Candidate screening is an essential part of any hiring process. You may not realise that it requires a slightly different mindset than interviewing.

I started my career as a recruiter in headhunting and executive search where screening was one of the most important stages because, in an agency, you don’t get to interview the candidate as thoroughly as your client does.

So how can you make sure that you set up the right candidates for interview and even start to think about closing them at the offer stage?

Here I’ll share my knowledge and best practices to help you develop an effective candidate screening process.

What is candidate screening?

Candidate screening is the stage at the start of the recruitment process that decides who goes through to the first stage interview. This is especially common if a recruiter works with the hiring manager as the recruiter acts as a sieve and an extension of the hiring team’s needs.

The candidate screening process involves reviewing information about the candidate that is available to you (candidate’s resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile etc.) and deciding whether they could be a good fit. 

If they seem promising, then the process would also normally involve an initial call between the candidate and someone from HR, called the ‘screening call’, to explore a little deeper and discuss the role.

This involves designing questions that are wide enough to give you a snapshot of the candidate without going into unnecessary detail at this early stage.

At the screening stage, there is a lot of practice and effort required so as not to make any “mental shortcuts” or heuristics.

You need to actively steer your mind from jumping to conclusions based on limited information and try to verify and investigate whatever you can find before making a call.

Screening while sourcing

You may not realise it, but a lot of judgment goes (or at least should go) into candidate sourcing.

This could be as basic as reading a candidate’s profile on LinkedIn and noticing that they specifically say they don’t want to be contacted for new roles right now (and respecting that wish!).

Here are a few things I look out for when deciding whether I should reach out to a potential candidate:

• Are there mentions of the right skills? Sounds simple, but I know so many people who receive messages every day for roles that are completely the wrong fit for them e.g. a developer who’s worked with Java exclusively getting approached for a role that requires 5 years of Golang experience.
• Are there mentions of the right skills in unexpected ways? Keep in mind that not everyone describes their skills the way you want them to or expect them to, especially if you are recruiting across cultures or in an expertise domain different than your own. For example, you may be looking for someone with project management skills, but a candidate may talk about a time when they “coordinated” a project. The skills may be the same, but the word coordination may lead you astray in thinking that they are not “managing” the project.  
• Can you research if they have the right skills? Sometimes the skills aren’t visible at first glance so you need to research a bit deeper. When the information doesn’t go into detail, start looking for something that will include them on your list of people to contact rather than exclude them. Things to look at:
  • Current and past companies—do they have a similar product, size, or tech stack to yours?
  • Projects or engagements outside of work—these can also be used in your outreach message as well.
  • Education—things like a bachelor’s degree may be less relevant with senior candidates who already have experience, but signs of continual education in a certain area can demonstrate skills too.
  • Work experience—seems simple but don’t forget to pay attention to their description of their experience, not just the keywords.

Resume screening

When it comes to applicants, the first piece of information you will see about them is their CV or resume (depending on where you are in the world). 

We are so used to them that it’s actually a new thing now for companies to offer accessible applications without CVs. Here are things that I review for each job applicant’s CV:

• Has the candidate stated their title and responsibilities in each role clearly?
• Is there a focus on outcomes and understanding of their work’s impact?
• Does the CV clearly outline what their career path has been so far?
• Are the right skills and experience that you’re looking for contained in the CV?
• If the background (e.g. size of company, location etc) are important for the role, are those requirements covered?

That is all—not much, but bear in mind that for the moment we’re looking at the very top of the funnel. A CV only tells half the story, so you don’t want to look too much into it and start making assumptions that often turn out to be wrong.

For example, you may be excited that you have an applicant who has only ever worked at a very large company, but then you remember that your position is in a small start-up and you are looking for a sales director that has experience bringing a small challenger product to a new market. 

You can still interview a candidate from a large company, but you have to make sure you delve deeper into how they would approach your particular situation.

Things I don’t give much importance to:

• 1-2 typos (especially if long CV). Others may be a bit more strict but to me I prefer to focus on skills and other things. The only roles where I pay attention to things like this is content marketing, lawyers, and finance.
• Career gaps. Especially with the way the current job market is going, one or two gaps do not concern me. I will cover them during a call, but they shouldn’t exclude a candidate that otherwise has the right experience.
• Formatting. Unless it makes it illegible, remember that sometimes your applicant tracking system (ATS) can screw up the formatting of a CV. Especially with candidates using new tools outside of MS Word to create CVs. My own is created using Canva!

Note on AI CV reviewers ATS companies have

I am yet to see an ATS with a well-executed “AI” or even “machine learning” model of CV rating per role. Even roles with the same title can be so different that I don’t see any current tool being able to reliably rate candidate CVs. Most just end up being SEO catchers i.e. looking for keywords and the frequency of their use.

Bear in mind the following if this will be your first time reviewing international CVs as they may contain these elements which may seem odd:

• Picture of the applicant
• Blood type, height, and weight
• Marital status
• Personal identification numbers
• Exact home address
• Immigration status
• Criminal background check status.

Phone screening/Video Call screening

If, after reviewing their CV, LinkedIn, etc. someone seems like a potential match, the next step of the screening process is a quick call with someone from HR.

This is likely the first human interaction the candidate will have with your organization as part of their application, so you want to balance assessing their skills with creating a good overall experience. Don’t let it be a conversation where it’s just a checklist of questions.

You have to give potential candidates enough information about the open position and the company culture in an engaging way and also get the information you need from.

While it may be the first proper conversation, this is actually where the “close” begins in that you’re preparing yourself and the candidate for a potential job offer.

Understanding the motivations of the candidate completes the picture that their skills and experience begin to draw, so make sure you take time to understand them truly. This will help you later on if you end up making them an offer.

For example, if a candidate mentions that they currently don’t do much frontend engineering as part of their full-stack role, but they’d really like to focus on that as a next step in their career and this is something you can offer, you can remind them of that in the offer call to reinforce the opportunity.

To ensure an effective a call as possible, I always center the initial screening interview around an agenda—just like with internal meetings!

I start by giving them an overview of the role and then ask them to give me an overview of their experience plus answer a few questions. I then make sure there’s time at the end for any questions they have.

I’ve found that starting with information about myself, the company, and the role settles candidates better than me rattling off questions at them from the start. 

But, as you want to move over to assessing their skills and motivations, be mindful of how much time you spend giving information vs how much you spend getting information from the candidate. 

My screens are usually about 30 mins so I spend around 5-7 mins on the intro and pitch and 15 mins gathering information from the candidate. The rest of the time I try to reserve for the candidate’s questions (which at this stage may not be that many).

I usually create interview questions based on the areas I want to cover in this first call:

• Motivation. If they’re an applicant, why did they apply here? If they were sourced, why did they respond to the message?
• Goals. I want to understand the candidate’s goals for their next role and if it will match our role.
• Communication skills. This is important in most roles, so look at the communication skills of a candidate from the get-go. For example, are they able to explain something technical in simple terms? Can they be concise and keep to the time schedule as the screening call is short?
• Skills. While this is not a technical interview, you can still look for evidence for some skills that should be essential (more on this shortly).

On my side, I talk them through the company, team, role, outcomes for the position, and other essentials that they’d need to know to make a decision.

This discovery process on both sides continues throughout the process, but the screening lays the foundation of knowledge on both sides.

I’d recommend similar approaches when it comes to phone interviews or video interviews at the screening stage.

Setting up your recruiter for success

If you’re a hiring manager working with a recruiter, you play a key role in ensuring that your talent acquisition partner understands what you need. 

They will be conducting the screen on your behalf, so it’s crucial they understand how you think about the role.

An easy way to give guidance is to think about what information you need to consider a candidate suitable for the role, what information isn’t present in the candidate’s CV that you’d like to know, and what information the recruiter can realistically assess. For example, it’s unlikely the recruiter will be able to assess the quality of the code of an applicant.

This ensures the recruiter has the knowledge and screening tools they need to turn top talent into qualified candidates to progress through the interview process.

Other ways of gathering info

• Application stage questions.
  • These can be a good way to check binary information like “Do you have the right to work in the country?” or “Can you come to the office X number of days a week?”. Some companies put very expansive questions that cover a specific skill set in the application questionnaire, but I’m not a fan of those as they limit the discussion.
    • E.g. One place I applied to recently had a question “Describe your experience in managing senior stakeholders”. Such a wide and, frankly, poorly designed question that I had to sit and write an answer to before anyone had even reviewed my CV, or I’d had a chance to speak to anyone to understand this company’s specific challenge.
• Asking for references.
  • If, for example, you notice a candidate shares a common company with a colleague you can always ask them if they knew of them. Make sure that any reference given is from people that have directly worked with the candidate.
• Asking for referrals
  • You ensure that you ask for more detail about any referrals given internally from colleagues. This can give you some idea of skills and behaviours beyond the CV that you can just confirm in the interview.

Closing thoughts

A well-designed screening process will really boost your selection process by making sure that you set the tone for skills testing early on and understand the candidate’s goals and motivations.

As you’ve seen, in all three types of screening I outlined above, I talked about anchoring the screening on objective things and primarily looking for evidence of the candidate’s skill. This is important as unconscious bias can creep in during these early stages.

And don’t forget that, especially on that first call, you have the opportunity to set the tone for the kind of candidate experience you want to create—make it excellent!

