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Marginalized groups are often excluded from opportunities they qualify for because of non-inclusive hiring practices. Aubree Broadwater began her career as a recruiter at Salesforce and was an early leader in driving equality initiatives in their hiring practices. She also created their Global Interviewer Certification Program and worked on their Career Milestones Program.
In this episode of Motivational Mondays, she shares how these two initiatives transformed Salesforce’s hiring process.
Salesforce had no set instructions or direction in place for good hiring practices. By creating the Global Interviewer Certification Program, Aubree sought to answer what it means to hire inclusively.
This program allowed them to educate their interviewers on what good hiring looks like. It also helped them learn to recognize and address bias in the hiring process as they began to implement competency-based hiring processes. Aubree states that the team effort led to behavioral change, and seeing more access and opportunity for people from different backgrounds.
She states, “When we hire inclusively, we’re able to bring in a diversity of thought. We’re able to have those beautiful backgrounds in the world of Salesforce.” Salesforce now has over 40,000 employees that have completed the Global Interviewer Certification Program that Aubree created.
There are millions of competent and skilled people of color. So, why are some brands claiming they can’t find minority talent? There are always POC that qualify for roles but Aubree points out that those hiring don’t always know where to source them. Her interviewer certification educates and informs hiring managers and helps them overcome any unconscious biases.
Salesforce’s Career Milestones Program
The Career Milestones Program is another program Aubree was able to implement with her colleague, Lindsey Siegel. It focuses on providing sponsorships for the Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. There’s a false narrative that people from marginalized groups don’t have the skills to succeed in a company like Salesforce. Aubree emphasizes the reality is they simply aren’t given the opportunity.
Building this program allows them to match underrepresented minorities to sponsors, which helps them navigate career access and opportunities. It also allows marginalized groups to shine as they should. Aubree implores, if you don’t have a sponsorship program in your business, build one.
The systems in which we live, work, and go to school weren’t built for marginalized groups. “We have to have programs. We have to have strategies. We have to have it in place in order to make sure that our community can get what they deserve.” Aubree’s program seeks to not only elevate marginalized groups but to level the playing field.
Listen to the bonus episode to learn about what inspires Aubree to register black voters and the importance of having a voting electorate that represents equality.
Resources:
Connect with Aubree on LinkedIn
Check out other Motivational Mondays episodes