Never before has a ‘work-life balance’ been more of a reality. As we move beyond the spectre of COVID, it’s clear that employees are seeking to carve out careers that can tie in harmoniously with personal and family needs. Work is an important pillar, but it is only one facet – so it’s vital that organizations begin to recognize this and account for it in their employee leave policies. Draconian measures will only serve to alienate potential talent and reduce employee engagement.

Joining us to discuss this is Jen Henderson, the Founder and CEO of TiLT, a SaaS platform that focuses on leave management. We’ll be chatting about the importance of employee leave, its links to boosting wellness within organizations, while also looking at the tricky waters of parental leave.

News articles:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90753509/to-retain-talent-support-employees-through-their-hardest-times

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off

Regardless of where you sit in an organization, from intern to CEO, we are all susceptible to those nagging feelings of self-doubt. It often crops up when we try new things or fail, and we feel uncomfortable and second guess our abilities. Being slightly overwhelmed in those situations is completely normal – but what happens when this is prolonged? When no matter the qualifications, the experience or track record of success you have, you still feel 'not good enough'? This is imposter syndrome.

Today, we’re going to be chatting with Aimee Bateman, the CEO and Founder of Careercake, about this. We’ll discuss how doubt can hold us back in the workplace, the impact of imposter syndrome on leadership, and also we’ll look at particular strategies to use to help us overcome these feelings.

News articles:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90739748/this-is-the-surprising-benefit-of-having-imposter-syndrome

https://www.businessinsider.com/narcissism-work-traits-reasons-narcissists-are-successful?r=US&IR=T

DEI in the workplace is an ongoing discussion. Every company is trying to find their path to create diverse and inclusive cultures, but it’s true to say that some are more successful than others. Performative acts of DEI are omnipresent – think rainbow flags at Pride, woke-washing, box ticking exercises – these do little to create actual, transformative change. So what can leaders and organizations do to counter this?

Our guest, Jessica Havens, is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant and Strategist. On this week’s show, she’ll be helping us to identify the difference between surface and actionable DEI change. We’ll examine the issues companies are currently grappling with in this sphere, discuss the importance of budget and structures, and the tricky element of privilege when it comes to leadership and DEI.

News articles:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2022/05/01/4-ways-companies-tokenize-underrepresented-employees/?ss=diversity-inclusion&sh=3f7b56a13b91

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/apr/17/workplace-inclusion-drives-have-almost-trebled-since-blm-protests-survey-shows

The world has seen an incredible amount of disruption over the last two years, and every single sector has been impacted, including Talent Acquisition. In order to thrive, leaders in TA have had to ride these troublesome waves and think strategically about how to best acquire and retain talent in an atmosphere of uncertainty and constant change.

Our guest this week brings a rather unique perspective to this discussion. Having previously worked in the private sector for the majority of his career, Andy Headworth is now the Deputy Director of TA at HM Revenue & Customs. We’ll chat about the differences between recruiting in the public versus private sectors, how closed borders in the UK have forced Talent Acquisition to maximize home talent, and the importance of training and development when looking to solve future skills shortages.

News articles:

https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/remote-cross-border-hiring/

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-hiring-growth-slows-march-due-worker-shortages-recruiters-say-2022-04-08/

Driving for more diversity, equity and inclusion is unquestionably critical work – but it’s not easy. Every single stakeholder in a company has a role to play in order to move the needle for the better. But TA and leaders in particular hold huge sway in this arena. They are the gatekeepers and decision-makers when it comes to what kind of talent is brought into the business and how they are engaged and nurtured.

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According to our guest this week, it’s all about going back to basics. Brad Cook is the VP of Global Talent Acquisition at Intuitive – a corporation that develops, manufactures, and markets robotic products for minimally invasive surgery. Brad will be chatting to us about the importance of getting the fundamentals right, particularly in terms of outbound search, candidate experience and job descriptions. We’ll also be looking at the importance of data and metrics to diagnose where there may be problem areas in the TA process, so solutions can be found quickly and effectively.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90736047/7-things-companies-get-wrong-when-writing-job-descriptions

Disability is often seen as a poor relation in the DEI conversation. When agendas are put forward to hire more diverse talent or create work environments that cater to people from underrepresented backgrounds, so often those with both visible and invisible disabilities find themselves at the bottom of this list. But to ignore this cohort is to ignore a whole pool of talent with skills and abilities that can help organizations prosper and grow.

On this week’s edition of The Shortlist, we’re welcoming Yasmin Sheikh to the show. Yasmin is a TEDx speaker and Founder of Diverse Matters and will be speaking with us about disability inclusion in the workplace. We’ll be diving into her own personal story, as well as looking at topics around recruitment and interview processes, adjustments in the workplace, and the language of disability

News stories:

https://www.thecity.nyc/economy/2022/3/24/22994469/unemployment-soars-for-new-yorkers-with-disabilities-as-challenges-outweigh-new-opportunities

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/26/why-technology-accessibility-is-key-for-disability-inclusion-at-work.html

Other articles and links mentioned

Many organizations are quick to label themselves as inclusive, but often they struggle to explain what this really means in simple language. They build programs and wax lyrical about its importance, but overlook the behavioral component that is so crucial when it comes to driving and maintaining this culture. And if companies really want to deliver a more inclusive employee experience, they HAVE to examine and change the behaviors of the people around them – and this is especially true for leadership

Microaggressions are omnipresent in the workplace. We’ve all heard them, or even unintentionally said them – those seemingly innocuous comments that in fact reflect assumptions about people based on some element of their identity. This form of discrimination can be so difficult to stamp out too. Often people, both at the giving and receiving end of microaggressions, aren’t even aware it’s happening. But targeted change is needed to address it.

Joining us on the show this week to discuss this is Mo Abdullah. Mo is the Founder & CEO of Culture Energized, a company which specializes in training around DEI and culture transformation. We’ll be chatting about how microaggressions impact the workplace, why people are hesitant to tackle this issue and also dive into actionable advice about building an environment of accountability, trust and empathy.

News stories:

https://hbr.org/2022/03/we-need-to-retire-the-term-microaggressions?ab=hero-subleft-1

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/new-tool-resource-comabt-microaggressions-diversity-inclusion-equity-canada-employees-return-work-in-person-1.6367312

Networking is something that is often seen by organizations as important, but never truly urgent. We know that being able to network, both internally and externally, has so many benefits – from helping to find customers and attracting diverse talent to sourcing suppliers and creating more community. But no-one ever takes responsibility for the function. Leaders will talk a good game and say networking is critical for success, but there’s rarely any action behind these words. The solution? Well according to our guest Kingsley Aikins, you need to appoint a CNO – Chief Networking Officer.