Diversity Initiatives & Job Boards

There was a discussion on ERE's Diversity Forum regarding the lack luster performance (is that an accurate term for a job board?) of diversity job sites. Now, I do keep up on what sites are out there. Ethnicity specific, gender specific, disability or veteran specific, all the way to total inclusion (which would make it supposedly like all the others I suppose). But there is a lingering misconception that a diversity job board will magically bring in diversity candidates. I can't tell you how wrong that is and how frustrating it is to me as someone who specializes in diversity recruiting. I think some people just don't get it. Some companies are tight fisted with the dollars and don't want to put their money where their mouth is as far as diversity initiatives go. Recruiters on the average don't care about diversity because their objective it to fill the job by any means necessary. So here are some thoughts on including job sites in diversity initiatives.

Job boards of any kind are but a tool and should not be relied on to be used for a major portion of "diversity" sourcing. A true diversity (or rather inclusion) initiative would include the company GETTING OUT IN SIGHT OF CANDIDATES. Posting an ad on any diversity job board is not enough. We all know that jobs are posted everywhere. Get out and get involved if you want to stand by your mission. Attend events that target diverse candidates. Create a message you want to share that will catch the interest of diverse candidates. Contribute articles, speak or become a Q&A guest at an event that attracts diverse (or specific) candidates. You need to put the message out there loud and clear. Partner with different associations and agree or negotiate to send a representative or three to their events as guest speakers. Do they have blogs, a magazine, website, etc where you can be featured as an expert speaker? Take advantage of that. Honestly speaking, I, as a diverse candidate, would only utilize a diversity job site if it had other things besides job postings to catch my eye. Show me why I stand out. Show me why I matter as a diverse candidate. Show me how you as a company promote diversity, not just that you are posting a job on a site to attract my attention. You need to HOLD my attention. Show me how you have a message I might be interested in. Show me that your experts look just like me. Show me that I can see a kaleidescope of people in your company that match the global landscape (and I don't mean just in the call center). If you truly value diversity and inclusion, you have got to include the dollars in your recruiting budget. Stop looking for the cheap, free way. Invest time, money and manpower into your diversity efforts if you truly mean it!

If you are a diversity job site, why are you diverse and what makes you special enough to hold my or anyone's attention? What's in it for me, a diverse candidate, to visit your site and believe that the employers posting their jobs truly celebrate diversity? Lip service and cute graphics are not enough. Is the site targeting one specific ethnic or gender group or total inclusion (and if it is total inclusion, what makes you different from Monster, Careerbuilder, Vault, etc)? Give me other tools and interesting articles, not just recycled information. If I'm a diverse candidate and I see a company's job posting, you better believe that I expect to see diversity when I click on their website to investigate the company. I want to know I am not but a mere pawn to fill your quota. I want to see a representation of not only employees and management, but also your customers. If I am an employer, what incentive do I have to use your site? Am I buying the same batch of resumes as the other employers who patronize your site? Are my ads going to reach my intended targets or am I going to receive a glut of unqualified candidates just like on Monster, Careerbuilder, etc? What can I do to make myself stand out on your site other than paying extra for a Featured Employer spot? Are there opportunities to participate? How can my company promote its brand and expertise on your site other than just a brief bio? What's my return on investment?

As a diversity recruiter (and an African American and Hispanic Woman), my approach is different than the average recruiter. I gauge a job site by how useful it is to candidates. I put myself in the mindset of a (so-called diverse candidate) and try to understand the draw of the site. Is it related to an active organization? Do the members actively participate? What types of people does the site draw? Are there things for me to do there as a recruiter other than just posting? Will I be able to create a relationship with the site through contributions (articles, etc) that will brand my company as being truly involved in diversity initiative? The answer to many of these questions for a lot of diversity sites is often NO.

Yes, I did create a job board, but I do not advertise it. I head an organization for African American Women and my members are fickle. They are not looking for companies that are just fishing for black women (please excuse the bluntness of that statement). They are savvy when it comes to making their career decisions and are interested in looking at genuine opportunities from top notch companies. They want to see more than just a job ad. Companies that do advertise need to understand that they need to create a message for the candidates they seek. They can't just post a job and run. Companies that I partner with are excited about being able to answer these very same questions (I mentioned above) and know that they are not just being sold the same database that other employers are receiving the same access to. Oh yeah, and I don't sell the resume database. The site allows for companies to create their brand identity to attract diverse candidates. In other words, they have to put in time and work to cultivate relationships and get their message out. This is not to say the recruiter needs to be the only one to participate. They can designate a representative (subject matter expert if you will) from the company to do so. The site is not predicated on receiving a check for producing candidates from a resume database (crazy idea huh). That would be a conflict of interest on my end since I am a Recruiter. I didn't create it to be an end all be all money maker. I personally invite companies to post who I know are active and serious about their diversity initiative and have real jobs to post. It is a chance to make your brand stand out. How you do that is up to you and your company.

