This Week In Talent (14th June)

Hey friends, what are you learning at the moment?

I just became a student again and start a part-time visual arts course next month and can’t wait to be covered in paint. Honestly, I am doing it as a hobby BUT it will no doubt improve my skills at work. There are so many studies on the impact of arts and creative skills on leadership including “The Impact of Arts-Based Learning on Leadership Development” by Adler (2010) which found that arts-based learning programs significantly improved leaders’ ability to innovate and think critically.

It made me wonder if we need to challenge the “professional” part of professional development policies and funds? Some candidates will want to know their CPD is supported at your organisation and others may want to be trusted to choose and have less constraints around what qualifies for a study day or what could count to access a training budget. 

Talking of upskilling, you can tune in to the upcoming webinar hosted by ATC Events on adopting a global mindset when it comes to Talent.  Maybe you’re leading TA for a smaller tech company and the COO wants you to ask for your advice on hiring tech professionals in another country. What knowledge will you share? If you’re not sure, REGISTER! Or perhaps you are leading HR/Talent for a larger organisation and the ELT comes to you for advice on moving into a new country/region… how do you respond? Tune in!

Honestly, it’s not only the fact that skills aren’t evenly distributed and accessible around the world but also the need for Talent and HR to be able to help their organisations enter new markets and regions. So, go ahead and register for the webinar coming up Thursday 20 June on why talent teams need to apply a global hiring mindset to meet organisational goals.

Here’s what piqued my interest this week….

Are we hiring brilliant jerks?

I loved this take in HR Daily: “brilliant” employees who behave like jerks can no longer be a “protected species”; it’s time to stop promoting them and start exiting them” courtesy of Hall & Wilcox partner Fay Calderone.

Have you reviewed your hiring practices to ensure you identify and close the “jerk” hiring gaps? I don’t love the phrase “they were a bad hire” because all the blame gets pushed back to TA but I do think TA needs to proactively “jerk proof” their practices.

To inspire your thinking, here are some interview question examples we have seen our Workplace Edit clients adopt;

• Tell us a time when you had to access experiences, thinking and operating styles that were different to yours? What was the situation? What was the outcome? What did you learn?
• Tell us a time when you changed your mind based on new information? What was the situation, what did you do and what was the outcome? How did others experience this?
• Tell us how you will use your power, privilege and influence to benefit others if successful in this role?

What Researchers Discovered When They Sent 80,000 Fake Résumés to U.S. Jobs

What a powerful and extensive piece of research. In summary, some companies discriminated against Black applicants much more than others, and HR practices made a big difference. On average, they found employers contacted the presumed white applicants 9.5 percent more often than the presumed Black applicants. That’s not OK! This is a useful study to mention when raising the case for an inclusive hiring review and audit.

Why flexibility for non-office workers is key to an equitable workplace

The desire for flexibility is not limited to office-based workers so why do the headlines focus on the big corporations in their shiny office towers? I loved this article that reveals that three in five non-office workers now believe that flexibility is possible in their line of work. If you are hiring in construction, retail, healthcare, and all the non-office sectors, you are probably working out what a flexibility proposition could look like to attract and retain talent – so this one’s for you!

Experiment with generative AI for efficiency and improve inclusivity

According to the 2024 state of TA report, 60% of you are already using AI in your talent practices. Generative AI can do many things including help draft job descriptions and ads improving efficiency and inclusivity – double win. When working with teams to improve DEI outcomes, we discuss how tools like Textio use AI to optimise job postings, supporting inclusion and appealing to a diverse range of applicants. In April 2024, Textio introduced “Generate a Job Post” which is the latest generative feature powered by Textio AI. Are you experimenting yet?