By Eustacia A. English –  NRWA DEI Columnist

In November 2021, we discussed The Hiring Process: What Bias Looks Like. We discussed the challenges of unconscious bias, which could be intentional or unintentional, and also touched on 13 different types of unconscious bias in hiring.

Recruiting diverse talent is a challenge for many organizations. The focus is usually on finding new talent pools rather than addressing other barriers to building a more inclusive hiring environment. Today, we will bring the topic full circle and discuss ways to develop a more inclusive hiring process for diversity recruiting efforts.

Increasing diversity hires and removing unconscious bias goes beyond just sourcing from more diverse pools. Candidates from underrepresented talent groups face barriers that may prevent them from successfully completing the hiring process. The hiring process must be reevaluated to address any hidden barriers and biases. Let’s discuss changes organizations can make to support inclusive hiring.

Define Job Requirements Based on Work Outcomes, Not Credentials
Most hiring leaders define hiring needs based on traditional profiles of educational backgrounds and prior work experience. However, this approach excludes candidates who would otherwise be capable of performing the job. Many diverse candidates get screened out of the process as a result. Recruiters and hiring leaders should adjust their job descriptions to describe the outcomes a job must achieve rather than define the qualifications needed to achieve them.

Create More Inclusive Job Posts
Neutral wording within job postings is essential. Certain language can attract candidates of a particular gender, race, or other backgrounds, making other candidates feel like they shouldn’t even bother applying. Biased language in job posts could unintentionally discourage women, racial minorities, and people with physical disabilities.

For example, dominant wording such as “seeking a competitive and driven candidate” often appeals to men, while wording like “cooperation and teamwork” more often appeal to women.

Job posts can inadvertently exclude disabled applicants through words such as “speak” or “carry.” Ensuring that your job postings are gender-neutral in wording will assure great candidates across the board to apply.

Implement Blind Resumes
I love the idea of implementing blind resumes during the interview process. A blind resume includes removing the candidate’s name and address and also withholding social media checks (LinkedIn) prior to the first interview. This prevents the outward appearance—such as name, address, and any personal interests—from playing a role in the hiring process before the hiring manager can assess more important criteria, such as skills and experience.

Lead with Skills Tests
Leveraging technology to reduce bias is an excellent way to see which candidates will succeed in a given role — no matter their past education or work experiences. Reputable companies all conduct skills tests to remove bias toward personality traits or physical characteristics. My company has been doing this for a few years, and the outcome has made a difference in our hiring practices.

Tailor the EVP for Underrepresented Talent Segments
As companies continue to compete for the best talent and work toward becoming more diverse and inclusive, it’s important to understand a candidate’s employee value proposition (EVP). Inclusive branding is key to ensuring an inclusive company culture is front and center for potential candidates to see. Candidates from underrepresented groups are looking for organizations with an authentic and inclusive company culture.

Create a Diverse Hiring Panel
People tend to want to hire people they like and who are similar to them. By lacking diversity in interview panels, companies are more susceptible to the panel being impacted by their biases and hiring people just like them. Having differences of opinions in an interview panel will allow companies to hire the best people because they truly are the best, not just because they are similar to themselves.

As a recruiter and a woman of color, I make it my duty to incorporate these things within my own organization. I’ve seen too many candidates not given an opportunity for one reason or another. If you would like to introduce any of the suggestions mentioned, stakeholder buy-in is really key to eliminating any roadblocks. I have been fortunate to work for organizations that held the same passion as I do.

As always, wishing you all continued peace, love, happiness, and blessings.

Eustacia English writes the Perspective column, which examines Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in resume writing and career strategy. She is a 20-year HR and talent acquisition veteran and started Resumes on Demand last year. She also writes on DEI for The Black in HR e-zine. She lives with her husband and two children in Cherry Hill, NJ. Find her online at LinkedIn.com/in/ecampbell05.

By Amanda Brandon, NRWA Newsletter Editor

When I heard about this course, I thought it would be valuable to get feedback from our instructors – Kyle Elliott and Ruth Pankratz – on how this new course will impact resume writing and career coaches. This course starts TONIGHT, Tuesday, April 5th so you need to register here stat if you want in.

