#TalentAttraction #Tuesday – DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT IS IMPORTANT

By RecruiterGuy | March 2, 2021

Companies and Associations whose members are of the same gender, race, or religion tend to hire people who “Look like them.” This is natural because we grew up believing that our (fill in the blank) is the best. The potential trap these organizations fall into is the inability to listen to others who think or feel differently.

As a Talent Attraction expert with 40 years of recruiting experience, there have been many times across the US where candidates were not accepted because “they would not fit in.”

I have experienced organizations where candidates that I presented to them are different than the majority of their employees (companies) or members (Associations or Association chapters). It seems these organizations are afraid that “dilution” by these people threatens their organization. The fear is real for them.

Why Should We Accept Candidates/Members Who Are Not Like Us?

I grew up in a close suburb of Washington, D.C. Reflecting on my experience during childhood, there was one common thread that I expect to live to today. Watch a group of multi-cultural children playing a game of tag. You will see what I experienced. We did not care if the person who was “It” was White Catholic, Black Methodist, Asian Pacific Hindu. All we cared about was that we did not want them to tag us “It”. There was always screaming and respect for our friends.

We did not learn to discriminate until we were older. There is always an enemy – real or imagined. Today, some people grow wealthy by exploiting those feelings.

If everyone in a group (company or association) grew up with the exact same background, they will think along the same lines. Why should we expect they will think differently? News flash – they will agree with everyone else with their background.

People who have different backgrounds – Race, Gender, Religion, etc. will have a different perspective based on their experience.

How Will Recruiting Diverse Candidates/Members Benefit Us?

In 2016, Cyndy Trivella and I co-wrote The Positive Aspects of Diversity Hiring for SmartSearch – SmartSearch-eBook-The-Positive-Aspects-of-Diversity (aps2k.com)

Look at companies and associations that embrace diversity. Typically they grow faster, have happier employees and members. Why? They understand the value of different perspectives. They do not limit their growth by actively recruiting from only one Race, Gender, or Religion, etc.

Sure, any group of people with the same backgrounds can solve a problem. The AHA Moments generally come from a group of people with diverse backgrounds. It may not be an AHA Moment for the person who created the idea but the Others are wondering why WE did not think of that?

There is a converse side of the practice to remain a small group where everyone thinks alike. Why would anyone want to join a group where they do not fit in? This practice negatively impacts, especially associations, where potential members feel they are discriminated against. Many times, associations’ primary sources of income are membership dues, meetings, training, and fundraising. Fewer members mean less money from membership dues, less money from meetings and training, and less money from fundraising – all of this impacts the financial health of the association.

May I suggest that it is important to embrace diversity? One group does not own ALL of the Best Ideas. Your company, if it is all one gender, race, or religion, etc. may find that it is slowly sliding behind its competition. Once the sliding backward begins, it becomes difficult to stop. Soon, your once proud organization finds it has developed a reputation in the marketplace that is difficult to overcome.

Embrace Diversity and Grow

If you would like a conversation on how to ATTRACT talent instead of using an Applicant Tracking System or HRIS to screen them out, we should chat. Call me directly at 435-714-4425 (mountain).

I am available to consult with your company to improve your Top Talent Attraction strategy. Attracting and integrating Top Talent gives your company an industry edge. The process is worth the effort by improving productivity, innovation, and profitability – Look at Google, Tesla, SpaceX, and Apple. Retaining Top Talent keeps your industry knowledge inside your company – instead of with the competition.

The RecruiterGuy.com Top Talent Attraction business model is my differentiator. I focus on one client at a time and charge a flat monthly fee. This model enables me to attract new talent to your organization while identifying and suggesting improvements to your company’s Talent Attraction process, including Manager Interview Training. https://recruiterguy.com/

Learn how I coach my Career Transition Clients in my most recent book – Employee 5.0: Secrets Of A Successful Job Search In The New World Order http://amzn.to/2D9w39f My book includes an appendix with action verbs and sample interview questions.

I help organizations Recruit, Onboard, Actuate, and Retain Top Talent.

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Bill Humbert is available for Speaking, Talent Attraction Consulting, and Training contracts.

Bill@RecruiterGuy.com 435-714-4425

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USA 01-435-714-4425 Bill@RecruiterGuy.com

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