Have any tips to share? Reach out in the comment or join the conversation in the People Managing People Community, a supportive community of HR and business leaders passionate about building organizations of the future

Some further resources to help you refine your hiring process:

• The Key To Focused, Engaging Interviews (+ Template)
• How To Create A Great Candidate Experience (Even Through Rapid Scaling)
• How To Create An Efficient, Sustainable Growth Hiring Plan
• Employer Branding: Where To Start And How To Keep It Authentic
• Candidate Sourcing Tips To Help You Find The Best Talent
• 20 Best Candidate Sourcing Software To Help You Find The Best Talent
• Your Employer Value Proposition: An In-depth Dive

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Creating inclusive workplaces is crucial for any organization that wants to get the most out of its talent. This means creating an environment where everyone feels like they belong, has equal opportunities, is empowered to do their best work, and feels comfortable making requests and contributing ideas. 

Karen Catlin

About the interviewee: After spending 25 years building software products and serving as a vice president of engineering at Adobe, Karen Catlin witnessed a sharp decline in the number of women working in tech. Frustrated but galvanized, she knew it was time to switch gears. Today, Karen is a highly acclaimed author and speaker on inclusive workplaces. She has published four books, including “Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces,” and “Belonging in Healthcare.”

 

Welcome to the series, Karen. Before diving in, we’d love to get to know you a bit better. How did you get to where you are today?

Sure! As a vice president at Adobe, I felt a call to action to mentor, support, and sponsor women across the company. I loved doing that work so much that I decided to do it full-time. So, I launched a leadership coaching practice focused on women working in the tech industry.

However, soon after starting my business, I realized I had a big problem. My clients were facing an issue I couldn’t address through coaching: All were working in companies where the closer you got to the C-suite, the maler and paler it got. 

Clearly, these organizations were not true meritocracies where people get ahead based on their work and contributions to the business. That’s when I decided to focus on making workplaces more inclusive, not just for women like my clients but for employees of any underrepresented group.

My first step was to create a Twitter handle, @betterallies, to share simple, everyday actions people could take. Through tweeting, coupled with responses to my posts and interactions with others working in tech, I amassed many great examples of how allies act, or should act, in real workplace scenarios. 

They were far too good to let them fade into the Twitter twilight, so I compiled them into my book, Better Allies. More recently, I researched allyship in healthcare workplaces and wrote Belonging in Healthcare. 

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a funny mistake you made when you were first starting out and what lesson you learned from it?

When I was in high school, I worked at a convenience store. One day, the manager asked me to get a large, heavy watermelon off a high shelf in the walk-in cooler. Let’s just say I spent the rest of my shift cleaning up smashed bits of watermelon and washing down that cooler. Lesson learned? Ask for help when the weight is too much for one person to bear.

Fast forward to today, and I’m still making mistakes and learning from them. Being an ally is unfamiliar, uncomfortable territory for many of us. Yet the ally mindset means taking responsibility for learning to do what’s right instead of falling back on what’s easy or safe. 

Sparking meaningful change requires pushing past our own fears and being willing to get vulnerable. And possibly make a few mistakes along the way.

Each time I make a mistake on my journey to be a better ally, I write about it in my weekly “5 Ally Actions” newsletter so that my subscribers can learn with me.

None of us are able to succeed without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?

I could fill pages with gratitude for those who’ve helped and inspired me. Instead, I’ll mention just one person who deserves a shout-out: my husband, Tim. He believes in me more than I do in myself and consistently supports and encourages me in all of my endeavors. I think everyone should have a partner or friend like Tim in their lives.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote” and how it’s relevant to you in your life? 

I’m inspired by Maya Angelou, who wisely said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” 

I think of those words every time I realize there’s more I should have (and could have) been doing to be more inclusive over my career and life.

Thinking back on your own career, what would you tell your younger self?

Take more writing classes. While I’m a professional writer now, it hasn’t always come easily to me. And I’ve needed to write in every job I ever held.

Each person has the opportunity to be more inclusive every day with simple actions in the meetings they attend, messages they send, and other interactions they have with coworkers. This is why I focus on helping people learn to be better allies with everyday actions.

What systems do you have to ensure your workplace is as inclusive as possible?

While I firmly believe that top-down diversity and inclusion initiatives are important, I view individuals as ambassadors of an organization’s culture. 

Each person has the opportunity to be more inclusive every day with simple actions in the meetings they attend, messages they send, and other interactions they have with coworkers. This is why I focus on helping people learn to be better allies with everyday actions.

Based on your experience and success, what are your top 5 tips for creating more inclusive workplaces?

1 . Diversify your professional network. Most of us have “just like me networks,” which results in us hiring, promoting, and offering other career-growing opportunities to people “just like us.” 

To diversify your network, spend time with colleagues who are members of underrepresented groups. If you’re working in a male-dominated field, this means getting to know women and non-binary individuals across your organization or industry.

If you’re white and straight, spend more time with people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

You can do this by through virtual coffees, joining employee resource groups (asking first if you’d be welcome), attending conferences for people from underrepresented demographics, and following a diversity of voices on social media. 

In all of these settings, you can get to know individuals from diverse backgrounds, hear about their experiences, and learn from them.

2 . Create more inclusive meetings. Meetings are often filled with non-inclusive behavior, such as interruptions, idea hijacking, misdirected questions, and housework tasks.

I want more allies to pay attention to what’s happening in their meetings and take action. Notice someone being interrupted? Interject, and say, “I’d like to hear Emma finish her thought.” Hear someone repeating another person’s great idea and getting all the credit? Remind everyone who originated it, saying something like, “Great idea. Thanks to Willie for surfacing it earlier.” 

If a client asks you questions instead of the most qualified woman in the room, redirect the conversation with a simple, “Deepa is the expert on that topic. Let’s hear from her.” If someone asks the only woman of color to take notes or schedule a follow-up meeting, offer to do it yourself.

By amplifying and advocating for underrepresented colleagues in meetings, you’ll help ensure all voices are heard, with the added bonus of helping everyone know that they’re valued members of the team.

3 . Endorse coworkers publicly. When I first joined Adobe, I noticed something interesting. My new manager said things in meetings along the lines of: “What I learned from Karen Catlin is the following …”. 

By doing this, he helped me build credibility with my new colleagues, most of whom were men. His shout-outs made a difference and made me feel great. He took action as an ally, using his position of privilege to endorse me publicly.

Sharing what you learned from someone is just one approach to support coworkers to boost their standing and reputation. Take a minute to reflect on how you shine a light on others and how you might do even more of it.

4 . See something, say something. Non-inclusive behavior takes many forms. It might be an inappropriate joke or someone using demeaning language. It might be biased decision-making when discussing talent. It might be harassment. Each time we witness something, we have a choice to make: say something or not.

Does coming forward and objecting feel uncomfortable? 

For many of us, the answer is a resounding “Heck yes.” But this discomfort is nothing compared to how it feels for the person whose racial group is being joked about, the colleague who is forced to endure constant commentary about her appearance, or the coworker who is being excluded due to a disability. 

The discomfort of allies pales in comparison to what people from marginalized groups are forced to live through on a daily basis for the entire duration of their lives.

To equip yourself to confront discrimination and inappropriate behavior when you see it, consider queuing up some open-ended responses like “What makes you feel that way?” or “What makes you say that?”

5 . Be curious, not furious. In 2021, I attended a conference where Dr. Bernice King, CEO of the King Center and daughter of civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, was interviewed. One of the topics she addressed was how people could take action to address bias in the workplace. As you might imagine, I was paying close attention.

Dr. King emphasized the importance of getting out of our silos and connecting with coworkers in a real way. She encouraged us to be curious and understand their world, learn where they are, and give them space and place to have genuine and honest conversations. 

As an example, she told us about a woman who wanted to remove the Confederate flag from a government building. Instead of getting angry and defensive when a man pushed back, she asked why the flag was important to him. Not to trick him, but to understand him. In turn, he then asked her why it was important to her to remove the flag. They were able to have a genuine, honest, and productive conversation.

While listening to Dr. King, I remembered a zinger of a phrase: Be curious, not furious. It’s a perfect mindset for those times when someone disagrees with us or points out when we’ve made a mistake on the journey to be a better ally. Give it a try.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private lunch with and why?

I’d be beyond honored to spend time with Michelle Obama. I’d love to talk with her about how we can be better allies for young people of color and others who are marginalized across our country.

Thank you so much for your insights, Karen. How can our readers further follow your work?

Please consider signing up for my free “5 Ally Actions” newsletter or following @BetterAllies on social media. More information is on my website, www.betterallies.com

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Creating inclusive workplaces is crucial for any organization that wants to get the most out of its talent. This means nurturing an environment where everyone feels like they belong, has equal opportunities, is empowered to do their best work, and feels comfortable making requests and contributing ideas.

Chastity Davis-Garcia

Chastity has more than 20 years of experience providing guidance and leadership on the management of every company’s most valuable asset: people. She is dedicated to all things culture, including diversity and inclusion, and she takes great pride in discussions centered on the best ways to invest in our talent to support both career growth and future business needs. Her broad experience includes benefits design, implementation of training and development programs, employee relations, and successfully administering workforce planning strategies.

Hi Chastity, welcome to the series! Before we dive in, we’d love to get to know you a bit better. How did you get to where you are today?

A friend mentioned that they were hiring for front desk support at a staffing agency where she worked. It was meant to be temporary as they needed someone to fill in for a receptionist on maternity leave.

