Conversations of Hope, Heart, and the Human Spirit
with Surabhi Lal
Hummingbird Humanity videos now with captioning.
In this episode, Brian and Surabhi cover. . .
- Who writes history?
- Bringing non-college-educated talent to white-collar spaces
- Job-sharing for working parents
Leaning Into Humanity
The mindset for recruitment needs to change
Many companies are learning that their current systems of recruiting from specific universities’ “recruitment schools” are ineffective when trying to bring in diverse talent. Though many are becoming aware that this problem exists, few know exactly what to do about it. Surabhi challenges the workforce to abandon this approach and be open to alternatives like opening recruitment searches to Historically Black Colleges & Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and talent that did not attend college. People are often shocked by the last suggestion, but we must remember that the human experience is diverse and does not always include college. There are plenty of people gaining valuable skills outside of academia.
The mindset for recruitment needs to change from “we don’t have enough people going through the pipeline” to “how are you making your workplace more accessible.”
Leaning Into Humanity
Companies must consider what part they will play in social justice
As Brian McComak pointed out, making workplaces more accessible is not where this work can or should end. We need to push ourselves a step further and understand why these workplaces, and our society as a whole, were inaccessible to so many in the first place. And take actions to dismantle societal systems that disadvantage the lives of so many. This will create long term change as the representation issues at work stem from societal failures and inequities in education, the justice system, housing, and many other areas. Companies must consider what part they will play in social justice. And if willing to engage, they should partner with leaders in these movements to maximize their contribution to disrupting these systems.
Let’s end workplace barriers for working parents
Let’s end workplace barriers for working parents . . . by utilizing job-sharing options. Job-sharing is when the workload of a single position is divided amongst two professionals. The two people agree on their schedules and responsibilities, combinations that can take infinite forms. This can be two people working at the same time, working different hours on the same day, covering different days in the week, sharing identical responsibilities, or managing different tasks. Job-sharing can be a temporary or permanent arrangement to retain stellar talent, reduce burnout, promote teamwork, increase efficiency, and create happier employees.
Bringing equity to working parents through job-sharing can expand to other humans in the workplace who may want to care for a sick or aging relative, pursue passions outside of their roles, complete a degree, or increase overall work-life balance. These work paths are attractive to employees across all age groups.
Surabhi Lal creates change to better the future of work for individuals, teams, and organizations. Her work portfolio includes serving as the Chief Impact Officer at Luminary, a New York City-based women’s collective opportunities to network, grow, and build their businesses. Internally, Surabhi assesses the organization’s impact on its members and how to address their needs. Externally, she pushes other organizations to be intentional about how they think about equity in the workplace. She specifically suggests we explore how women are able to tell and own their stories in corporate America, and use those stories to disrupt systems that have historically failed intersections of women, people of color, and other marginalized communities. Surabhi’s question to workplaces is “how are you going to innovate?”