125. How to Hire in an Intentional, Ethical, and Considerate Way
Both in Erica’s individual work as well as the work she does with India at Pause on the Play®, there has been a lot of conversation around hiring recently.
It isn’t a new conversation, but it’s one that’s happening consistently as more people are working to do things differently, make change and shift the narrative of how hiring has to be done.
Given that this conversation is so prevalent, we’re discussing hiring in alignment with your values.
In this article:
Why you need to shift your network
Three prompts to consider as your begin changing your practices
Why you need to know how your opportunity benefits the candidate
How to expand your concept of workplace safety
This article is based on a Pause On The Play podcast episode called How to Hire in an Intentional, Ethical, and Considerate Way
Keep the dialogue going:
Concepts are better explored in community. Actions are more lasting when taken alongside other imperfect allies. Connect with a cohort of entrepreneurs and changemakers at the intersection of values and visibility.
Join us at pauseontheplay.com/community
Your values are the cornerstone.
Your values create the hiring process and the environment you’re bringing a new team member into. Your values are what you will base your entire concept of hiring in your brand around.
Consider these questions if you’re evaluating where your efforts and hiring practices are currently:
Do you want your efforts to stay here?
How do you want them to shift?
Do you need support in shifting them?
One of the most important things you can do to set the tone for every other part of your hiring practice is to diversify your network from an authentic place.
Without shifting your network from an energy of being more diverse and being more inclusive, you can’t do the other things. Remember, these efforts build on each other.
If you’re looking for a primer on how to approach that process, Erica and India discuss diversifying your network without tokenizing the folks you wish to attract in Episode 123.
When you’ve considered what it takes to diversify your network and to move on that from an authentic place, think about:
Who do you want to hire? Why?
Whenever you’re hiring, you need to be able to answer the question of who you’re hiring, why you want to hire them, and why you’re doing this differently.
Without setting that intention, you’re not going to get the outcome you’re looking for. And you’re also not going to be able to reach the type of individuals you’re seeking to connect with.
You need to have that clarity. Who do you want to bring on your team? What would make them a good fit? What are those qualifications?
It’s also important to answer the question: why would they want to work with you? Why would they want to be part of your team?
You know how hiring for this position benefits you, but that can’t be one-sided. What’s in it for your new hire?
If you can’t answer that question, you’re likely to end up with candidates who are misaligned with the role, who don’t work out well on your team, and possibly end up with high turnover.
Or you might not have any candidates at all.
Next, your have to consider:
Is it safe for these candidates to work with you?
In order to shift the people you want to be part of the team, that you want to attract, and the way you want to bring your values front-facing, you have to be aware of whether or not it is safe for these people to work with you.
Safe meaning, can they be their authentic selves here? Do they have to code-switch?
You have to think about the language in your content–from your onboarding to your meetings, to the holidays on your calendar–and how that supports this individual and the way they show up.
For a discussion of code-switching in the workplace, visit Episode 115 with Jeff Harry.
Safety is a large concept, but considering these issues even on a small level to start with, will help you understand if this is really the time for you to make changes to your hiring or if you need support to accomplish that.
But if you’re not taking the time to pause and consider the safety of the people you want to hire, you’re being negligent.
And lastly for today:
Where are you seeking candidates?
You’ve put in the time and effort to diversify your network, to clarify who you want to hire and why, and if it’s safe for them to work with you.
Then you post your openings in the same old places and talk to the same people in your network.
If you want something different, you have to do something different.
That means finding different places to post your positions. That means asking new people in your network about openings and hiring.
You have to identify literally different places to post opportunities as well as with different ways of getting openings in front of new communities and individuals.
Because if you keep presenting the same things to the same people, you're going to get the same things.
Hiring is a large concept. Whether you have a larger team or a smaller team, giving yourself some pared-down pieces to consider can help you get going and develop momentum. You have to start somewhere.
Take this as an opportunity to model how hiring can be done differently. How bringing people into your brand can be done in an intentional, ethical and considerate way.
Reconsider your normal. Choose not to hire the same way it’s always been done.
But as you do that, give yourself some grace. These shifts are not always easy and they’re not always quick. They are always worth it.
Keep The Dialogue Going
Concepts are better explored in community. Actions are more lasting when taken alongside other imperfect allies. Connect with a cohort of entrepreneurs and changemakers at the intersection of values and visibility.
Join us at pauseontheplay.com/community