I learned the business by sitting in on staff meetings and talking to others in the office about what they did, and, before I knew it, the office manager had asked me if I wanted to stay full-time. There was a recruiting coordinator position available. And that is really how I started my career in recruiting.

Fast forward to 2012 and, after a particularly tough week at work, I applied online to be Director of talent acquisition at a Brooklyn-based company called Wireless Generation (current day Amplify). 

We went from 600 to 1200 full-time staff in 18 months, and then my predecessor moved on to a role outside of the organization, and I was asked to lead the team in her place. That was almost 8 years ago now.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?

My grandmother, Rita Davis. She left her young children and husband in Trinidad and Tobago to come to New York in pursuit of a better life. 

I cannot imagine how hard that was for her. She worked three jobs and eventually was able to send for her family. She and my grandfather settled in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where they bought a home and invested in their community. 

Her grit and determination have always been a source of inspiration and pride. Despite the challenges she faced, she was able to build a happy and successful life. She had always centered me and reminded me of what I could achieve, even when I doubted myself. 

Whenever I am faced with a challenge or believe something is too hard, I think about Rita. She will forever be my hero. 

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote” and how it’s relevant to you in your life?

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” – Amelia Earhart

I have suffered from imposter syndrome most of my career and, if I’m being honest, it creeps in any time to do something new that I’ve never done before. For those unfamiliar with the term, imposter syndrome is a self-imposed belief that you aren’t good enough or don’t deserve to be in your position. But I have some good tools to help combat it. 

First, I take a deep breath, and I sit in reflection. I think back to every time in my life when I’ve made good on some pretty tough things that I didn’t think I’d overcome. All those same doubts probably crept in then too.

And I find that in reflecting on my accomplishments—in all the times I’ve ever been successful at a thing I’d never tried before, where maybe I’ve doubted myself—is where the imposter syndrome begins to fade. 

I honestly don’t know if it ever goes away, but I’ve become better and better at reminding myself of what I am capable of based on what I have already accomplished in my life. 

Thinking back on your own career, what would you tell your younger self?

I would say to myself, who you are is enough, and not only is it enough, but it truly is your superpower. I really struggled early on in my career with sharing aspects of myself fully. I was so guarded. 

In some ways, I was a product of the culture I was operating in. I was working in a male-dominated industry in campus recruiting, where I saw firsthand that a lot of emphasis was placed on where you came from—did you graduate from an Ivy? If so, which one? Were you top of your class? What MBA program did you apply to, which did you go to, and so on—I hadn’t done any of those things, and that just felt so different from my personal experience. 

I spent a lot of time early on in my career trying to fit in because I thought this was how I would find success. And I was probably measuring myself against these ideals that had no reflection on where I’d come from or my own experiences. There’s a term for that now—code-switching.

Looking back, it was pretty unhealthy. I’d definitely go back and remind myself that I am a badass because of my life experiences, not in spite of them.

It wasn’t until I became a people manager that I also began to understand that managers play a role in making work a safe place to lean into your authenticity. And that, if done well, it not just makes it a cool place to work but it enables our teams to be better.

One of the many marks of a good leader is working intentionally to create spaces for people to feel safe sharing aspects of their authentic selves (if they so chose to). 

What systems do you have to ensure your workplace is as inclusive as possible?

First, we set an expectation for this work with everyone as part of their orientation to working at Amplify. So, just as you are walking in the door, you understand that creating an inclusive environment is core to “how we work.” 

Training and education is a critical part of the work we do that is ongoing. In conversations with staff about all things, I often reference the need for us all to check our biases as we make decisions and draw conclusions. 

I remind staff that we all have biases, despite our best efforts to manage them. Most important is that we are aware of that and then intentionally check ourselves before making decisions. All employees at Amplify are required to take annual training on understanding unconscious bias, and people managers take a special course designed specifically for the people manager experience.

In addition to this training, we have voluntary training courses designed for individuals and teams who wish to lean more deeply into this work with titles including “Developing Ally Skills,” “Understanding microaggressions,” and “Leading Inclusive Meetings,” to name a few. We also have workshops created specifically for people managers, including “Leading with Inclusion & Psychological Safety.” 

As a woman of color, I have always been aware of the impact and importance of representation and inclusion. 

When I worked at the banks, I centered a significant amount of effort on increasing the representation of women and people of color in roles for the front office, on the trading floor, in equity research, and in mergers and acquisitions.

I always felt such a sense of pride when we successfully hired underrepresented people for these roles. But I was often disappointed with the retention of all our progress. We worked so hard to attract and hire excellent diverse talent, but attrition would kick in once they hit the business and started to do the work. We just weren’t doing a good job of creating the spaces of belonging that supported these individuals. And that was really frustrating. 

So I would join the Affinity groups and meet with people who I could also pull into the recruitment process. I felt that it was my duty to contribute to creating a sense of belonging. 

As I grew professionally, it became clear to me that one of the many marks of a good leader is working intentionally to create spaces for people to feel safe sharing aspects of their authentic selves (if they so chose to). 

I think I’ve always understood how important it was for leaders to create an environment where folks feel safe. And not just safe to be themselves but also safe to make mistakes and feel like they can ask for support without feeling like asking for help is any indication of their capabilities.

It’s why we are all working so hard to create a DEIA program that we can feel proud of. I’d like to believe that we are working on creating a place here at Amplify where it is safe to be who you are, no matter where you come from or your politics—if you want to work hard and make an impact, it’s absolutely achievable at Amplify because we all understand that it’s our diversity of experiences that make our products better and enables us to do a better job of supporting the needs of our customers. 

To address the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities, we methodically integrate accessibility considerations into our product development lifecycle that support compliance with accessibility guidelines and best practices. 

Based on your experience and success, what are your top five tips for creating more inclusive workplaces?

1 . Mitigate bias in hiring: 

Before any job description is posted, we use Textio software to scrub for bias and inclusive language. 

All of our interview processes are grounded in a predetermined interview rubric that defines the competencies for each role before launching the interview process.

2 . Intentionally build diverse talent pools: 

We enable a hiring strategy for every role that intentionally targets diverse pools of talent, and our employee referral program recognizes a premium for the successful hiring of underrepresented talent, including women in engineering roles and BIPOC staff in all roles. 

We have partnerships with targeted organizations include; CODE2040, Women In Tech, Tech Ladies, Women Who Code, Disability Solutions, Education Leaders of Color, Latinos for Education, Minerva Project, Hiring our Heroes, AARP, and Marcy Labs. University relations programming extends to Spelman College, Morehouse Collee, Clark Atlanta University, and Howard University, where we have attended HBCU Career fairs since 2017. 

3 . Create a structure that makes everyone accountable for creating an inclusive environment: 

We establish DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) goals for every function at Amplify to ensure that we build a diverse and talented team, foster an inclusive culture, and develop products with an increasing reach that advance equity.

The Amplify DEIA Council is chaired monthly by both our CEO and our President, and it includes diverse representatives from across the organization and at different levels of career who work to establish accountability for DEIA OKRs by function. DEIA Council members are expected to: 

• Advise senior leaders on strategies that will support Amplify’s DEIA goals.
• Drive advocacy, sponsorship, and support across the organization to meet Amplify’s DEIA goals and objectives.
• Review annual company-wide and functional DEIA OKRs to measure progress against goals.

Amplify’s annual performance goals are tied to company bonuses, and we set a performance goal for our collective DEIA work every year. DEIA Council members (not including our chairs) are responsible for determining whether we achieve these goals. And it is significant because it impacts bonus outcomes for every employee. 

4 . Build inclusion into your products, processes, and employee programs: 

To address the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities, we methodically integrate accessibility considerations into our product development lifecycle that support compliance with accessibility guidelines and best practices. 

To address the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities, we methodically integrate accessibility considerations into our product development lifecycle that support compliance with accessibility guidelines and best practices. 

Product Development is informed by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that have expertise in specific content or cultural areas, such as animal conservation, the history and legacy of the institution of slavery, or the Quechua community of Andean Peru. 

We conduct an annual pay equity analysis tenure to ensure that every employee is fairly compensated for their skills, experience, and contributions to the company. In 2022, Amplify implemented job posting pay transparency ranges nationwide, not just in required locations.

We also regularly review and assesses employee medical benefits to ensure that they are fair and equitable for all employees, with a particular focus on inclusion.

5 . Create a safe environment for addressing issues or concerns: 

Evaluate the culture. How comfortable are staff in discussing diversity, belonging, and inclusion? Review employee surveys and exit interview surveys to build a context for understanding what is happening across the company. 

We also have an anonymous form that makes it easy for folks who may feel uneasy having certain discussions with their managers or HR to submit their concerns. The unattributed responses go directly to me, our CEO, our President, and the Chief of Staff; we work together to address each submission.

Invest in the training and resources that support managers in creating an environment of psychological safety. In addition to facilitating workshops, we also share tips and best practices for managers on how to best cultivate environments that promote and support belonging.

Amplify’s employee resource groups (ERGs) are an important resource for helping employees create connections and build belonging in a safe and supported environment. Our ERGs (open and welcoming to all, regardless of your self-identity) receive annual funding to drive meaningful programming and discussion-based learning opportunities.

Can you share some common mistakes you have seen businesses make while trying to become more inclusive?

Sure! When it comes to fostering inclusivity, businesses often have the best intentions but can make mistakes along the way. Here are three common mistakes I’ve observed companies make while trying to become more inclusive:

One of the most common mistakes is not having a diverse range of voices at the decision-making table. 

