Hiring as an organizational building tool
In our recent webinar, we introduced a critical mindset for organizations: To think of hiring as more than simply a human resources operation. While many HR workers do consider critical impacts of hiring on the workplace’s overall well-being, it is often not part of their traditional training. Many operations professionals have been trained in a system designed to limit liability, not to tackle equity and inclusion in a head-on way.
By thinking of hiring as an organization-wide priority and part of discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion, we can open the door to a new way of thinking. Hiring holds a power dynamic, and while we can take steps to mitigate it, the hirer always has power over job applicants. The hirer knows more about what is needed for the organization, the context, and, of course, is looking for job-seekers to demonstrate why they are “best” for this role.
Many employers reasonably assume the standard way of hiring is relatively effective, and they only need to tweak the process in specific, small ways. While there are certainly improvements to processes to be made, the issue is usually broader and set in the organization's overall approach to equity, power, and culture development. The time an organization determines it is ready to hire for a new position is the perfect opportunity to take a step back, ask “why” they are hiring, and examine the broader implications of the role.
In addition to the needs for the specific role for which employers are hiring, consider asking the team some critical questions, including:
Why have we conducted our hiring process in this way in the past?
Are there trends in whom we hire and how we brought them into the pipeline?
How much time and energy have we spent on hiring in the past?
Who is being asked to conduct the search process, and are they trained or being provided support to do so well?
If we are an organization dedicated to creating an equitable workplace, what are the standards by which we hold current staff?
What skill or knowledge gaps exist in the department or organization overall?
How will we onboard and support this new hire? Are we prepared to do the necessary work to address any deficiencies in our organization?
These discussions often surface wider challenges in the organization and its culture. This is an opportunity to correct those challenges, particularly in a time when so many have come out in support of the fight for Black lives and other social justice issues. In order to move toward a more equitable and just society, we must do so with our actions, not just our words. To get started, watch the webinar and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for more to come!
