There is a growing need for companies to re-evaluate their hiring practices when it comes to ensuring candidates have the proper skills and aptitude for the role. Traditionally, hiring processes primarily included reviewing the candidate’s resume, previous experience and education, to help determine if that candidate is a good fit.
Today, more employers are looking to evaluate candidates based on their skills, abilities, and potential in addition to their work history. This new perspective will help businesses with:
There are challenges to incorporating a new skills-based approach into the hiring practice. Companies will need to shift their practices from where candidates are being “screened out” to candidates being “screened in.” This will require many businesses to:
There have been reoccurring conversations about the disparity in pay between men and women, but do you know about the other gender inequalities that plague our workplaces? It’s true…there are others that exist outside of the gender pay gap that we need to bring to light. And as the data shows, many of these inequalities are quite concerning. For example, a 2022 McKinsey & Company report explored gender inequality at work and factors that influence it:
The challenges that women face at work, and particularly women of color, isn’t getting better but is getting worse than what we’ve seen in the past. The gap is widening beyond pay inequality, meaning that organizations aren’t doing a good job in addressing such issues. While many might say this is a DEI issue, and it is, it is more of a human issue—ensuring that all people have/get the same opportunities to excel and recognizing where equitable business practices need to be implemented. So, what does an organization do to address this? Well, that’s a great question. Here are some tips on how to improve gender equality in the workplace: Black History Month is a time to celebrate our black employees but also gives employers the opportunity to examine barriers black employees face in career advancement. Black employees are leaving their jobs at high rates because they aren't being treated fairly or given the opportunities and tools to thrive at work, so they are finding their own ways to pave their success—at other employers.
Exodus of Black Employees Federal data shows that black workers have higher unemployment rates and fewer employment prospects compared with their white counterparts. And just six Black CEOs led Fortune 500 companies in 2022. McKinsey & Co. released a report in 2021 indicating that black workers:
Black employees are more likely than white workers to actively search for a new job or plan to search in the next few months, according to a 2022 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). They also continue to experience racism at work, including hair discrimination—although states have begun enacting laws to prohibit hair-related bias in the workplace. Forbes.com recently published an article discussing workplace trends for 2023. As we all know, our ways of working have changed significantly over the last several years forcing employers to pivot and reexamine how we get work done in this new age. It’s been challenging but it has made us focus on what is truly important—people! Several trends focused specifically on people and three struck a chord:
It is unfortunate to say that employers have lost the human side of work over the last several decades. Strong performance is rewarded by more demands, more work, more hours, more commitment to the organization instead of more human-focused recognition such as a living wage, support for strong mental health, paid time off to refresh and be with family, flexibility, etc. But employee demands are now moving toward humanity—what is needed by people to be healthy and happy. Employers must shift if they want to secure the best people. Employee Well-Being Is a Human Imperative A recent Surgeon General report suggests that 81% of workers will be looking for workplaces that support mental health. Mental health and wellbeing has been brought to the forefront of workplaces letting employers know that work, workplaces, coworkers, etc. can impact a person both positively and negatively. Workplace stress is on the rise, and it must be addressed. Many employers are looking at ways to reshape their workplace culture, benefit programs, and employee support resources to make employee wellbeing a priority. November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to, American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. This is also an opportune time to educate your employees about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. Your entire team should be able to openly discuss and celebrate various cultural and ethnic backgrounds—and HR leaders should encourage these conversations. There are 5.2 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives in the U.S., and it’s possible your team includes folks with Native heritage. Moreover, recognizing and celebrating your team’s racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds can help build psychological safety and employee engagement! Native Americans are the most impoverished of all ethnic communities; a recent NPR poll revealed that 54% of Native Americans living in tribal communities say they have been discriminated against when applying for jobs. It’s about time to recognize both the rich histories of our colleagues and be aware of our own biases. |
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December 2024
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