If you are truly serious about creating an environment where everyone feels like they have an opportunity to contribute, you have to build it from those perspectives. The best way to understand what different groups need is to ask them and invite them into the conversation. 

Also, tokenistic efforts or initiatives that can be construed as superficial will not work. Focusing on cosmetic changes, such as using diverse imagery in marketing materials or hiring a few individuals from underrepresented groups without addressing systemic issues, is a non-starter. Employees know when you’re bluffing—and they will call you on it. 

Lastly, don’t rush—real and meaningful progress takes time. You have to be willing to invest in the long game. Educating yourself and others about aspects of DEIA that you may not be familiar with or don’t feel comfortable addressing takes time. 

The work is never done. You can’t check this work off and stop efforts when you’ve hit a set of goals. There is always more to do and more to learn.  

How do you measure the effectiveness of your DEI efforts?

We track a number of metrics, but the following are most important: 

Measuring inclusion and belonging—we survey staff on several questions each year across a range of subjects, but these three give us a lot of information on the work to cultivate inclusion: 

• I feel safe to take risks at Amplify 
• I feel valued for the contribution I can make at Amplify 
• I feel respected at Amplify

We also survey staff on the experience associated with their first five weeks of work to understand if they have been feeling welcomed, supported, and connected in their new role. We use that information to make improvements to our onboarding process. 

Measuring workforce diversity—we look across a variety of demographic data about our workforce, not limited to gender and ethnicity, but we also look at disability, sexual orientation, and generational workforce data. And we track our progress over time in each of the categories. 

Measuring employee lifecycle changes—we also track metrics by demographic categories to understand what new hires, internal mobility, and voluntary separations look like across the organization. 

By comparing retention and promotion rates across different backgrounds, we can identify if certain groups face barriers in their career progression or if there are disparities in opportunities.

But it’s important to note that measuring the effectiveness of DEI efforts goes beyond quantitative metrics. We also rely on qualitative feedback and anecdotal evidence. We use this data to help inform our approach to establishing DEIA goals each year.  

Are there other organizations you admire for their approach to DEI?

Absolutely! I have learned so much from so many in this space. I have been really impressed with Salesforce’s efforts. Salesforce sets clear goals, regularly publishes their diversity data, and holds themselves accountable for progress. 

They have a strategic approach to inclusion centered on engaging all stakeholders (including customers) in their journey. Some notable programs include their Return to Work program in India, which offers a six-month paid apprenticeship designed to assist women returning to their careers and supports them in earning full-time job offers at Salesforce. 

I’ve also been impressed with their commitment to increasing their annual spending with minority-owned businesses, which they recently grew by 50%. 

How do you ensure remote workers are treated the same as onsite workers and have equal access to opportunities?

At Amplify, we have taken a remote-first and in-person sometimes approach to how we work. 

Remote first means most people work remotely by default, empowered and supported in productive daily work and career growth. In-person sometimes means that employees come together periodically for in-person connection and collaboration in the office and elsewhere. 

As a result, we have been able to take advantage of the national talent market in our work to grow our organization, but it has required us to make some changes to our internal processes too.

In the past several years, we have re-examined how we communicate internally—leveraging a higher frequency of town halls, newsletters, and Slack communications to stay in sync and connected.

It also means that we have had to lean on managers to develop new skills focused on creating a sense of belonging and connectedness for the teams they lead.

We are also actively revamping our performance assessment to focus more wholly on only those that impact our work to build high-quality instructional materials for all students. 

Thank you Chastity, some great insights in there! How can our readers further follow your work?

Connect with me on LinkedIn! 

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health! 

The post Create A Structure That Makes Everyone Accountable For Creating An Inclusive Environment appeared first on People Managing People.

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Creating inclusive workplaces is crucial for any organization that wants to get the most out of its talent. This means nurturing an environment where everyone feels like they belong, has equal opportunities, is empowered to do their best work, and feels comfortable making requests and contributing ideas. 

Lily Zheng

Regarded as one of the foremost specialists within the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) vertical, Lily has defined a crystal clear boundary between practice and preach. A best-selling author and a change practitioner, Lily penetrates the corporate shield and deconstructs the entrenched architecture of inequity. This data-integrated approach, widely recognized as their IP, is both adaptive and responsive to each corporate ecosystem.

Hi Lily, welcome to the series! Before we dive in, we’d love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about how you got to where you are today?

I’m one of the few diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioners I know who started their career doing DEI work, rather than entering this field from another. 

I started in higher education, working with staff and leaders on how they might more effectively support students and other staff members from marginalized communities, and shortly afterwards started my own consulting business, which I still lead today.

It was intimidating to start my own business so early on in my career, but I was motivated by my desire to bring a new approach to DEI work centered on data-driven, measurable outcomes because much of the work when I entered the field was still focused on positive intentions and abstract commitments.

Along the way, the services I provide have evolved as I’ve honed my methodology and approach, and I’m grateful to be where I am now as a practitioner who folks look to for guidance and help to turn good intentions into real progress.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting and what lesson you learned from it?

This one’s embarrassing. Despite living in Silicon Valley, I knew very little about tech companies, tech culture, and tech lingo when I first started doing DEI work. 

This meant that the very first time I heard the phrase “stand-up,” (referring to the common practice of daily meetings for employees to discuss what they’re working on) was in a 1:1 interview with an employee to get insights into their experiences. 

While making small talk to open the conversation, I asked what the employee had been up to that day and they mentioned, “I just came back from our usual stand-up.” Unaware that the term could refer to anything else, I scribbled down a note and commented, “I had no idea that this organization made stand-up comedy a part of their culture!” 

My interviewee looked at me for several awkward seconds before they had to eventually explain what a daily stand-up was, and I hastily crossed out my note while very red in the face.

The lesson I learned: mistakes are human, and my interviewees seeing me as imperfect can help them feel more comfortable being vulnerable with me as well. Not only was my misunderstanding a non-issue for the interview, but it also helped my interviewee open up to me and see me as just another person doing their best to learn about them, rather than a stone-faced consultant just there to collect information. 

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?

One of my very first clients was a leader of an organization who brought me in to facilitate some important staff development training.

This person understood the value of my work, and to date has been the only person who, after I shared with her my fee for the session, refused to pay unless I charged more for my services. 

She helped me understand that my work was worth the value that it created for my clients—much more than the flawed rationale I was using of charging my (very low, at the time) hourly rate x the length of the engagement. 

This leader’s soft but unyielding insistence that I charge what I was worth helped me gain the confidence I needed to continue finding success as an entrepreneur. 

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life? 

Don’t be a hero; be part of a heroic community. 

Even if the work you do is the most important thing in your life, seeing yourself as alone in your journey is an easy way to burn yourself out. 

Take the time to invest in a support network and professional community that you feel proud to work alongside, and you’ll not only feel more empowered to do the work you do but also feel like you have more permission to rest and take breaks as needed.

Thinking back on your own career, what would you tell your younger self?

 You’re doing the work that needs to be done. Keep it up—but don’t forget to make friends and colleagues along the way, and don’t forget to make space for your own healing. You’ve got the hustle down, but it doesn’t need to define you. You are more than your work! 

What systems do you have to ensure your workplace is as inclusive as possible?

As a consultant, my own workplace is pretty lean! Just me and a few contractors. Even then, I try to ensure that the folks on my team are supported with what they need to succeed and feel sustained by the work. 

Some practices that I use to achieve that include: 

• Inviting input into all major decisions that might affect my team members’ work 
• Proactively checking in once every month or so on my team members’ workflow, process, and needs to see if there are any improvements I might make 
• Periodic review of my organization’s operating processes and practices with team input, to see if there are any updates we should make to work more inclusively and respectfully. 

Regularly measuring outcomes allows us to gauge the genuine success of our initiatives to improve them, whereas measuring vanity metrics may lead us into a false sense of security—believing that we’re making real progress when, in reality, nothing’s changed.  

Based on your experience and success, what are your top five tips for creating more inclusive workplaces?

1. Share power with those who are most excluded by the status quo, and work in tandem with them to build a better organization. I worked with a client that learned many of their employees who were women, Black, Latine, Asian, Indigenous, disabled, Jewish, Muslim, and/or LGBTQ+ felt left out of decision-making. They put together an advisory board of volunteers from these communities and created a standard decision-making process that would involve this group as a key source of feedback and guidance for major firmwide decisions affecting employees. 

2. Bring the practice of inclusion work down to the level of everyday operations to build a sense of shared responsibility. Rather than only tasking one head of DEI, or a few volunteer employee groups, with the responsibility of creating a more inclusive workplace, translate that goal to role-specific responsibilities that feel more actionable and relevant to every employee. Every manager should have specific responsibilities to make their team members feel supported, respected, and valued. Product designers should have specific responsibilities to design inclusive and accessible products. Communications professionals should have specific responsibilities to communicate on behalf of the organization in a manner broadly inclusive of all.  

3. Treat inclusion-related organizational change efforts with the same gravitas and process as any other business-related improvement. I worked with a leadership team that worked with their internal DEI professionals to translate DEI-related work into the same process that they used for their operational improvements, which allowed for DEI work to be resourced, budgeted for, project planned, and made accountable alongside their other operations work. 

