Executive Recruiters Step Up Their Diversity and Inclusion Talent Drive
September 17, 2015 – Korn Ferry has recruited Jina Etienne as president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). Since 1969, the NABA has been a leader in expanding the influence of minority professionals in the fields of accounting and finance. The organization has over 6,000 members across the country and more than 49 chapters.
Ms. Etienne comes to NABA from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) where she was director – taxation of the 412,000-member organization. Before this, she was founder and managing member of a boutique CPA firm that offered small and medium-sized businesses a wide range of accounting, tax and consulting services.
“Jina comes to NABA at a time of great change and opportunity for the association,” said NABA chairman Kenneth E. Cooke. “She has an appreciation for the rapid pace of change and innovation that will solidify NABA’s growth and relevance for the future. She possesses the essential expertise to implement those changes in sync with NABA’s strategic vision.”
“Companies like NABA that put diversity into practice are seen as ‘talent innovator’ models for 21st century hiring,” said Scott A. Scanlon, founding CEO of Hunt Scanlon Media. “Companies that walk the walk and stand tall by sound recruiting principles that are fully inclusive become much more attractive to new recruits.”
Mr. Scanlon said these organizations tend to become market leaders in their respective industries and gain swifter competitive advantage over rivals. “The one common denominator of every successful organization is competent, diverse, multigenerational talent. For the very best companies, the exponential factor comes when mentoring takes place across these talent groups.”
In a recent Glassdoor survey of active and passive job seekers, 67 percent of respondents said that a diverse workforce was an ‘important factor’ when evaluating companies and job offers. “Efforts to highlight diversity during the recruiting process must match your efforts to maintain a satisfied and diverse workforce,” said Mariah DeLeon, Glassdoor vice president of human resources. “Your voice to recruits detailing your diversity efforts must mirror and promote the voice of employees who are key to showing how the workforce is comprised.”
A recent Korn Ferry study found that 84 percent of business leaders reported that a lack of attention on diversity and inclusion contributes to employee turnover. Another 95 percent said a culture of diversity and inclusion contributes to innovation, a critical attribute in today’s global, fast-paced business environment.
Executive recruiters have long embraced diverse and inclusive slates of candidates on mid-level searches for corporate clients, though many talent acquisition professionals have found recruiters deaf on the subject when it comes to boardroom directorships and other high paying, C-suite level management positions. But in the last few years as women and people of color have ascended within the search industry, a fresh and more inclusive approach to executive level search work has been a welcomed, long overdue development within the C-suite of the recruiting firms themselves.
In a move seen at the time as an important step in the right direction, Korn Ferry brought Global Novations, a leader in diversity & inclusion and talent optimization, into its stable of staffing products and services three years ago. The acquisition extended the firm’s capabilities directly into the market for diversity and inclusion-focused talent management solutions.
Today, as the nation’s largest search firm, Korn Ferry works with many of the world’s leading organizations to help them maximize their human potential across demographic groups. Its solutions are designed to create an inclusive environment where all employees are engaged and performing at high levels, and they leverage the unique backgrounds, experiences, styles, and perspectives that a diverse mix of talent brings to an organization.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief, Hunt Scanlon Media