Before you place your bet on diversity sites, make sure you know what you are looking for and what message you wish to portray. Understand what your company's diversity mission is and how the site can help you with that initiative. Then make sure that diversity site is in line with your needs.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Gas Prices & Recruiting

We can all agree that the gas prices are ridiculous. I wasn't commuting before the prices went up and I definitely won't do it now. There was a discussion on a message forum about the gas prices and how they are affecting people's jobs and overall quality of life. The general consensus was that people are tired and are starting to make dramatic changes in their lives where they can and that include their jobs.

I have spoken to quite few candidates who were looking but the location and commute was a deal breaker for them. Who can blame them. The average range to fill up a car is about $40-50 and for SUVs upwards to $90. And this is per week (and in some cases twice per week). So who can blame people for turning down jobs with long commutes. It is getting harder to convince people to make a move at this time in the economy. But I love the challenge!

I was recently on Linked In and someone posed a question about HR implementing transportation incentives in their benefits packages. It is a shame that we have now had to come to this. But I think it's a great idea. If retention is key, HR would do well by investigating offering these incentives. More candidate would be willing to consider an offer if they know their transportation costs are covered in some way. But is it an employer's duty to cover travel expenses? When a person takes a job they understand the logistics of it, including location. Why should companies help their employees? Simply because they better worry about retention. If I was someone who spent $150 a week on gas and a job offer came through with a little less money, but a sweet commute, that would be a no-brainer. I'm bailing for the betterment of my quality of life. Then again, we can't go by me. I'm a contractor!

Remote work or telecommuting is another option. Personally, in this day of elite technology and high gas prices, I think companies have a lot of nerve requiring all employees to work onsite. Every time I see a job posting for a Recruiter no less stating ONSITE IS MANDATORY, I laugh.....hard. Way before it was energy conscious to do so, I was telecommuting. I paid great expense in outfitting my home office to rival a corporate office. They invented audio video conferencing, telephones, conference calling, and VPNs for a reason! There is nothing I can do in an office that I can't do at a home office. And what really gets me is that they expect you to handle multiple regions or cities from you one location. Hello!!! Is that not in a sense working remotely? So how in the world can you justify telling someone they NEED to be onsite? Sheer nonsense. Yes, you onsite evangelists, I am referring to YOU. When someone can logically justify why onsite is mandatory, maybe, just maybe, I'll be open to listen. I doubt it, but you can try anyway. I have successfully managed multiple contracts from my home office over the years and it will take a lot to convince me.

So what are we going to do about securing top talent in this gas crunch? I don't know about you, but I will do my best to convince HR powers that be (and the C level bunch) that they have to keep in line with the economy. Let all who are able to telecommute. If not fully for the week, then at least part of the time. Not everyone has access to public transportation. If I had to go onsite I'd be in trouble because public transportation is scarce in this part of town. If I lived in NYC, or another major metro area, I would MAYBE consider it (probably not). But I really feel for those people who have such long commutes.

When will we feel some relief? Who knows. But I know it should begin to heal when this current administration is kicked out on their.......

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Social Networking: Who Are You & What Do You Want From Me?

Hi All.

This is a post I wrote for another one of my blogs. I felt it would be appropriate to share it here as well. Recruiters are heavily taping into the power of Social Networking. while some follow the internet rules of etiquette, there are some that don't. So I hope you enjoy this post. It pertains to candidates as well as recruiters.

Social Networking. That seems to be the term of the decade. Everywhere you go, it's Web 2.0 this, social networking that, Linked In this, Facebook that. Who would have imagined back in the day that social forums would evolve into professional networking opportunities?

I teach a few webinars that focus on not only Linked In, but social networking to its core. One of the features I read and take advantage of often is the Answers section of Linked In and Yahoo. By answering questions and giving my advice, I seem to draw a lot of people who ask to network with me. An avid user an fan of Linked In, I am cautious about how and with whom I network and connect. I get invitations to connect on a daily basis. Despite the fact that I have clearly mentioned on many occasions that I prefer people send a note asking to connect and making it personal (ie: an introduction), and that I always take the time to send a personalized note letting a person know how I found them and my reason for asking to connect, this is what I still manage to get from people:

Adrienne,

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

That's it. No introduction, no explanation of how they found me/why they were drawn to contact me, nothing. It drives me nuts! It's as if they haven't even read my profile. Recently I received the same generic note from a young man . I politely responded back to him my preference for contacting and connecting with me and asked him to a least introduce himself. He replied back that he was sorry I didn't see anything in his PROFILE that would make me want to connect. I was taken aback. So not only did he not honor my request, he STILL didn't even take the time to introduce himself and tell me how he'd like to network with me. But he was upset. It left me scratching my head.