4. Measure outcomes. When trying to improve inclusion, take care to measure what actually matters: the outcomes of feeling included, rather than the intentions to include others. I’ve seen organizations measure “attendance at events” and “leaders’ excitement” as measures to mark the success of their inclusion efforts, but not measure employees’ perception of respect, employees’ feelings of belonging, employees’ confidence asking for help, and other important outcome metrics. Regularly measuring outcomes allows us to gauge the genuine success of our initiatives to improve them, whereas measuring vanity metrics may lead us into a false sense of security—believing that we’re making real progress when, in reality, nothing’s changed.  

5. Take every effort to integrate inclusion efforts within the organization’s core mission, purpose, values, and operations. I’ve worked with many organizations to not only write DEI-related mission statements, but then to operationalize them into every department’s practices and operations, integrate them into core processes like leadership training, promotion, and conflict resolution, and ensure that they’re reflected in how the organization does business and engages with customers and clients. This requires that leaders, in particular, are able to drive the change and articulate the interconnectedness of inclusion (and DEI efforts overall) and their core purpose.  

Businesses must commit to grounding every DEI-related effort with data, including both qualitative and quantitative, looking into important outcomes like well-being, upward mobility, enablement, efficacy, belonging, engagement, and many others.

What are some common mistakes you see businesses make while trying to become more inclusive?

Most mistakes organizations make relate to their inability or unwillingness to actually measure and commit to changing outcomes. Common ones include:

1. Delegating inclusion work to unpaid volunteers, rather than treating it as a valuable pillar of the organization’s brand and operations—this leads to burnout, inconsistency, and feelings of resentment due to the lack of formal support and resources.

2. Using exclusively short-term and shallow interventions like one-and-done training, celebrations, or speaker events in an attempt to achieve long-term impact or deep organizational change.  

3. Looking for “general DEI best practices” to apply divorced from context, rather than selecting, customizing, and deploying initiatives that are tailored to the specific challenge being solved and the context they exist within.

To avoid these problems, businesses must commit to grounding every DEI-related effort with data, including both qualitative and quantitative, looking into important outcomes like well-being, upward mobility, enablement, efficacy, belonging, engagement, and many others. 

To avoid these problems, businesses must commit to grounding every DEI-related effort with data, including both qualitative and quantitative, looking into important outcomes like well-being, upward mobility, enablement, efficacy, belonging, engagement, and many others.

That data can become the cornerstone of their DEI strategy and the initiatives they design to execute it. If the data shows improvement? They should do more of the same. If the data shows no improvement or backsliding? They should rethink their efforts, rather than persisting with initiatives that don’t work.   

How do you measure the effectiveness of your DEI efforts?

Every DEI initiative or practice should be designed to create a desired outcome. For example, an initiative to institute paid parental leave for parents should aim to ensure that workplace outcomes for new parents are no worse off than their colleagues. 

To measure the effectiveness of this effort, first identify which specific outcomes you’ll use to track your initiatives. In this example, I might pick wellbeing, engagement, retention, and promotion. We can then go into each with even more specificity.

Wellbeing might be measured by employee self-report with surveys asking about their mental and physical health and stress levels. We might also use other metrics like the number of sick days employees take during a given time period. 

Once we figure out what metrics are important to us and make a plan to gather them, we then do one measurement before we start a new DEI effort (to gather data on our baseline), then periodically collect more data over the course of our DEI initiative. 

For example, you might include wellbeing-related questions in a yearly all-company survey, and ask at least one free-response question about the efficacy of the new parental leave policy. 

If after a year, the gap in wellbeing scores between new parents and other employees has closed and qualitative data cites the new policy as a contributor to this improvement, you can conclude that your efforts were likely effective in increasing new parent wellbeing. 

Are there other organizations you admire for their approach to DEI?

There are several! Two that come to mind are Foley & Lardner, a law firm, and CultureAmp, a tech company. Both are led by DEI leaders (Alexis Robertson and Aubrey Blanche, respectively) who take a strong outcomes-centric and data analytics-driven approach to their DEI efforts. 

The combination of skilled practitioners, an outcomes-driven approach, and a culture that is aligned with making measurable progress means that these organizations can articulate and understand their starting points, develop and execute novel ways to make progress drawing from cutting-edge research, and be constantly assessing, recalibrating, and learning from their efforts. 

How can organizations ensure remote workers are treated the same as onsite workers and have equal access to opportunities?

Many managers have a strong bias against remote work. Most lack formal training, knowledge, and skills to manage remote workers, and perform the stereotyped “role” of a supervisor—literally, physically “supervising” or looking at workers working—remotely. 

Given this, it’s unsurprising that around half of business leaders simply don’t trust remote workers to do their jobs from home, a distrust that has led them to insist on invasive monitoring software or draconian return-to-office demands—despite the mountain of evidence that remote work is just as, if not more productive, as working in person.

The individual biases of managers may be slow to change, but organizations can interrupt their managers’ biases and prevent discrimination by implementing processes that rely on data—not gut feelings—to make important decisions like promotion, evaluation, hiring, and firing, and proactively train managers about the most common ways these biases manifest. 

For example, many organizations have unique opportunities for workers to show that they are ready for promotion, like high-status projects or assignments. This kind of work is called glamor work, but is too often assigned in biased ways, to employees that managers like and to people who share the same social identities (race, gender, class, etc.) as their managers, rather than those readiest for the assignment. 

Proximity bias can affect the assignment of glamor work as well, resulting in remote employees being considered less often for these high-value assignments.    

To address proximity bias in this situation with process, structure, and training, an organization might do the following: 

1. Rather than one large annual review, make frequent check-ins and regular feedback a normal part of the business cycle to make it easier for managers to share two-way feedback with all of their direct reports, whether in-person or remote.
2. Clearly articulate the organization’s stance on remote work—ideally, that it is just as valuable, important, and productive as in-person work, and that a hybrid workplace makes space for all working arrangements without bias—and train all managers on how to manage hybrid work. Training can cover content ranging from how to facilitate hybrid meetings, how to manage 1:1 check-ins both in-person and remote, what kind of work is most effective in-person vs. remote, how to facilitate flexibility and work-life balance, and how to use different communication tools and platforms.
3. Equalize the process for assigning glamor work. First, define what assignments are considered high-value and analyze who in the past has received these assignments. Then, consider using a rotation to ensure everyone has a chance to perform, creating a skills checklist managers must fill out before making assignments, or giving the assignment to a team rather than one person. Finally, re-assess the distribution of assignments periodically to note progress and tweak strategy. 

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private lunch with, and why? 

I always struggle with questions like these! The folks I’ve enjoyed getting to know better over lunch have always been introduced to me based on our shared interest in building better workplaces, tackling discrimination and injustice, and making progress toward a better world. 

Rather than pick one of the many big names I respect, I’ll extend the offer to anyone who might see this who finds the idea of putting our heads together to do some good in the world intriguing. 

Thank you Lily, some great insights in there! How can our readers further follow your work?

I post most prolifically on LinkedIn, and you can also learn more about me and my work on my website and discover more about my methodology in my book, Deconstructing DEI: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing it Right.

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Compensation, although not the be-all and end-all, is a significant factor in why people choose one particular role over another. 

This is why organizations pay close attention to compensation management. Here we’ll give a quick overview of what that actually means.

What is compensation management?

Compensation management is the process of determining employees’ monetary and non-monetary remuneration to support business strategy. This includes base pay, bonuses, benefits, annual raises, raise/promotion models, and incentives.

The basis of compensation management in an organization is the compensation philosophy. This is a written document that codifies how an organization will approach compensation management, for example who’s responsible for what, salaries vs the market average, and how often the compensation package is reviewed.

From here you can build a consistent pay structure that serves as a framework for job levels and salary ranges for all the positions at your company.

Who’s responsible for compensation management?

Depending on the size of an organization, compensation management will be a joint effort between human resources (maybe a separate compensation and benefits department), finance, and the COO/CEO.

In larger organizations, there may be a dedicated team of compensation specialists dedicated to developing and maintaining the organization’s strategy for compensation.

They’re responsible for analyzing the market and reviewing internal data, such as feedback from surveys and benefits usage, to determine the effectiveness of their organization’s compensation package and how it compares with that of other organizations in a particular industry and region.

They’re also responsible for conducting job analyses to determine the skills, knowledge, and abilities required for each position, ensuring that compensation practices are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations, and advising managers on compensation-related matters, such as pay equity, salary negotiations, and job classifications.

Benefits of compensation management

• Better hiring—you’re more likely to attract and retain the kind of talent you want
• Greater pay equity across the organization
• Consistent and predictable budgeting and planning
• Helps keep a pulse on the evolution of roles and assists in overall talent management.

Compensation management best practices

1. Decide on a compensation philosophy that’s unique to your organization and tied to your values, culture, and business goals. For example, perhaps you want to offer median salaries but then generous bonuses depending on performance.

2. Review regularly. It’s recommended that salary bands are reviewed 3-4x per year, total rewards once per year, and your compensation philosophy once a year also.

3. Be transparent. When it comes to compensation, it pays to be transparent. While this might not mean disclosing everything about your compensation philosophy, being transparent about pay practices can further help with recruitment and pay equity and helps build trust internally.

Further resources

As promised, this has been a super quick run-through of what compensation management is and how to approach it.

For further detail, I recommend Mabel Lozano’s excellent article How To Create A Compensation Philosophy For Better Hiring And Retention as well as Drew Lewis’s Salary Benchmarking: Benefits And How To Do It and our pick of the best Compensation Management Software.