Why does a resume writer or career coach need Business Growth Lab?

Kyle: Between identifying your ideal client, marketing your services, and deciding how much to charge, running a business can be overwhelming. Whether new in business or an industry veteran, Business Growth Lab will provide participants with a welcoming, supportive, and inspiring environment to take their business to the next level.

Ruth: The Business Growth Lab is more than a business course. It’s a supportive four-week program with mentoring and actionable business takeaways. The course size is limited to focus on each participant’s unique business.

How can a resume writer or career coach benefit from this course?

Ruth: You will gain business perspectives, set goals, learn how to improve your business, enhance customer engagements, boost your confidence, reveal potential business blind spots, and empower yourself to elevate your business revenue, customer engagement, and operational efficiency.

Kyle: You will learn how to nimbly improve your customer experience, enhance your business marketing and sales skills, and increase your revenue. We combine live group coaching, peer connections, and individual activities to ensure you are geared for long-term success. You’re also getting feedback from two instructors with distinct perspectives and experiences.

What makes you excited about leading this “lab”?

Kyle: I began my business on Fiverr, charging $5 for resume reviews and LinkedIn profiles. I now run a multi-six-figure practice while working the fewest hours ever in my career. I am eager for fellow resume writers and career service providers to see that their wildest dreams can come true.

Ruth: I’m excited to share my 12+ years of business knowledge to help NRWA colleagues thrive. I’ve owned five businesses, and three have been in the careers industry. I may have a few helpful tips to share.

More About Business Growth Lab

Rather than telling you how to run a “successful business” as defined by someone else, Kyle and Ruth will guide you through a framework of best practices and show you how to apply them to your business.

In this four-week course, with six hours of hands-on instruction time, you’ll:

About the Instructors

Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES, is the founder and career coach behind CaffeinatedKyle.com. Kyle never imagined his college side hustle – charging five dollars for resume reviews and LinkedIn profile summaries on Fiverr – would transform into a multi-six-figure coaching practice serving senior managers and executives in Silicon Valley and high tech. A trusted career expert, his words have been featured in CNBC, CNN, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, Glassdoor, The Must, and The New York Times, among dozens of other leading publications and media outlets. He is an official member of the invitation-only Forbes Coaches Council and an active member of the Gay Coaches Alliance. When not coaching Silicon Valley’s top talent, you will likely find Kyle at Starbucks or Disneyland; he is a proud Disneyland Magic Key Holder.

Ruth Pankratz, MBA, NCRW, is the founder of Gabby Communications LLC, providing expertise in career advising and writing services. Her 12+ years in business have been focused on marketing professionals, helping each person achieve their unique career goals. Before starting Gabby Communications, Ruth held various corporate leadership positions at Konica Minolta, Hewlett Packard, and other companies. Ruth holds an MBA from Colorado State University and a BS in Communications from Kennesaw State University. She serves as a resume subject matter expert and career advisor at Lee Hecht Harrison International CEO Team in New York. When not working, Ruth practices yoga or enjoys family time.

By Amanda Brandon, NCOPE – NRWA Newsletter Editor

If you struggle with the procrastination bug, as I do sometimes (like a day of 65° and sunny weather), you’ll love this month’s lifesaving tips I gathered from our Facebook group.

1. Buy an iced latte and reward yourself with a sip each time you write a sentence.

2. Take a long walk to brainstorm and consider the project notes.

3. Complete just one easy step—headings, company names, locations, dates—to get the work going.

4. Set a timer and commit to working for just 25-30 minutes.

5. Take a few hours off to focus on something else.

Have a “What’s Saving My Life…” tip? Email us at newsletter@thenrwa.org.

Welcome to our new and renewing members for the month of February 2022!

Feel free to introduce (or reintroduce) yourself via our members-only networking forums: the Member Forum on our website, Facebook group, and LinkedIn group.

You can find colleagues in your area by searching here.

