“The prescription for extraordinary results is knowing what matters to you and taking daily doses of actions in alignment with it”

Said by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan authors of The One Thing.  Fitting because no matter your role, Recruiting, Sourcing or Talent Acquisition – Analyst, Vendor, or Founder, you want to experience the extraordinary.  Makes sense to me.  That extraordinary, referred to as “xo,” impacts brand, storytelling, market presence and bottom line velocity.

If you agree with the above then it’s probable that you also believe the next several years will present shifts in workplace composition around academics, economics, demographics, and required skills.  In my mind, there is no better time than now for organizations to level up their D&I efforts.  In fact, let’s use xoD&I for short (who knows it might stick). 

There’s no question that progress has been made, diversity reports have been published, and a few awards have been handed out.   As Aubrey Blanche (Atlassian) sees it, these iterative efforts have been good, should be celebrated and reminds advocates “that we cannot be so ideologically rigid that we only accept perfection.” 

Pursuing diversity is about purpose not perfection.  The opening quote is from a chapter in the mentioned book that directs readers to LIVE WITH PURPOSE.  The chapter ends with a call to action that says: Absent of an answer, pick a direction.  Aubrey and others are intentional about this work, not perfect, just willing to explore and do something.

Back in 2010, 400+ HR professionals shared with SHRM their top diversity concerns were: 1) improved public image of the organization, 2) reduced costs associated with turnover, absenteeism and low productivity, 3) improved financial bottom line (profits), 4) increased organizational competitiveness, and 5) decrease in complaints and litigation.

Real time, have you determined the organizations 2018 priorities?  Have you gained support and messaging from leadership, set strategy, allocated resources, aligned with the community, and most importantly included existing employees?  Choice is a matter of reflection but required nonetheless.  Have you chosen to make diversity a priority?

If so there’s a good chance your team is committed to exploring cultural inclusion and pipeline strategies with genuine effort.  It’s not too late if not.  For some, finding your voice is the first step.  For others it may mean neutralizing the loud biases of others.  Marvin Stickel (Coinbase) says “some are actively working against improving our hiring lenses.” 

Sad but true.  We’ve all seen, fought against it, and can share useful tactics.  In fact, we’d like for you to gain several of our best tips early in the year.  Join Aubrey and Marvin, two of the top practitioners in our space, at SRSC San Francisco.  I’ll moderate a diversity panel where you can expect critical, honest and raw exchange resulting in actionable takeaways around:

• Avoiding band aids and reinforcing the business case
• Identifying key resources, stakeholders, and tactical assets
• Storyboarding talent journey through the lens of “xo” diversity and inclusion 

It’s obvious the subject of diversity is important to the three of us and we’ll place that energy on full display in February 2018.  However, we are in no way suggesting you approach diversity initiatives wearing blinders or as a zero sum effort.  Given our complexity as curators of talent we simply recognize there is capacity for all involved to lean in and do more.  

Without litigating D&I efforts and their evolution through the years, I’d say the need is there to become an internal Super Hero or Heroine.  Why opt for average when the story could be written that you moved the numbers in alignment with demographic and workforce shifts and kept the company and team competitive beyond competitors. 

Knowing your secret was absent of an answer but that you simply picked a direction.

Contributor: Torin Ellis - social media @torinellis

Diversity Strategist | Published Author | SiriusXM Contributor

Interested in engaging on the topic? Join us at SRSC San Francisco this January 31- February 2, 2018 for the panel discussion on Diversity Recruiting in 2018.