I tell this story to illustrate a point. When you are stepping into a social networking situation, it's not like being on Myspace, Facebook, or any other social networking site for pleasure. When you join a professional networking site, you must have a different approach and mindset than you would with the above mentioned networks. You cannot assume that people will take the time to read your profile if you didn't put any thought into introducing yourself properly or abide by their wishes. The rules of engagement are simple. Do your research. Read a person's profile and see if there are any specific request about how to contact them. Make sure the person wants to be contacted, and what their preferences are (if you are a pet lover who wants to share an event for your pet, you wouldn't contact someone who doesn't own a pet). Do NOT EVER send cookie cutter or standard template messages. That will turn a person off immediately. I know it turns me off. Take the time to properly introduce yourself, indicate why you are contacting them, and offer to discuss any possible synergies.

Building networking relationships takes work. Building networking relationships ONLINE takes not only work, but also the proper etiquette. The people you reach out to cannot see you. So you have to be extra diligent about presenting the proper first impression. And I don't care what anyone says, it is a waste of time to link for the sake of linking. I believe in QUALITY over QUANTITY.....and I still build a quality network with a vast quantity! :) It's all in how you work it out.

**Oh and a side note to recruiters, if you are relying solely on social/internet networking to build your pipeline and increase your network, we seriously need to talk. Don't lose sight of the original skill set it takes to be a recruiter. Let technology assist you, don't rely solely on it to do your job. Pick up a phone.**

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham

Job Description vs Job Ad

You know it. It's part of the game. Recruiters scramble to get the word out to as many job boards, organizations, colleges, networking groups, etc, etc. You get a new req and the search is on for that perfect pipeline of candidates. There's just one thing, though. You didn't create an actual ad!

I see more often than not, job postings that resemble something straight out of the legal department. When all is said and done, you have this long laundry list of duties that must be performed for the job. But who wants to read that? I know I like to see dazzling ads that catch my eye. Something creative that captures my attention and makes me want to read on to see if it is something I may (or someone else) be interested in.

You must be cognizant of how you portray your company. Everything that goes out to public view says something about your company. A standard job description in an ad shows that you really don't have any flair to your company (even if you really do). It reads bureaucratic and forgive the expression, a tight, stuffy work environment. If I were the job seeker, I would assume my days would be stuck in a cubicle doing repetitive tasks that would eventually drive me insane, and wouldn't allow me to be free to be the creatively expressive person I am.

So when you are posting an ad, take the time to think about your audience. What will engage them? What will make your company seem like it is with the times and a great place to work? What will make the job more appealing? While you want to provide enough information, always remember that less is more when it comes to job ads. All you need to do is to get them excited enough about the position so that they will want to apply. You don't want to give them so much information that they lose interest half way through the ad and don't apply.

So take a creative writing class. Tap into that inner creativity you should have and start writing like you want to hire some dynamic people to join your dynamic organization. Or else, let someone else do it. Job ads need to have more kick.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham

Who Are You And What Is Your Specialty?

Hey all. It's been a while. I've been busy. Sorry!

Now let me make a disclaimer before I go into "provocative thought" mode (aka rant mode...LOL). I am not speaking of me nor have I been "interviewing". I belong to several recruiter email lists. It's getting so hard to keep up with those things. I often wish there was only one main list that can consolidate all the posts just so we can avoid getting the same stuff over, and over, and over again. But I digress.

Being that I know a lot of recruiters, and I like to keep current on what's out there, I will read any Contract Recruiter posting that comes across my inbox. Again, like I said, there are tons of email I get daily, but I make it a point to be in the know in case one of my recruiting buddies is on the hunt. Sometimes I like to call the poster of the email and introduce myself and offer to pass along the information to my network of friends and colleagues (nothing formal). We'll chat about what they are looking for and express our views on the recruiting industries, have a laugh or three and promise to keep in touch.

