What Will Be The Biggest Needle Movers For 2022?
Invest in outbound recruiting initiatives that will move the needle. For your organization to hit your diversity hiring goals faster, we've compiled the biggest needle movers.
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1. Diverse Employer Branding
When we asked John Graham, VP, Employer Brand, Diversity & Culture at Shaker Recruitment Marketing, to look into his crystal ball to tell us what will have the biggest impact on DEI in the workplace, he revealed it will be companies with diverse employer brands. He explains how it’s not just about employer branding, but a brand that “articulates and accurately showcases your culture through the lens of marginalized talent.” John describes how this year will be “fly or fail” in regards to all of the commitment statements towards D&I for the past two years. He shares, companies that have had two years to optimize, to work on their diversity and inclusion efforts, and to take action, should now be asking, “Did we improve the lived experiences of those who have been historically marginalized?”
John goes on to explain how we’re still using “traditional models in an untraditional market.” He shares, “ Recruitment marketing is going to be huge, right, more so than the past years, especially with hybrid and virtual work scenarios. Companies have to figure out how to express their culture where it’s not relegated to the proximity of four walls in an office. That really forces you to be inclusive because I can’t just catch you in the hallway and say, ‘Oh, hey, how are you doing?’ Or, ‘come join us for lunch.’ Now you’d be intentional about bringing people on to virtual spaces, creating experiences and environments where people feel included, even if they’re not next to you in proximity.”
2. Increased Partnerships
The biggest impact this year will come from who, where, and how you hire, says Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultant, Torin Perez. He explains more in detail, revealing:
Where you hire from:
"If people do not need to relocate to work at your company, you can recruit and hire from anywhere that diverse candidates are."
Who you hire:
"If you look at the demographic makeup of your team, you can see who’s missing. Add who’s missing with your next hires instead of more of the same."
Where you hire from:
"First, make it easy for people to say yes by streamlining your hiring process so it is more efficient, thoughtful, and inclusive. Second, activate policies, practices, and processes so all people leaders understand how to build diverse and balanced teams and the accountability measures that will ensure they do."
3. Equity
When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, sometimes equity gets lost in the picture. However, Emily Cardner, Head of People at Viam, suggests equity should take center stage this year. Emily shares that companies need to look at all of their operations, explaining, “We need to take a microscope to all of our processes, whether it be recruiting, promotions, pay increases, performance reviews, to name a few, to see if they are providing equal opportunity for all employees, or if they are created in a way that just serves certain groups."
4. Trust and Transparency
A good foundation for DEI in 2022 should be built on trust and transparency. Jenn Tardy, Diversity Recruitment Trainer, Career Coach, shares, “The biggest needle movers for 2022 will be if the companies are transparent and show their financial numbers and talk about the work to their employees. The moving needle will be when the employers are transparent around equity, belonging, and inclusion initiatives.” Transparency can come in many forms. It may look like an organization showcasing their employee diversity data, like Asana for example. Or, it may look like an organization that offers pay transparency, like Buffer. The ability to offer this information when hiring a diverse pipeline of candidates is going to be a huge selling point. When you’re thinking about transparency, don’t forget to add trust into the mix. Without trust, your organization won’t go far. Alex Suggs, Head of Consulting, Assessment, and Strategy at Collective DEI Lab is hopeful that “trust” will be a big needle mover this year. When asked what will make the biggest impact this year, she reveals, “Hopefully, trust. Trust from employees that their organizations are truly committed to DEI both now and in the future."
5. Helpful New Roles
You might be excited to see that 2022 will bring about helpful new roles in the recruiting space. DEI consultant, Sophia Dozier reveals we might see two new roles pop up: DEI Talent Attraction Manager and Employer Brand Manager. She goes on to explain, “More and more companies are beginning to “Get Serious” around their diversity recruiting strategies, and top talent in companies are holding their employers accountable.” She’s feeling very optimistic, stating, “I’m hopeful that in the next couple of years we really start to see diversity numbers, across the board, increase.”
6. Reinventing Your Operations
Sometimes to make progress, companies have to reinvent themselves. And that’s exactly what Khalil Smith, Vice President, Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement at Akamai Technologies, explains many companies will be doing this year. Many companies will focus their efforts on transactional changes, but it’s important to concentrate on transformational changes. He explains, “Those companies that understand the shifting power dynamics which employees are bringing to bear, will attract the best talent, retain people for longer—which will lead to a reduction in the drain of institutional knowledge—and optimize the creative conflict that comes along with diverse and inclusive teams. These companies will also be the ones that recognize that no environment is perfect for everyone, and they will choose to be broadly inclusive yet intentionally exclusive while using their values and their mission as the mechanism for exclusion.” What does that mean if we break it down? Khalil states, “demographics and characteristics won’t be used to push people forward or hold them back, and instead these companies will be unapologetic about the elements of their culture that make them unique, and they’ll use those as the rubrics against which they attract, hire, develop, promote, and reward. When all of those elements are in alignment, that moves needles.”
7. In-Person Events
As a result of the pandemic, recruiters had to adapt to their current environment. This led to the rise of virtual events. But now, as we head into 2022, companies are learning to take a hybrid approach and figuring out how to bring back in-person events (safely). Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager at Justworks, Lakuan Smith agrees. He notes, “I believe the biggest needle movers will be in-person events. As we start to plan for affinity months, we think the events that will have the biggest impact will be the hybrid (Virtual and In-Person) events. Employees are hungry for social interaction, as long as we can do it in a safe way.”
8. This Generation of Workers
This year, there is an exciting catalyst for change: this generation of workers. Kira Lee Hutson, Strategist at Collective DEI Lab, shares her views on the subject matter, stating, “The workforce of today is demanding more—flexible hours, remote options, better benefits and pay, and a culture that is active (not performative) about DEI. Ultimately, their mentality is what will push employers to catch up with the times in order to attract the top talent.”
