Being A Good Ancestor: The Generational Impact Of Hiring Decisions

ByMichelle Sims ,

 Forbes Councils Member.

CEO of  YUPRO Placement , a skills-first placement firm sourcing, recruiting, retaining and advancing traditionally overlooked talent.

Cultures around the world embrace the concept of how what we do today impacts future generations. The seventh generation principle calls attention to how decisions we make now can affect up to seven generations to come. This powerful notion can elevate our work to a new level. It pulls people together to build legacies and ensure the prosperity, inclusivity and equity of tomorrow.

What does this have to do with hiring? Everything.

A Steward Of Tomorrow’s Workforce

Serving as a good ancestor to future generations of employees means forging paths for futures we will never see but will fundamentally shape. It starts with making deliberate choices intended to shift paradigms, dismantle barriers and cultivate greater opportunities for all.

While it can feel overwhelming to take on shepherding future generations and more tempting to fill immediate “here and now” needs, many industries are already thinking with a seventh-generation mindset. Leaders are building sustainable and resilient companies that benefit both current and future generations. The innovation in hybrid cars, wind turbines and solar panels, for example, all have this in mind. Engineering and technology operate on this concept. Organizations can’t scale without making decisions that impact their future.

Get Your Footing

The concept of being a good ancestor can seem overwhelming, and many might question where to even start. As an essential first step, take a look at your company's culture. Assess how your organization is treating employees and valuing their contributions, as a sense of belonging can have long-term effects on the present and future. Empowering and including individuals of all backgrounds and experiences is a meaningful step in creating a sustainable, equitable working environment.

An inclusive approach starts well before an employee’s first day at the company; it starts with the recruiting process. Skills-based hiring opens up the talent pool by considering previously excluded or overlooked candidates. It enables career pathways to upward economic mobility and results in a high-performing workforce that drives business outcomes.

Let Skills-Based Hiring Grow A Stronger Family Tree

Our actions, our policies and our advocacy today lay the groundwork for a future that affords every individual the opportunity to thrive. It is for this reason that I advocate a skills-first hiring approach.

By eschewing four-year degree requirements that automatically screen out 66% of working Americans, 76% of Black American workers and 83% of LatinX American workers, those responsible for hiring can begin to dismantle the barriers that have historically marginalized so many.

This, in turn, can serve the needs of today's talent landscape while laying the groundwork for future equity. It also becomes a boon for employers, who, by embracing a skills-based approach to hiring, increase their chance of a successful hire by 60% while simultaneously casting a wider candidate net.

The shift to skills-based hiring doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with identifying the desired skills and outcomes for a specific job. There’s no need to tackle every open position at once; instead, begin with the most in-demand roles, asking internal business stakeholders to align business needs with where they are seeing the greatest skills gaps.

It then extends to creating a job posting to support a skills-based hiring approach. This means eliminating degree requirements from the posting, as well as the typical endless list of qualifications, instead focusing on the top 5-7 skills that are needed in the role.

Six Steps To Becoming A Good Ancestor

Being a good ancestor is focused on strategies an organization can continually employ on a daily basis to make a difference. One such strategy involves what I call the SKILLS steps—a collective set of commitments aimed at lifting traditionally overlooked yet immensely talented individuals to support their prosperity for generations to come.

• Shift to skills-first hiring.  This hiring approach emphasizes competencies and abilities over traditional credentials. It opens the door of opportunity for diverse talent who may have nontraditional backgrounds or who have gained skills outside of a 4-year degree path.

• Kick bias out.  If you are responsible for hiring, it’s your responsibility to also ensure that bias, whether conscious or unconscious, is mitigated and removed from your process. Implementing structured interviews, using rubrics for each role and implementing bias-free assessment tools are all ways to make progress in achieving this goal.

• Invest in inclusivity.  Inclusivity is vital, but creating an inclusive culture goes beyond hiring—it must also focus on retention, engagement and growth. Consider establishing employee resource groups (ERGs) focused on underrepresented communities, which can increase employee satisfaction and foster a stronger sense of belonging.

• Look elsewhere for talent.  By exploring non-traditional talent pools, you open doors to incredible workforce potential. Consider partnerships with vocational schools, boot camps and community organizations.

• Listen to stakeholders.  Creating a continuous feedback loop is critical to skills-based hiring success. This includes external stakeholders. Consider surveying your applicants and your new hires about what their experience is like. You’ll gain valuable insights that can highlight areas for improving the hiring process.

• Support the strategy.  Ensure everyone involved understands the specific skills and expertise needed and agrees to discard antiquated proxies. Focus on bringing the right people in for the right tasks and continually assessing and matching talent skills to open roles.

Skills-based hiring is one way to start a small but significant ripple effect that will be felt and seen for generations to come. This type of employment ancestry is arguably the most impactful way to move the needle on hiring equity, one that will attract better and brighter talent to any organization now and in the future.

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ByMichelle Sims

CEO of YUPRO Placement, a skills-first placement firm sourcing, recruiting, retaining and advancing traditionally overlooked talent. Read Michelle Sims' full executive profile here.