Well, I received a couple of email that didn't sit well with me. In the (sometimes grammatically incorrect) email, there would be stipulations. You know the usual, x amount of years experience, sourcing skills, maybe a degree requirement (my other gripe but I digress). With my own two eyes, I saw the most upsetting thing! Well I'm exaggerating. It said that they would only consider people who specifically worked in that field. Fair request. But I wondered, why such a stringent requirement.

I have chatted with people in the past where they would make blanket statements like "a recruiter needs to be specialized. It's impossible for someone who recruits for finance to recruit for engineering, or marketing, or (specialty here). I have always disagreed with this. Any recruiter worth his or her salt needs to be diversified and skilled enough to source and build relationships across many verticals. Sure, specialization is great. But I believe a true blue recruiter CAN recruit anyone. I'll throw myself into the equation. I have done almost everything from A to Z. Volume recruiting, executive recruiting, niche recruiting. Does this mean I am not qualified to get the job done?

My thoughts are the same about the recruiter who has been recruiting for years, but hasn't recruited XYZ in 5 years. Yes, industries change. It's a given. But it's up to the individuals to keep up with the times, even when doing other things. A good recruiter can recruit in any field as long as they are skilled, not afraid to dig in and research, has a strong network and a desire to be flexible enough to learn new verticals. There, I said it.

So before you blindly cast aside recruiters, find out their performance record. See what they are made of. Understand their strengths. They just may bring something fresh to your team.

Stop the madness! Shame on you!

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Diversity Misconceptions

I had a conversation with a few different people (recruiters, hiring managers, company executives, etc) regarding diversity. As you would imagine, having earned the CDR designation garners a lot of attention and is often the start of conversations.

Well, I've noticed a trend in these conversations. Because I have the designation, the fact that I'm a woman, and also African American and Hispanic, it is assumed that I have some ready to tap into pipeline to "diverse" candidates. Well this is partly true. But it makes me feel as though I am being stereotyped because of my race(s) and gender. True, I have worked hard over the years to establish key relationships with minority (I hate that word) associations, alumni groups, fraternities and sororities, etc. But I find it insulting that people often look beyond my skills and see my race and gender as a trump card in diversifying their companies.

Diversifying may not be an accurate term. Some of the people I speak with express their frustration with not finding specific ethnic types. It is at this point, I gently remind them that DIVERSITY is all inclusive, not filling the pipeline with a certain group or groups. We live in a global economy. More and more playing fields are leveled. Our clients and customers are taking on the representation of a global society. Most companies talk a really good game. They have pretty ads showing a rainbow of workers smiling and giving "testimonials" of what it's like to work in the company. But upon closer inspection, they are lacking.

So how do we solve the problems and get a true diversity initiative in place for most companies? First, start by training recruiters and hiring managers on where to identify top candidates. Establish relationships (not just exhibit at a conference or two). Get out and talk to people. Make your company a place where anyone (regardless of race or gender) would want to work. stop looking at it in terms of color or gender. Think global...all inclusive. And guess what? White males are part of that equation. Remember, the key is to have a good representation across the board. Not more of one group over others. We don't want it to be like yesterday when companies were 90% white males. But by the same token, we don't want to exclude them.

So yes, I will entertain discussions about diversity. I will be open to diversity projects. But please, don't approach me as a diversity golden goose. Approach me because you want me to use my expertise in helping you diversify.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham, CDR

Atlanta Recruiter Announces

”Certified Diversity Recruiter” Designation

We are living in a global society. It’s time our workforce accurately reflects this.

Atlanta, GA -- January 2, 2008 – Adrienne Graham announced her designation as a Certified Diversity Recruiter. The certification, granted by AIRS, signifies Ms. Graham’s commitment to diversity in the workforce. “Living in a global society means valuing and understanding that your organization must reflect the diversity of your clients. Reaching diverse candidates requires an understanding of the values that drive candidates to choose a career, decide to apply for a particular position and ultimately accept a job offer from a company. In recruiting, it is not only a job description that appeals to the values of targeted candidates will go a long way toward attracting them, but your overall message of inclusion and diversity and how you live up to it” says Graham. “Diversity means total inclusion, not a selective increase of certain groups to meet affirmative action quotas”.

Ms. Graham, a subject matter expert in diversity recruiting, and has over 10 years of experience in marketing to and attracting diverse candidates, and 15 years in recruiting overall. She works with companies to define diversity recruiting methods, create initiatives, employment branding, and attracting and retaining diverse candidates.

An innovative Talent Acquisition and Career Consultant, Ms. Graham is dedicated to leveling the playing field and introduce more strategic diversity initiatives into corporations. For more information on Ms. Graham please contact her at info@huesconsulting.com or visit her Linked In Profile.

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