6 Things We Learned at TSC 2021

In September, ClearCompany brought together industry thought leaders with a wide range of expertise at our sixth annual (and second all-virtual) Talent Success™ Conference. After two years of major upheaval across nearly every workplace, our goal was to provide HR professionals with actionable talent management insights for the new world of work. Thanks to our outstanding speaker lineup and their depth of knowledge, we did just that.

We were pleased to host experts in performance management, hiring, DEI, and leadership who shared their wisdom with our attendees. Today, we’re sharing some of what we learned with you to inform your talent management strategy in 2022 and beyond. Keep reading for six things we learned at TSC 2021.

1. Dr. Akilah Cadet of Change Cadet shared the importance of being an accomplice in the workplace and how each of us plays a part.

During her session, Becoming an Accomplice in the Workplace, Dr. Cadet spoke about the differences between being a true accomplice and being a performative ally to BIPOC members of your workforce.  

“The important thing to understand about how we’re showing up as an accomplice — so moving past allyship — is understanding performative activism,” said Dr. Cadet. “Performative activism is that feeling of accomplishment, like, ‘I did it! I posted the black box, I donated here. I said that one thing that one time,’ and not realizing that activism is more than just that internal or external statement or that show on social media or that thing you may have said in a meeting — it’s continuous.”

Dr. Cadet urged listeners to “lean into being comfortable being uncomfortable” on their companies’ journeys to becoming more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

2. Ben Eubanks of Lighthouse Research & Advisory talked about how to manage performance like high-performing companies.

Ben told us about the strategies high-performing organizations use to keep their employees motivated and engaged. Notably, he answered the tough question of how to get leadership on board with new performance management initiatives.

When you’re thinking about how to present strategies to leadership, “I would encourage you to think about it as a business case,” said Eubanks. “The research shows that when people are connected and engaged and bring their best selves to work, that brings this amazing set of business outcomes — not just HR and engagement outcomes. Profitability, innovation, customer satisfaction, product quality — all of those elements are affected by engagement.”

Ben joined us again recently on the ClearCompany blog. He answered several questions ranging from recognition techniques you can implement to the biggest mistake you might be making with your performance management strategy.

Check out the Q&A and watch Ben’s TSC session to learn more about how your company can manage performance in a positive, encouraging way that contributes to a higher-performing workforce.

3. Romy Newman of Fairygodboss spoke about strategies to hire, support, and retain women in the workplace.

In her session Attracting and Retaining Women at Work, Romy Newman talked about the outsized impact the pandemic has had on women’s place in the workforce and strategies companies can use to turn that trend around.

“Finding a way to hire and engage more women into senior-level roles is one of the most important objectives any company can have in order to further and achieve their diversity goals,” said Newman. “I would say the same about race – hiring BIPOC into executive and management levels is what is going to make one of the biggest differences.”

Ultimately, when it comes to hiring for diversity, Newman said, “don’t cut corners to save time.” And if you’re having trouble with diverse hiring initiatives at your company? Track the data. “Find out where diverse candidates are falling out of the process — both where in the hiring funnel and which departments — and you can do diagnostics.”

4. Chaveso “Chevy” Cook of Military Mentors drew on his leadership experience as a U.S. Army officer to share insights about leading under pressure.

Chaveso Cook’s session touched on the qualities that are most beneficial to crisis leadership. In times of uncertainty, change, and fear, as during the COVID-19 pandemic, what does your workforce need from a leader?

“They want to know that you care,” said Cook. “Yeah, you need to be able to think. But leading, without being able to do it in a socioemotional context, is not leadership at all.”

While ability is important, so too is emotional intelligence. “We’ve got to care about the socioemotional context as much as we care about the competency and that first level of leadership, which is your intellect,” said Cook.

5. Lauren Bell and Nai Saevang of Checkr, along with Donna Hilliard of Code Tenderloin, shared how companies can bring fair chance hiring practices into their hiring strategies.

During Checkr’s panel, Untapped Talent: Building a Fair Chance Hiring Plan, the three speakers talked about the impact of the U.S.’s incarceration rate and how fair chance hiring makes a significant impact on the lives of people who have been incarcerated.

First, Lauren Bell explained just what fair chance hiring is: “It’s a smart HR strategy for ensuring that past criminal record alone isn’t the reason why somebody isn’t considered for employment.”

Then, the panel discussed why it’s important to incorporate into your hiring strategy. “People change. People grow,” said Donna Hilliard. “It’s important not to miss this opportunity for your company because you’re going to miss out on someone that’s going to come in and give a view that maybe someone else wouldn’t have thought of.”

Nai Saevang echoed Hilliard’s statement, saying, “Why does fair chance hiring matter? It matters because people matter. It matters because it gives me a sense of self-worth. I realized that there are people who care about me — they’re giving me an opportunity to make a living.”

Bell added that along with increasing graduation rates for their children and decreasing intergenerational incarceration, “employment also reduces recidivism.”

Bell also offered a simple way to start changing your company’s attitude about hiring. “A low-hanging fruit way to really strengthen a hiring plan is to commit to people-first language,” she said, using terms like “person who was formerly incarcerated” rather than ex-felon or ex-con.

Watch this panel in full to learn even more from Bell, Saevang, and Hilliard about fair chance hiring.

6. Jon Fontenot, Head of Talent Acquisition at UNIFY Financial Credit Union, spoke to us about how UNIFY has utilized ClearCompany to refine its approach to hiring in today’s talent market.

ClearCompany’s own Jesse Simmons and Jason Burke spoke to Jon Fontenot for the session Rethinking Talent Acquisition Strategy for Post-Pandemic Hiring. Fontenot discussed how his own application experience at UNIFY shaped the changes he made once he began his role.

Fontenot started by focusing on getting more candidates in the door. “In order to get more applicants in the door, you need to know where they’re coming from. We use the reporting within ClearCompany, including Candidate Flow Log and Funnel Analysis reports to see where candidates are coming from,” Fontenot said.

“We’ve got to not focus on screening people out. We’ve got to get people in the door and make it easy for them to get in the door.” After streamlining their application process, UNIFY’s fallout rate dropped from 70% down to — well, Jon’s not sure, but that’s because it’s not a factor for them anymore!

Your company can reap those benefits, too, with ClearCompany’s Talent Management platform. Our robust reports contribute to a deeper understanding of your workforce, which you can then apply to recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and performance management.

Want to hear more about how UNIFY uses ClearCompany for a strong post-pandemic hiring strategy? Luckily, you can — catch the entire session here.

We hope you join us next year at Talent Success Conference 2022 for even more insights about how you can elevate your talent management strategies.