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Women Don't Need Saving; They Need Someone in Their Corner

Greer Campbell • Mar 21, 2023

In the past 5 years, advocacy has been a loud buzzword in the professional world. However, as each month of observance comes and goes, it becomes more and more clear that some, most, may be confused about what it really means to be an advocate, an ally. A relevant example? Women.


Although advocating for women in the workforce should be a year-round responsibility, it is a trending concept during the month of March, Women’s History Month. Cute photos of organization’s female leaders are highlighted on social media, historic women figures are remembered, etc. etc. etc.


But where is the action?


To begin the journey to consider yourself an advocate for women, you must first understand what it means to be an advocate. Many confuse a hero/savior mentality for advocacy, where in actuality, that mentality is just as, if not more, condemning and demeaning.


What is a “Hero/Savior” Mentality?

Individuals with Hero complexes in the workplace essentially want one thing: recognition. They want to save someone from a situation, to be able to take credit for fixing the situation. You may think, “Well where’s the harm in that? The situation is resolved”, well not quite.


Situation: Cara is a Marketing Manager at a medium sized nonprofit. After Cara pitched a new campaign, she’s worked all quarter on to her Executive Director Phil, Phil shut down every detail of her idea and demanded she give the task away to Rob, who has a lower title, less experience, and has been at the company for less time than Cara. Rob takes notice of this conversation, and take notice of Cara’s defeated, angry energy, and decided to simply usher Cara out of the room, letting her know she doesn’t have to worry about it, he will take over. 


Don’t Stand in Front of Women, Stand with Them

To be an advocate is not to be a shield. Avoiding and shutting down a conversation allows neither party to learn and grow from it. Taking the above situation, if Rob was a true advocate for his team and his female peers, he would have held the Executive Director accountable for his insensitive remarks, and reminded him of Cara’s seniority, experience, and abilities. Rob would say, “I have no problem providing Cara assistance in any way she needs, but based on Cara’s skill sets, the campaign would only benefit from her direction”.


Where Do You Begin?

Knowing how to appropriately and effectively be an ally will not come overnight. If you are feeling ashamed of your lack of advocacy and don’t know where to turn and where to start, begin by reading. Educate yourself on the experiences of the individuals you are advocating for. Have a conversation with an individual and ask, “What can I do?”. Taking initiative is the first step in creating a comfortable and equitable experience for all.

Interview Questions Your Team Should Avoid

By Greer Campbell • 04 Mar, 2024
Growing your organization requires the right team. Hiring the right team requires the right approach. Vetting and getting to know potential hires is key to building an effective culture. Interviewing candidates is your first chance to understanding applicants, their skill sets, their professional goals, and more. But just as you are vetting applicants, they are vetting you. The interview process allows applicants to gain a better understanding of your organization’s goals, culture, and needs. Setting the right example and perspective on your company begins with your interviews. One wrong or controversial question, and that could break a potential beneficial business relationship. See below for examples of questions to avoid asking candidates in interviews, and why. Are you planning to start a family soon/Are you planning to expand your family soon? While this seems like an obvious conflict, many companies are still asking this to potential employers. This makes the applicant feel like that would make or break their candidacy. Mothers and fathers in business want to feel support from their employer, an unspoken sense of support. Starting a family or having a family does not dictate a candidate’s professional abilities, therefore there is no reason to ask. What are your religious, political, and sexual stances? Again, these are personal attributes that do not affect a candidate’s ability to perform professionally, therefore can be seen as inappropriate and reason for termination of consideration for candidacy. Where are you originally from? While on the surface this may seem like an innocent question, it is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 making it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of national origin. If you ask, you could be accused of discriminating against them. You can, however, ask if the candidate will be able to report to the position location required by the job opening. How old are you? It is illegal to ask someone’s age, you are only allowed to confirm the candidate is of legal age to work full time, being 18 years old. What salary did you make at your previous role? Many states have implemented a salary transparency law, enforcing job postings and descriptions must portray the salary range for the position. Even if your state does not have this law, it is safe to avoid asking a person’s salary history. Instead, share the salary range and confirm the candidate’s expectations are within the range. As the market continues to be competitive and ever changing, engaging a 3 rd party service like Diverse Talent can greatly benefit in finding your organization’s right fit based on our industry expertise.

Employees & Technology are the Driving Factor of HR in 2024

By Alanna Jones • 23 Jan, 2024
After resignations and layoffs during 2023, it is crucial for employers to leverage technology to help their employees thrive. Employees are seeking good company culture, growth opportunities, and company priorities which help to retain and attract employees. When looking for new talent, we first must understand what job seekers are looking for. Here are some of their top priorities in 2024: Participation in meaningful work Engagement with good management Increased work-life balance Desire for hybrid or remote work The labor force is changing, and employees aren’t afraid to stand up for what they want. Job descriptions and interviews can portray the company values and culture which can make all the difference in the choice an employee makes. Including remote workers in your search opens opportunities to find talent in a wider area and reduces the impact employees have on the environment by reducing or eliminating their commute. With the focus on new employees during 2024, focus still needs to be on the current employees, the ones who the workforce is not limited to understanding what jobseekers are looking for. Current employees also have desires. Some of which are listed here: Retention Promotion and growth Development and upskilling Fear of job replacement by technology Your employees want to stick around and as a business leader you are responsible for giving them reasons to. Competitive pay is a bonus, but also leveraging HR and creating a space where your employees feel comfortable and valued is just as important. Help provide your employees with the resources and time to learn more skills, after all it only makes them more valuable to your company. How can you leverage technology in HR in 2024? Writing job descriptions and filtering candidates Automation of tasks and training Finding and generating key words Gathering data to make informed decisions Technology and AI will continue to have an increased presence in the workplace and should be used as tools. They are not meant to replace your work and instead should be used to drive efficiency. You should use AI to help write job descriptions, assist in scheduling, generate interview questions, help jumpstart a brainstorming session, and improve your company’s visibility through SEOs. Your company should even use technology to gather data on employees. See what skills they lack, what your company culture is lacking, and then use online platforms to train and upskill your employees. In 2024 decisions regarding employees should be driven by data. If your company does not leverage all the data accessible you will fall behind. Use technology to find, retain, and train your employees. If you are looking for talent or HR services, contact us at DT@diverse-talent.com . We’ll help gather data throughout the search process to ensure that we bring quality candidates to you. We focus on highlighting a workforce that reflects our country’s demographics and are eager to connect with potential candidates to fill your open positions.
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