NEW MEMBERS

RENEWING MEMBERS

By Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, NCOPE - NCRW Certification Chair

The NCRW Certification Commission works hard to ensure we are providing the most up-to-date information to our members. We are continually looking for new trends or information that can be presented more succinctly. Our goal is to publish updates twice a year in January and July.

Here are some of the topics we revamped in the most recent version:

Hyperlinked Table of Contents: One of the most convenient features we’ve added to this version is a hyperlinked table of contents. Scroll to the topic you want to learn more about and click on it – like magic; you’ll be whisked to that heading within the document.

Professional Summary Makeover: Within Section II: Professional Summary, we revamped the b) Summary content subsection. Previously we advised that a Headline is optional, but current trends point to including a Headline along with optional items such as Branding Statement, Tagline, or Skills line. We also included a descriptor of what information to include within the Summary body and an optional Core Competencies section.

ATS Clarifications: Another section with significant rewrites is Section VIII: Electronic Documents/ATS. The advice we include are best practices, as we’ve been able to ascertain. However, we know that no guidance on this topic is definitive. For example, what does the “S” in ATS stand for – “systems” or “software”? Internet research revealed that both are used, sometimes within the same article. For our Study Guide, we’ve chosen to simply use “ATS.”

Please understand that this section isn’t an in-depth guide on this topic. We’ve included advice that should allow you to prepare an ATS-friendly resume for your clients. Perhaps you have a different understanding of the “rules,” which is certainly up to you.

We needed to develop the best approaches as we understand them – at least for the next six months – to use when reviewing samples or grading exams. If you are pursuing the NCRW certification, please use our advice at least while taking part in our process.

Submit Your Sample! Speaking of pursuing the NCRW, is 2022 the year you will tackle this goal? I encourage you to give it a try! Submit a sample to find out if you are ready to sit for the exam or which areas you need to work on. Our graders will provide you with a lot of advice to improve your writing skills. Our goal is to educate and support resume writers to achieve excellence!

Want to learn more about the NCRW Process & Study Guide? Visit this link.

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Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, NCOPE, is the NRWA Certification Commission Chair and served on the original NRWA board of directors. For several years, she has been an NCRW grader and collaborated with a team to revamp the NCRW Study Guide. Her company, A Career Advantage, serves job seekers in all industries and at all levels, primarily focusing on mid-management, blue-collar, and entry-level candidates. Find her online at LinkedIn.com/in/kathykeshemberg.

By Anne Anderson – NRWA Staff Writer

Hello! Please welcome new member, Kathleen McGrorty, to the NRWA.

As managing partner of her firm, NewView, Kathleen focuses on personal branding and increasing her clients’ competitive career advantages. She offers individual and group career coaching, interview preparation, and professional writing services.

NewView became a global firm as referrals and international opportunities grew, and she added Canada-based staff to her 100% virtual team in 2014. In 2016, she joined the team at Shaffer Psychological Institute as a senior coach, delivering customized coaching services for targeted industries.

Kathleen often remarks to clients that she is proud of having built a professional business career on a double major in American history and political science. After graduating from college (Rutgers), she began her career in banking project management. During the next two decades, she transitioned into technology project management for Bank of America mergers and acquisitions.

Working in post-merger environments, she found that much of her work involved facilitation and coaching, a thread that runs through her working life. She spent 10 years at Deloitte Consulting and other consulting firms, honing her management consulting skills and learning the consultative business model. She has worked in many industries, from retail ready-to-wear to oil and gas production. Her breadth of experience strengthens her ability to connect with clients across the spectrum, and she points proudly to a 90% client closing rate.

Kathleen coached and facilitated private advisory boards for executives and business owners for several years through Vistage, a peer mentoring membership organization. Vistage brings executives across industries in a confidential environment to exchange ideas in planning, finance, business growth, and other strategic issues.

She has successfully cultivated international client relationships. In conjunction with Mandarin Consulting, she worked with (primarily young) people from foreign countries who sought education and work in the United States. She began with Chinese students and eventually added students and executives from Europe and Asia. The experience has deepened her understanding of multiple cultural viewpoints and what drives individuals to aspire to work in the U.S. She helps them reinforce their motivation and often opens their eyes to options to keep them from veering off their path. To her surprise, she found that students were chatting about her on social media, which led to referrals.