You can also get expert tips and advice over in the People Managing People Community, a supportive community of HR and business leaders passionate about building organizations of the future.

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Companies are always on the lookout for talented people. In this interview series, we talk to seasoned HR professionals to pick their brains for ideas and insights on finding the right talent for our organizations.

N. Scott Millar

N. Scott Millar is Senior Vice President and General Manager, Corporate Human Resources and Corporate Audit, Ethics and Business Consultation, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A., Inc., and Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Canon Solutions America, Inc.

In his HR role, he oversees people strategies for Canon U.S.A., Inc. and Canon Solutions America, Inc. as well as Canon’s other operations throughout North and South America. He helps ensure alignment and continuous development across multiple business segments. Areas of focus include talent acquisition, talent, leadership development, total rewards, employee engagement, and HR operations and support.

Hi Scott, welcome to the series! We’d love to get to know you a bit better, what brought you to this specific career path?

Before joining Canon U.S.A., I worked at Canon Virginia, Inc. our flagship manufacturing, engineering and technology center in the Americas that is located in my hometown of Newport News, Virginia.  

During college, my summer job was working in the welding and painting departments of the Newport News Shipyard, building aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy. I began my Human Resources career in the public sector, working in local government for the City of Newport News.

Many of my life experiences come from working in human resources, engaging and leading people and business operations. At Canon, our philosophy is that our outstanding and talented employees are our most valuable assets. 

Our mission is to nurture, cultivate, develop, and sustain this talent and do our best to ensure our employees enjoy a satisfying and fulfilling career working within our organization. 

We seek to provide outstanding and valued programs that attract, develop, motivate, engage and retain our talent. My role in HR has always been to help maximize the contributions of people, and lead human capital to outstanding results.

It’s been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you first started and what lesson you learned from that?

I see a lot of college students worry incessantly about finding the “perfect” job or internship immediately. 

An important lesson I learned early in my career, and by interacting with people who are now starting careers of their own, is this: don’t worry about finding the perfect fit right away. 

With time and perspective, you’ll have a long career and plenty of time to get it right. There’s really no harm, early in your career, in finding out what you don’t want to do for the rest of your life. 

Don’t lose sleep over having a bad internship or first job, because if you work at it and find it’s not something you want to do, it’s better to find out early instead of 15 years down the road when you have invested a lot more time and energy. 

In your initial roles, rather than “perfect”, focus on finding opportunities where you can add to your career toolkit. 

Everyone has skillsets, abilities and knowledge that accumulate over time with experiential learning. Early in your career you want to gain knowledge and additional skills that will contribute to your overall career growth and advancement. 

If you can land that opportunity early in your career, you will be ahead of many of your peers and then you can continue to build on that foundation. That’s the best advice I wish I had received early in my career.

What’s your favorite life lesson quote and how is it relevant to you? 

These are my two favorite quotes – in many ways they are similar and encourage us to get out of our comfort zone, take risks and go beyond the boundaries:  

“If the highest aim of a Captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever” — St. Thomas Aquinas

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”  — Mark Twain

Are you working on any exciting new projects at your company, how are they helping people?

Employee experience and culture are items on which we are focusing. At Canon, we’ve done a lot of work to enhance the overall employee experience and work environment. 

It’s important to be sensitive to the needs of employees and how to best balance business strategies and operational goals with making sure that the overall experience is positive, rewarding and provides a great work-life balance. 

Focusing on the company’s communication strategies with its employees and being transparent can foster a productive work culture and is an important factor in attracting and retaining key talent.

Current Canon employees know our company, culture, and the qualities that make people successful here, so this is a great way to start identifying talent for key positions.

Hiring can be very time-consuming and challenging. Can you share with our readers a bit about your experience with identifying and hiring talent? What’s been your most successful recruitment-related initiative so far?

Employee referrals have been a successful recruitment-based initiative.

Current Canon employees know our company, culture, and the qualities that make people successful here, so this is a great way to start identifying talent for key positions.

From a corporate standpoint, the big question centers on fit. Candidates are always looking to see if you, as a company, are a good match for them. Canon can provide solid compensation packages, benefits, and, for many roles, a hybrid-working environment for a more flexible work style. We also afford professional and career development opportunities, including learning centers dedicated to skills training.

We’ve also thought outside the box to create programs that reach different demographics. The SPARC (Skilled Professionals at Rising Canon) program exemplifies this.

Established to inform high school seniors of the diverse career options available in the technical installation,maintenance, and repair fields, SPARC allows students to unlock opportunities of which they might not have been aware. 

It’s also important to build talent pipelines. This pipeline can be internal, such as intern programs, or external, such as through vocational schools. The idea is to build a talent flow that can continually feed into the organization. Our intern program is a great example of a successful pipeline.

If there are competing offers, the company consistently communicating throughout the process can often provide the advantage necessary to land the most talented candidates.

Once talent is engaged, what’s your advice for creating a great candidate experience and ensuring the right people go through the process?

Once talent has been identified, it’s crucial to establish strong connections with candidates and demonstrate they are viewed as individuals—not just names on a résumé. 

This process may sound simple, but by taking the time to make the interview process feel like an organic conversation, a company can enhance its reputation.

Screening questions related to the position (such as ability to travel overnight) can help people progress through the interview process. 

Enticing quality candidates from the outset—and ensuring their interest doesn’t wane during the interview process—requires diligence on the company’s part to create a positive experience throughout the entire undertaking. 

Recruiters and hiring managers play essential roles in maintaining that engagement and inspiring confidence that the company is serious about the opportunity. 

If there are competing offers, the company consistently communicating throughout the process can often provide the advantage necessary to land the most talented candidates.

Maintaining a fast pace and making decisions quickly can also serve as an advantage for both the company and a candidate, which is why we measure time to fill as a key metric for both our recruiters and hiring managers.  

Based on your experience, how can HR and culture professionals work with the broader organization to identify talent needs?

Proactive and ongoing internal communication helps anticipate the roles that need to be filled and identify the type of skillsets required for those positions.

Human resources can take a business-partner approach, where forecasting needs can help avoid a scramble to fill positions. Working across departments to identify potential sources of talent can also assist in removing urgency from the hiring process.

Canon has long emphasized opportunities for our employees to grow their careers internally.  We’ve taken proactive steps towards broadening ways to expand both skillsets and greater access to professional networks.

For example, SOAR (Strengthening our Alliance as Rising Professionals) is an employee business resource group (BRG) within Canon U.S.A.’s overall diversity & inclusion strategy and mission designed to enhance and enable the development of emerging Canon talent.  

SOAR partners with other Canon employee resource groups to promote internal career opportunities. The SOAR steering committee includes senior representation from Canon’s business divisions and subsidiaries whose interests align with engaging, enabling, and empowering rising professionals in their professional and personal development.

In addition, Canon established its WiLL BRG—Women in Leadership Levels—which offers guidance and companionship for women in the tech industry. Led by women who have progressed through the ranks, these programs have been instituted with support from the broader organization as they help identify and attract the best candidates from a diverse group.

In our Business Information Communication Group and even at Canon Virginia, we employ job rotation programs designed to develop emerging talent and this initiative is poised to expand to other business units.  

Additionally, we have development training for emerging leaders and high-potential contributors, underscoring that developing leaders is a key focus for our organization and an ongoing area of focus.

Is there anything you see that recruiters, internal or otherwise, do regularly that makes you think, “No, stop doing that!”?

Presenting a professional demeanor throughout the recruitment process should be the default expectation, but some HR professionals forget to do so.

As an internal practice, our team tries to refrain from having recruiters read job descriptions verbatim as we want them to offer additional insights and information about the job opportunity and our company culture.  

In general, recruiters not knowing what the job truly entails is not good for the candidate or the company they represent.

Treating people with respect should be a guiding principle. A company should do its best to avoid “ghosting” candidates and reasonably update and respond to anyone who has interviewed. Establishing a good relationship with a candidate always goes a long way.

Speaking about company culture, values, mission, and innovations, instead of just focusing on the particulars of a specific role, provides a more meaningful and enticing approach as it generates excitement and enticement, making it easier to maintain engagement with the candidate.

With so much noise and competition out there, what are your top 3 ways to attract and engage the best talent in an industry when they haven’t already reached out to you?

For established connections and potentially strong candidates, providing periodic company updates about technology advances and innovations helps make inroads to future recruitment easier. 

Also, speaking about company culture, values, mission, and innovations, instead of just focusing on the particulars of a specific role, provides a more meaningful and enticing approach as it generates excitement and enticement, making it easier to maintain engagement with the candidate.

Finally, direct messaging and social media engagement can be excellent tools to establish and maintain that connection.

What are the three most effective strategies you use to retain employees?

Emphasizing a work-life balance can be an effective strategy to keep workers happy and productive. Showing that our company has fully embraced a family-oriented culture has become more critical since the pandemic.

A more flexible environment that embraces hybrid work for many positions has definitely kept employees engaged and satisfied. Canon recently introduced a new BRG – PACT.  Parents and Care Givers Together provides resources to employees with childcare and elder care concerns and promotes a positive work life balance in our new working environments.    

Employees who feel like they and their employer are making positive contributions to their communities also helps boost morale. One of Canon U.S.A., Inc.’s strongest beliefs involves the idea that we should contribute to the communities we serve. 

