SHRM23 - Driving Change with 25,000 attendees

25,000 HR professionals gathered under the theme, "Drive Change," at the SHRM23 conference in Las Vegas, where I had the privilege of delivering two presentations for the Executive Network on “Diversity Sourcing and Attraction — From High Touch to High Tech.” 

The conference was SHRM’s largest ever with dynamic talks from author Mitch Albom and former President Bill Clinton, as well as entertainment by Janet Jackson. 

I’ll share highlights from my presentation, outlining the importance of leveraging high-touch and high-tech strategies to drive diversity sourcing and attraction.

Traditional Approaches and High-Touch Strategies

In the quest to attract talent from underrepresented communities, organizations have traditionally relied on methods like diversity job boards, career fairs, and campus recruitment programs. Building relationships with diverse communities and organizations, leveraging employee referrals and internal networks, and implementing mentorship and sponsorship programs become essential high-touch strategies that attract these individuals. However, to drive change and tap into the full potential of the available workforce, it is crucial to expand beyond active job seekers. The use of sourcing tools can help reach passive talent, especially talent from underrepresented communities, who can represent up to 85% of available talent.

Challenges in Diversity Sourcing

As we explored diversity sourcing and attraction, we acknowledged the challenges organizations face. The recruitment process can be influenced by bias, hindering diversity efforts. Additionally, scarce talent in high demand creates shortages, particularly in underrepresented communities. To address this, proactive measures are needed to expand networks and cultivate balanced candidate pipelines. Incorporating technology that efficiently uses filters to ensure underrepresented talent is included becomes an important part of an effective DEI recruiting strategy.

Leveraging Technology for Diversity Sourcing

In today's digital era, technology plays a pivotal role in successful diversity sourcing by helping companies overcome biases and ensure that underrepresented talent is included in the recruitment process. Using data-driven diversity analytics and leveraging digital marketing and social media platforms for targeted outreach are crucial to high-tech strategies for diversity attraction efforts, as well as technology that enables deep searches and accurately identifies talent from underrepresented communities. 

Measuring and Tracking Diversity Sourcing Success

To effect meaningful change, it is crucial to measure the impact of diversity sourcing initiatives. Tracking candidate pool statistics by demographic group (e.g., progression through stages of recruitment to offer and acceptance rates, retention rates) provides valuable insights. Regular analysis empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions, refine strategies, and continuously improve diversity sourcing efforts, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and diverse workforce.

By leveraging a combination of high-touch and high-tech strategies, HR professionals can tap into the vast potential to create balanced talent pipelines, inclusive of underrepresented candidates.