities that you hadn't previously discovered either.
Diversity in an organization isn't a switch that anyone can simply turn on (or off) but if you don't get the ball moving on your diversity strategy when exactly will you? So stop just talking about diversity and thinking that it's a "good idea", it's time to start actioning on it.
You may be thinking it's time to look at hiring more of the diverse people that you see around every day. But how do you get started?
The secret in this process is going to be that you need to actually do something.
Okay, I know, that's not exactly Zen but you are going to need to take action. Many of the companies I see and speak to every day tell me they think diversity is a great idea but are either not ready or unsure of how to take the necessary steps to move forward. It's time to stop talking about what a great idea diversity is and actually experience it.
In the very near future your workforce is going to get more diverse, like it or not. Prepared or not. If you continue to source talent for your organization like you always have – you are putting yourself in a competitive disadvantage. You need to source talent in new and different ways using sourcing tools that are tapping into the growing pool of talent that is coming into the country at the rate of about 250,000 people every year. It's Canada's Hidden Talent Pool.
So keeping that in mind, when it comes to diversity you should already be connecting with this talent pool, and if you're not you need to get started now. An overall diversity strategy for your business will of course pay the most benefits and be the most successful but don't let the enormity sink you before you start. Set a small, reachable, goal for increasing the diversity of your workforce this year and get actioning on it. I know that every company with diversity strategies, even (or perhaps especially those) with successful ones have had learning experiences along the way. You should expect to encounter issues you hadn't thought of and you can expect to find opportunities that you hadn't previously discovered either.
Diversity in an organization isn't a switch that anyone can simply turn on (or off) but if you don't get the ball moving on your diversity strategy when exactly will you? So stop just talking about diversity and thinking that it's a "good idea", it's time to start actioning on it.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Diversity Resources for Employers
There are many resources for employers looking to increase the diversity of their workforce but one can argue that there are so many that it can be overwhelming to know what services you actually need or who to actually speak to about it.
This is where the TalentOyster Partner Network comes in. Our partners range from settlement and training agencies to law firms and recruiting agencies and everything in between, the common element is that they are all groups and/or organizations who work with or help support the various diversity affiliate groups that TalentOyster reaches and that companies like yours may be interested in.
Here are a look at a few of our partners that provide services and/or information as resources for employers.
There are other partners that you can find on our site but these are the ones who tend to be most employer facing. If you know of another great employer resource that we haven't mentioned here be sure to leave a comment and let us know.
This is where the TalentOyster Partner Network comes in. Our partners range from settlement and training agencies to law firms and recruiting agencies and everything in between, the common element is that they are all groups and/or organizations who work with or help support the various diversity affiliate groups that TalentOyster reaches and that companies like yours may be interested in.
Here are a look at a few of our partners that provide services and/or information as resources for employers.
- Settlement Agencies - Settlement agencies work directly with newcomers to Canada on skills and language assessment and when required Canadian workforce training, interview preparation and language training. These agencies also provide services in the areas like diversity and sensitivity training and recruiting/hiring for diversity for progressive companies interested in increasing their diversity. On TalentOyster these agencies, who support different geographic areas, include Skills for Change, The Newcomer Centre of Peel and COSTI immigrant services.
- Business and Diversity Thought Leadership - There are a couple of companies who provide consulting and/or other services regarding recruiting, hiring and expanding your workforce through diversity. For example Head2Head is a TalentOyster partner who provides Canadian based organizations of all sizes with traditional and non-traditional recruiting services and consulting. Leadership Reframed provides consulting and additional services to companies looking to improve their leadership and mentoring capabilities, especially when it comes to recruiting young people, including recent graduates into their workforce.
- Information, News and Topical Issues - Diversity in the workplace is Canada's only, online publication dedicated to diversity in the workplace. Each month their newsletter features relevant news and information about diversity in the workplace as well as ideas, tips and suggestions from industry leaders. It's a great way to stay on top of the latest trends and topics when it comes to diverse workforces in Canada.
There are other partners that you can find on our site but these are the ones who tend to be most employer facing. If you know of another great employer resource that we haven't mentioned here be sure to leave a comment and let us know.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
GM's Approach to Workplace Diversity
Late last month as part of its 11th Annual Automotive Summit the Rainbow PUSH Coalition presented a Trailblazer award to Kevin Williams, President and Managing Director of GM Canada for innovation, leadership and commitment to workplace diversity.
GM's extensive diversity strategy includes communicating with over 5 million diverse Canadians through Diversity Media Services (a sister division of TalentOyster) partner publishing network and thus Doreen Iannuzzi, blogger and new media person for Diversity Media Services had a chance to interview Mr Williams on GMs diversity strategies and initiatives. Topics covered include how GM defines diversity, the need for commitment to diversity initiatives and some specific examples of how GM is working to increase inclusiveness in their company.
To read the interview please visit http://diversitymediaservices.com/blog/2010/gms-approach-to-workplace-diversity/ and and be sure to leave a comment to let us know what you think about how GM defines workplace diversity and the initiatives they are taking to create an inclusive work environment.
GM's extensive diversity strategy includes communicating with over 5 million diverse Canadians through Diversity Media Services (a sister division of TalentOyster) partner publishing network and thus Doreen Iannuzzi, blogger and new media person for Diversity Media Services had a chance to interview Mr Williams on GMs diversity strategies and initiatives. Topics covered include how GM defines diversity, the need for commitment to diversity initiatives and some specific examples of how GM is working to increase inclusiveness in their company.
To read the interview please visit http://diversitymediaservices.com/blog/2010/gms-approach-to-workplace-diversity/ and and be sure to leave a comment to let us know what you think about how GM defines workplace diversity and the initiatives they are taking to create an inclusive work environment.
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