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Critical topics for D&I: Bias and marketing

While diversity and inclusion remains a hot topic and a timely phrase discussed at great length by industry executives, getting into the details of D&I challenges and opportunities and then executing on platitudes is often an afterthought. It seems as if D&I has replaced “culture” among organizational behavior discussions — but what about action? What is being done in terms of practical application? Are people and organizations putting the ideas and philosophies into practic

When planning for the 2020 National Sports Forum in Atlanta, our team at Prodigy Search collaborated with our Diversity & Inclusion Board of Advisors in which we ultimately were given the opportunity to present and lead a discussion on “How to Keep the Bias Out of the Hiring Process & Marketing Diverse Backgrounds to the Industry.” Through our daily work as recruiters, and from feedback we have received from hiring managers, HR executives and candidates, these two topics appeared to be critical to address. 

With that in mind, we conducted an industrywide survey that began in late 2019 and concluded in early 2020 in order to receive clarity on these relevant and critical topics. Highlights from our “Candidate Bias” survey are included on the left.

Also as part of the survey, we heard incredible feedback to our open-ended questions with recommendations for other employers, hiring organizations and recruiters to help eliminate bias from the hiring process:

■ Run job descriptions through software programs to avoid gender-biased posts.
■ Black out/remove names and pronouns on résumés before reviewing collectively.
■ Fill out a rubric for what the company is looking for and complete for each candidate.
■ Broaden the areas where jobs are posted. Build a network of groups to share job postings with (i.e.: HBCUs, Junior League, WISE/women’s networks, LGBTQ+ organizations).

As part of the discussion in Atlanta at the National Sports Forum in February, we asked three industry experts to share their experiences and lend innovative solutions to solve these key issues in our industry when it comes to human capital. Our panelists included: Bill Fagan, CEO of The Aspire Group; David Livingston, vice president of partnerships for Spectra; and former NASCAR executive and current COO of Crews Enterprises, Rishi Nigam.

During the topic of hiring best practices, Fagan mentioned looking for characteristics, rather than experience solely, and seeking out people who would be comfortable being uncomfortable. Livingston discussed the similarities of climbing the ladder but once you are there, “pretend it’s a classroom.” He explained how you need to study for the test and work hard, but diverse employees need to immerse themselves in a different culture and provide added value and ultimately, drive revenue. “The only color that will matter the most at the end of the day is green,” he said. 

When audience interaction sparked the topic of how to retain talent and focus on inclusion in organizations, our panelists shared some simple, yet crucial, advice. Nigam suggested seeing what drives performance and having an open and frank conversation regarding your expectations and goals, which help shape your corporate culture. Fagan shared a powerful statement regarding inclusion that “no one is raised with an inclusive behavior but we have to naturally work at it and recognize it as something to improve upon.”

Our panelists shared other impactful quotes and statements:

“Anyone who never said they were lonely at their job is lying. We have an informal event culture committee that not only structures but shapes interconnectivity.”
— Bill Fagan

“Diverse hires aren’t about conflict and being disruptive; they simply bring different perspectives. Just listen.”
— David Livingston

“High-performing teams benefit immensely from diversity in background, experiences, and thought processes. Candidates should be hyper-focused on how they add value in these areas while hiring managers have an obligation to look past superficial characteristics to find these underlying strengths.”
— Rishi Nigam

One of the biggest takeaways is to recognize the difference between having a diverse staff and having an inclusive culture. Ask yourself: Why did these people come to work for you and what originally inspired them to accept this job? If you are struggling to find that answer, leverage the strengths of your current diverse staff members to hire better, to retain diverse talent, promote them when ready, and give them a seat at the table when it comes to decision-making.

Overall, what we try to instill in our recruiting tactics daily is not treating diversity as only a checklist item. Today’s workforce is vastly different from 10, 20, 30 years ago. However, the importance of having a diverse and inclusive organization has to and should continue to evolve in 2020 and beyond. There is no better time than the present to walk the walk when it comes to D&I. 

Mark Gress Jr. is partner at executive recruiting firm Prodigy Search. Megan Meisse, senior recruiter at Prodigy Search, contributed to this column and the aforementioned National Sports Forum sessions.

Questions about OPED guidelines or letters to the editor? Email editor Jake Kyler at jkyler@sportsbusinessjournal.com

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