We use the term Kyosei, which translates to all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future to reflect our corporate philosophy. This mission drives everything we do, from product development to environmental conservation, recycling, and sustainability initiatives.

Empowering employees to make suggestions on how our work environment can be improved can also serve as a significant morale boost. 

An example of employee feedback leading to a corporate policy shift was the support for hybrid working environments.  

Now, most Canon employees work from home multiple days per week. We also recently launched the Canon Intrapreneur Program – encouraging “internal entrepreneurs” within our organization to leverage new ideas and innovations from our internal talent.  

The goal of this initiative is to develop an entrepreneurial way of thinking inside of Canon. Adopting an agile way of thinking is a critical business skill to learn. It makes us more adaptable to ever-changing market conditions. It also helps us uncover the potential in our employees, and possibly discover the next big product or service idea for Canon.

Can you share five techniques that you use to identify the talent that would be best suited for the job you want to fill? 

1 . Keyword searches for candidates can help identify talent. The process starts by doing a search of resumes for the skills and experience needed and then refining that search to make it more specific.

2 . Once potential fits have been identified, reaching out quickly is key, especially in a competitive market. Having those conversations to get more details, gauge interest, and see if there is a fit can help bring in the right people. Experience and education are two significant indicators to help identify talent.

3.  We’ve tried to identify keywords based on the skills needed for the position and what resonates with those currently working here. Those terms help attract new candidates and provide a framework for the types of people who have found satisfaction here. It is also helpful for candidates when trying to determine if working for us would be a good match. 

4. Focusing on the culture has been a successful technique as well. If people come into a job but are uncomfortable with the culture, they won’t stay long. Setting expectations of the culture from the outset can remove ambiguity for people considering a transition to a new position.

5. Advertising and contacting various groups, such as school job fairs or our Veteran community, are great tools. In fact, we are proud to say Forbes recognized Canon U.S.A. as one of America’s Best Employers for Veterans in 2022.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private lunch with and why?

Jimmy Buffett, Condoleezza Rice, and Bill Murray—now that would be a dream and entertaining golf foursome!

Thank you for your insights Scott! Where can we follow your work?

You’re welcome. Either at Canon USA or my LinkedIn.

Further resources from the series:

• Stop Looking For The Best Talent, Help Them Identify Themselves
• Why Giving Candidates An Authentic Taste Of Your Culture Is Crucial For Hiring
• To Attract And Recruit The Best Talent, Upgrade Your Tech Stack

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In my 10+ years as an HR Generalist, I’ve conducted many a workplace investigation and learned some valuable lessons on how to conduct them properly.

In this article, we’ll discuss why an investigation might be needed, the key components of a successful investigation, and then a step-by-step guide to performing an HR investigation.

When might you need to conduct an HR investigation?

There are several reasons why an internal investigation may need to be conducted within an organization. Let’s discuss some common reasons that HR professionals typically see. 

1. Employee complaints such as harassment, discrimination, bullying, or minor misconduct. In this case, an HR investigation is typically initiated based on the complaint to gather facts, assess the situation, and determine the appropriate course of action.
2. An employee is suspected of violating company policies, such as engaging in unethical behavior, breaching confidentiality, or violating safety protocols. An HR investigation should be launched to help establish the facts and take appropriate disciplinary actions.
3. Allegations of serious misconduct, including fraud, embezzlement, theft, or any other illegal activities within the organization. This ensures a fair and impartial process to determine the truth and address any legal or ethical breaches.
4. In cases where conflicts arise between employees or departments, an HR investigation can help uncover the underlying issues, gather relevant information, and facilitate a resolution that can improve employee relations.
5. To ensure compliance with legal and regulatory obligations. For example, an HR investigation may be necessary to address potential violations of employment laws, workplace safety regulations, or industry-specific standards.
6. In situations where an employee’s performance consistently falls below expectations, an HR investigation may be conducted to identify any underlying issues, provide support or training if needed, and determine appropriate action such as performance improvement plans.

What does an HR investigation need to be successful?

Down the years, I’ve learned that any investigation needs to be:

Timely

Respond quickly to all complaints, but take the time needed to exercise appropriate diligence for a thorough and confidential investigation (more on that later).

Fair and objective

Treat all parties with respect and dignity. Do not pre-judge the outcome of an investigation before all parties have been interviewed and all the relevant documents have been reviewed.  

This will ensure the outcome and any actions taken based on the investigation will be both fair and objective.

Impartial

Avoid expressing opinions when you conduct interviews and focus on uncovering the facts. Keep the investigation interviews serious and business-like, and remain calm and in control throughout the interview. You will likely have opinions on the matter, but it’s important to remain impartial.

Organized

Prepare yourself for the investigation by creating a work plan and an outline of questions that need to be answered by the various parties.

However, make sure you allow flexibility in your work plan as you gain more understanding of the facts during the investigation.

Utilizing case management software is an easy way to stay organized during and after investigations. If that isn’t available to you, organizing cases in individual folders on a restricted network drive works well too.

Well Documented

Document the content of interviews, and write down specifically what the interviewee is saying, using direct quotes whenever possible.

It’s preferable to have witness statements written or narrated by the parties in their own words, in addition to your interview notes. 

Also, document any additional evidence presented to you from parties that you interview, and note who it came from, and when.  

Again, this is not the place to state your personal interpretations, beliefs, or assumptions; just the facts!

Step by step for conducting an HR investigation

Before the hr investigation process begins, it should be determined who will conduct it. 

While I handle the majority of investigations in my workplace, the HR Director handles investigations involving anyone at Vice President level or above. And, if the matter involves any member of the HR team, our general counsel will conduct the investigation. 

Remember, the process of conducting an investigation may vary depending on the specific circumstances and your organizational policies, and you may need to seek guidance from legal counsel during your investigation process.

Let’s dive into a framework you can use to conduct investigations in your workplace.

Step one – Meet with the person raising the concern

Meet with the person raising concerns to discuss the matter, this person may or may not be directly impacted by the issue at hand. You will want to get details regarding the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the matter. 

Get as many specifics as you can during your interview. Ask open-ended questions to encourage the interviewee to respond; try to avoid simple yes/no questions. 

For example:

• “From your perspective, tell me what you saw when you came back from lunch this day” instead of “Did you see this incident occur?”. 
• “Can you tell me what you heard in that meeting?” in place of “Did you hear them argue during the meeting?”

Ask if there are any witnesses or people with knowledge of the incident being discussed and the extent of their knowledge (more on this in the next step).

Similarly, ask if there is any evidence that may shed light on the allegations raised, such as emails, notes, audio/video recordings, texts, etc.

Step two – Meet with the potential witnesses

Meet with potential witnesses that were named in step one. You may also find that more witnesses surface as you conduct your investigation. 

When preparing questions for witnesses, think about ways to phrase them to minimize or eliminate the need to disclose the source of the facts underlying your questions. Keep in mind that, depending on the nature of the matter, this may not be possible. 

Before interviewing each witness, explain the need for full and honest answers and remind them of your company’s anti-retaliation policy. If appropriate, advise them that the investigation is ongoing and request confidentiality for the duration of the investigation.

Gather any evidence that witnesses may have that gives corroboration to their statements or relates to the matter and advise the interviewee to contact you if they recall or learn something new, or if the interviewee has any new concerns including retaliation. 

Step three – Meet with the accused employee

Meet with the accused employee. Similar to your prepared questions for witnesses, you want to minimize the need to disclose the source of facts. 

Based on your interviews with the complainant and witnesses, you will have a list of questions that the accused will need to answer. It’s important to remain objective and not express opinions during this interview.

Gather evidence that the accused may have that relates to the matter. This may be the same documentation you received from others, however it should still be collected. 

Again, explain the need for full cooperation, and remind them of your company’s anti-retaliation policy before starting the interview.

Step four – Review and analyze 

Review and analyze all the information gathered during the investigation. Look for any inconsistencies, patterns, or additional evidence that may help in reaching a fair and unbiased conclusion.

Prepare a detailed investigation report documenting the findings. Include a summary of the complaint or incident, the interviews conducted, written statements, all evidence collected, and any conclusions reached.

Based on the findings of the investigation, determine the appropriate course of action. This may involve corrective actions or disciplinary measures, mediation, conflict resolution, or other actions depending on the severity and nature of the issue.

Step five – Share results and proposed actions

Share results and proposed action steps with leadership first, as appropriate. Provide information on the actions to be taken and any follow-up steps.

Then share the final decision with the accused and take the action you determined in step 5 to remedy the situation, as appropriate.

Finally, communicate the results of the investigation with the complainant, but do not share any confidential information, which may include the outcome and actions taken against the accused. This can be a difficult conversation and must be handled appropriately. 

Step six – Review effectivenes

Regularly review the effectiveness of any actions taken and monitor the situation to ensure that the issue has been appropriately addressed. 

Follow up with the parties involved if necessary. This is a crucial step that is often overlooked and can lead to the issue worsening or even creating an incident of retaliation. 

A note on retaliation

Retaliation is the most frequently alleged basis for discrimination, according to the EEOC. 

Reminding the investigation participants of your company’s anti-retaliation policy is mentioned in several of the steps above. All parties need to understand there is zero tolerance for retaliation in the workplace.

A Timely, Impartial, And Fair HR Investigation

It’s important to note that HR investigations should be conducted with fairness, confidentiality, and adherence to legal requirements and company policies. The primary goal is to ensure a safe, inclusive, and compliant work environment while addressing any issues that may arise. 

