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76 Take the time to research these organizations, and focus on the partners who share your goal of building a highly effective, diverse team. Once hiring managers are presented with qualified, diverse candidates, we have the responsibility of ensuring that they understand the company's goal of creating and maintaining a diverse team. Making decisions about who gets to join the team is an honor and a significant responsibility. In addition to understanding all of the legal requirements about what can and cannot be asked in the interview process, the best hiring managers will clearly understand the importance of selling the business to all types of job seekers from all types of backgrounds. ey'll be able to honestly discuss how a diverse candidate will fit into the business and how that candidate can expect to grow their career once they're on the team. Hiring managers also have to be smart enough to discern what is most important to the individual candidate and then articulate how their company can uniquely meet those needs. at often means understanding individuals with different life experiences, work backgrounds, and personal goals. Some candidates will care passionately about the company's culture, while others will be driven by career growth, compensation, job title, commitment to community, or level of work-life balance. It's easy to convince someone who is just like us that they'll love working where we do. It can be more challenging when the candidate sees things through a different lens of life. DIVERSITY IS KEY We aren't doing ourselves any favors by bringing on diverse candidates if our business is not up for discussion around diversity of thought. While our recruiters can bring diverse candidates to the table, and our hiring managers can ensure that our new hire classes are filled with the best diverse talent, it's up to leaders throughout the business to ensure that this diverse talent stays and succeeds. Businesses that value diversity understand the importance of a diverse, internal pipeline focused on individual development and succession planning. What better place to look for a great leadership candidate than on our own teams. Creating and managing effective development plans for high-performing women and minorities allows us to reward top performers while ensuring the business can continue to grow with leaders who are ready to step up and in when needed. Not all diverse candidates may be willing to raise their hands to take on additional responsibilities or to be considered for a new role. Studies have long shown that women traditionally struggle with the confidence to speak up while men tend to be more eager to take the spotlight (or at least ask for it). A recent study by Hewlett Packard revealed that men applied for a promotion when they met only 60% of the qualifications, while women tended to apply only if they met 100% of them. Formal development plans that identify women and minority leaders are just one way to ensure that everyone has a chance to throw their hat in the ring for the next big promotion. Building an inclusive culture is tantamount to creating an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to be successful. How difficult would it be for a professional golfer to suddenly join a professional basketball team? Probably nearly impossible. While the golfer is a professional athlete, with lots of great skills that make them the best at what they do, those skills most likely won't be appreciated in the middle of a game on the basketball court. ankfully, most work teams don't require such homogenous skill sets. HONING SKILLS FOR SUCCESS In the business world, we're looking for team members with any number of skills. We need extroverts, introverts, numbers experts, techie types, people types, and everyone in-between. We need individuals who have experienced life and the professional world in a variety of ways. e Golden State Warriors probably won't be looking to add Tiger Woods to their roster anytime soon. As a result, their work environment doesn't need to be accommodating to the unique needs of a professional golfer. Who would have thought that building a successful culture in the business world today could be considered more complicated than building a professional basketball team that's competed three years in a row for the NBA Championship? Because the workforce needs team members with a variety of skill sets and experiences, successful businesses recognize the need to be prepared for continuous cultural shifts. at doesn't mean they change the core values or goals of the business. However, it does mean they'll need to be constantly thinking about how the work environment helps or hinders different team members' success. Does the culture foster a workplace that feels inclusive to LGBTQ employees, those with disabilities, veterans, older workers, minorities, and women? Does it help make everyone feel like an important part of the team and encourage everyone to raise their hand and willingly share their unique skill sets and perspectives? Or does the culture create an environment where only certain groups of employees feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work? If employees are spending a considerable amount of time working to hide their life experiences at the office, they're much less likely to be fully engaged at the workplace. Perhaps most importantly, diversity and inclusion must be intentional and measured. Keeping diversity and inclusion goals top of mind is important at all junctures of the business. From planning strategies to business processes to team logistics, the makeup of a team matters. Many politicians have reminded us over the years that "hope is not a strategy." Sincerely desiring a diverse team and inclusive workforce likely won't make either happen. Leaders who make diversity a priority and weave it into the details of their business can reap big rewards. Building internal reporting processes, setting (and resetting) goals, and holding the business accountable can only happen with consistent and intentional leadership that values the importance of a diverse team. Marti Diaz is the SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer for Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC, a nationwide provider of property preservation, inspections, REO property maintenance and valuations to the financial services industry. Diaz leads the Human Resources and Training teams, helping develop and execute the people strategy in support of MCS' strategic business plan. Because the workforce needs team members with a variety of skill sets and experiences, successful businesses recognize the need to be prepared for continuous cultural shifts.

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