Using the steps above, your next investigation should be timely, impartial, and fair. 

If you need more before your next investigation you can seek advice in the People Managing People Community, a supportive community of HR and business leaders passionate about building organizations of the future.

Subscribe to the People Managing People Newsletter to stay up to date on the latest from People Managing People.

Some further resources to help you with employee relations matters:

• 7 Ways To Improve Employee Relations In Your Organization
• Workplace Trust, Why It’s Important And How To Build It

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Deep learning is a subfield of computer science that focuses on designing and implementing systems inspired by the brain’s structure and function. There are many experts and leaders in the field who have different perspectives on deep learning. They have shared their thoughts and ideas on what it is and how it can be used.

Despite being far from perfect, deep learning can still make incredibly accurate predictions. It can also help systems cluster data and perform complex calculations.

Deep learning is attempting to mimic the human brain. Not literally, but by creating similar connections in a computer. The goal is to increase accuracy and processing abilities, among other things. Let’s take a closer look at what this means.

What Is Deep Learning?

Deep learning is a type of machine learning that involves creating a network composed of multiple layers. These layers try to mimic the behavior of the human brain to learn from large amounts of data. Although a single layer can still make predictions, additional layers can help improve accuracy.

Developers of AI systems rely on deep learning to perform various tasks, such as analyzing and performing physical tasks, without human intervention. This technology is also behind products and services such as digital assistants and credit card fraud detection.

An Example of Deep Learning

Sometimes an example can help to clarify the confusion. Take automated driving. Most researchers are trying to mimic the way the human brain works. Thus they are using deep learning.

Automobile industry researchers are developing systems that can automatically detect and identify objects such as traffic lights and stop signs. They’re also developing systems that can help decrease accidents by identifying pedestrians.

How Does It Work?

The neural networks of deep learning are designed to mimic the behavior of the human brain by combining various elements such as bias, weights, and data inputs. These elements work together to classify and identify objects.

A deep neural network is composed of interconnected nodes, each building upon the previous layer to improve its prediction or categorization. This type of network’s output and input layers are respectively called visible and input layers. The former is where the model collects the data for processing, while the latter is where the final classification or prediction is made.

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On average, the employee population in most companies falls into three broad groups: 

• high-potential employees (Hi-Pos)--approximately 5%
• poor performers—approximately 10%
• solid performers—approximately 85%

Knowing that they have limited resources, companies often focus their time and development dollars on Hi-Pos. 

But what about the bulk of the employee population? How can organizations take a different approach and provide targeted development resources for the solid performers who make up the bulk of their employee population?

In this article, I’ll draw on my experience leading talent processes for companies ranging from global retailers to mid-stage startups to outline a more nuanced approach to talent planning.

• What is talent planning?
• Thinking dynamically about talent
• Talk to and about talent frequently
• Meet people where they are

What is Talent Planning?

Talent planning (also known as workforce planning) is a comprehensive strategy that encompasses hiring, retaining, and developing employees to meet the organization’s current and future needs. 

It sits in parallel to a company’s performance management processes and requires input and support from both the generalist (ex: HRBP) and specialist (ex: Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development) HR functions.

Thinking Dynamically About Talent

Many organizations assess talent on a 9-box grid, considering both potential and performance to determine their talent type (ex: Stars, High Performers, Workhorses). 

While this information is useful, it’s not enough. We also need to consider:

• Current Development Needs. Have they just gotten a promotion? Even if they’re a HiPo, their development needs are low. They are building their skills by taking on their new role. Are they a solid performer who has their role on lockdown and can take on more? Their development needs are high. They’re ready for more scope, new responsibilities, or a special project that will build their capabilities.
• Capacity. Do they have bandwidth? Are they able to manage their current responsibilities and make time to take on a development experience? We often overload strong performers because we think we need to give them all of the opportunities. If they don’t have capacity, we either need to hold off on the opportunity or help them to create space by delegating some of their responsibilities, maybe also creating a development opportunity for someone else in the process.
• Aspiration. What does the person want to do next? How do they want to grow their career? Really understanding that information will help us to better identify when they may sit on bench charts and ensure that they’re getting the development that will help them to get there faster.
• Risk Level. Are they at a high, medium, or low risk for leaving? Why? If they’re at high risk because they’re legitimately ready to be promoted but there is no role available, you can try to bridge the gap by providing a cool development experience that will put them in an even better position when the next level role is available. Are they at low risk because they’re fulfilled in their current role? Then you can divert resources elsewhere for the moment. This applies regardless of their talent type.

Off the back of this, we can add some more boxes to the traditional 9-box template.

Talk To And About Talent Frequently

To have an ongoing pulse on these dynamic talent factors, leaders need to have frequent conversations with their direct reports.

It’s pretty standard to have a performance management cycle that stipulates a mid-year and end-of-year performance conversation (sometimes even quarterly). To be really in tune, these formal inflection points should cap regular, ongoing discussions–approximately monthly–about current performance, what skills they’re working on, what they need, and what’s next.

Leaders then share that information as part of quarterly talent review conversations at the function level. The leadership team can get a clear picture of the development needs across the organization and support based not just on potential but on all of the factors noted above. 

Instead of HiPos getting all of the stretch assignments, conferences, mentoring, and training opportunities, more people get the attention and support they need.

Meet People Where They Are

This is more important now than ever. Because organizations are having to shift and adapt to change at a rapid pace, future organizational needs are less predictable than they were in the past.

While the idea that HiPos deliver a significantly higher value to the organization may hold true, the roles that they are high potential for may not exist in the organization in the future.

At a hospitality start-up where I worked, we ended up letting a high potential leader go just a year after bringing him on because we shifted our business strategy away from the segment that we hired him to lead.

By meeting people where they are now–taking into account their development needs, risk level, capacity, and aspirations–we are able to increase capability across the organization, creating more bench strength and a greater depth of talent readiness for the future.

Some further resources to help you with your talent development initiatives:

• How To Perform A Talent Review In 5 Steps
• 6 Best Practices For Getting Talent Reviews Right
• Why And How To Build An Internal Talent Marketplace
• How To Identify And Develop High-Potential Talent In Your Organization
• How To Revolutionize Your Talent Development With Skills Mapping
• How To Ensure Your Talent Management Efforts Will Generate Sustainable Change
• How To Create A Learning And Development Strategy In 7 Steps

You can also join the conversation in the People Managing People Community, a supportive community of HR and business leaders passionate about building organizations of the future.

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A brief overview of the role of the learning and development function in an organization and how to set yours up for the most impact.

What is learning and development?

Learning and development (L&D) covers every effort on the part of an organization to help employees gain new skills and knowledge. The purpose is to enable them to contribute to the organization as effectively as possible and progress in their careers. For the organization, the benefit of investing in strategically aligned learning and development initiatives is more productive, innovative, loyal, and engaged employees.

Learning and development can include training, mentoring, coaching, career mapping, job shadowing, stretch or temporary assignments, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and even just ensuring that feedback is regular and effectively administered.

Getting the most out of your L&D program

Ultimately, the aim of learning and development is to ensure your current workforce has the skills and knowledge required to keep the organization moving forward and hit strategic goals.

An added bonus is that employees will appreciate the investment, be more engaged in their work, and champion you as a great employer. It will also help you create a more efficient and effective onboarding process.

There are a number of ways to approach learning and development, but one thing to bear in mind, and something that we see a lot of learning and development programs fall flat on, is ensuring initiatives have a tangible benefit to the business.

An effective way to combat this perceived lack of efficacy is by aligning the learning and development strategy to your business goals and organizing by business priorities.

Ultimately, this is probably going to boil down to one of three things:

• More Revenue
• Less Cost
• Mitigated Risk.

The business case is always the first step when formulating a learning and development strategy. 

“People will come to you with a kind of conjecture or sentiment or feeling [about what they need from L&D], and it’s not to be completely discounted, but the business case always prevails.” – Sebastian Tindall

From here, you can start to put together the wider strategy surrounding delivery methods and which metrics to track.

Related resources:

• How To Create A Learning And Development Strategy In 7 Steps
• 4 Learning And Development Metrics That Actually Help Drive Business Success

Learning and development as part of your culture

Following the 70-20-10 rule, most learning and development takes place outside of the classroom.

Therefore it pays to ensure that your company culture encourages learning and knowledge-sharing as a regular practice.

Most people think of Google’s famous, and somewhat apocryphal, “20% time”, but it goes deeper than that.

It means making learning and development one of your core values and rewarding folks who uphold that value, for example by taking time out of their day to share knowledge with others and/or update a shared knowledge repository such as the learning management system.

It can also mean helping managers and senior team members to be more effective at administering feedback, as well as engendering an inclusive culture of continuous feedback where everyone feels empowered to share their knowledge and ideas.

Some further resources here:

• Four Steps To Create A Truly Inclusive Culture
• 5 Ways To Give More Effective Feedback
• How To Start An Effective Mentoring Program In 6 Steps
• How To Go From Manager To Coach
• How To Create A Culture Of Learning (with Noah Rabinowitz from Moderna University)

It’s beyond the scope of any one article to cover every aspect of learning and development as it’s such a vast topic, but hopefully the above has given you a firmer understanding of the function and its value to an organization.

How’s your experience with learning and development been? Leave something in the comments or join the conversation over in the People Managing People Community, a supportive community of HR and business leaders passionate about building organizations of the future.

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