Kathleen joined the NRWA for the community, collaboration, and educational opportunities. Having just joined in January, she notes how helpful everyone is and says the organization's coaching and mentoring aspects are evident.

She has found the NRWA Facebook group helpful and has learned a lot by reading the responses. She loves finding individuals who share her passion for helping people thrive and is excited to have this group to engage with and gain perspectives on diverse issues. Kathleen is always thinking about ways to give back and to spread the richness of the information she has gathered through her professional journey; she will be an excellent resource on topics ranging from executive coaching to growing a service business.

Kathleen lives in southern California with her “chief security officer,” a Norwich terrier named Wagner. The oldest of eight children, she says her coaching career started with her family life. She loves to travel and has planned a trip to Portugal this year. Contact Kathleen at km@newviewexec.com or linkedin.com/in/kathleenmcgrorty.

Anne Anderson is an HR Manager at Charter Spectrum and a professional resume writer. She has been a member of NRWA since 2013. Contact Anne at alanderson541@gmail.com.

By Eustacia A. English –  NRWA DEI Columnist

Happy Women’s History Month!

“She believed she could, so she did.” This short quote holds so much power and meaning. Nothing is too big or too small for women. Women can truly do anything, if they just believe.

Women’s History Month (WHM), observed since 1987, was created to highlight the often-overlooked contributions of women in United States history, culture, and society.

The 2022 theme for WHM is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” This theme is "both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history,” according to History.com.

While we celebrate women’s history for all of March, we also celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8 each year. According to the University of London, “IWD was created to recognize the social, cultural, economic, and political achievements of women, to raise awareness of discrimination and bias, and to inspire and empower us all to take action for equality. This year’s timely theme is “Break the Bias.”

Breaking bias is everyone’s responsibility because we are all responsible for our thoughts and actions every single day. We can empower and break the bias in our communities, workplaces, schools, colleges, and universities. I look forward to the day when the world is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination – a world where there is true women’s equality.

Now, what would this blog be if I didn’t acknowledge icons in history who have fought for equality and paved the way for me and all women? The following women are true trailblazers and helped shape the United States:

This list is not inclusive of all the women who have paved the way. However, I encourage you to research and find those women leaders who continue to fight the good fight and make good trouble for women’s rights. To commemorate International Women’s Day, many people wear the official color of purple to stand in solidarity. Let us all do our part by breaking bias and helping fight for gender equality. As always, wishing you all continued peace, love, happiness, and blessings.

Eustacia English writes the Perspective column, which examines Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in resume writing and career strategy. She is a 20-year HR and talent acquisition veteran and started Resumes on Demand last year. She also writes on DEI for The Black in HR e-zine. She lives with her husband and two children in Cherry Hill, NJ. Find her online at LinkedIn.com/in/ecampbell05.

By Kristen Schmidt –  NRWA Marketing Chair

As the editor of two radically different publications in the same city, I’ve done a lot of thinking about the “how” of storytelling. At the alt-weekly-ish publication, aimed at people in their early 20s with lots of time and not a lot of money, we pushed the envelope on music, art, and culture. Profanity passed muster. Free fun and cheap eats ruled.

At the city magazine, we talked up $35 entrees and did photo shoots with thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from local boutiques. We invested in deeply reported feature stories. The demographic was affluent, white-collar professional, and college educated. They had lots of money but not a lot of time.

Knowing the people in your audience is critical to understanding how to speak to them. I’m doing a lot of looking and listening here at the beginning of my tenure as the NRWA marketing chair. Who are we speaking to? What are they trying to accomplish? And how does the NRWA fit into helping them achieve those goals?

We have a few audiences:

Members: You’re resume writers, recruiters, career services pros in nonprofit organizations and higher education, career and life coaches, coaches of other resume writers. Some of you are solopreneurs. Some are entrepreneurs. Some work in small agencies. Others work for Fortune 500 corporations or enormous universities. You’re complex, diverse, and dynamic! I’m so interested in learning more about you.

YOUR Clients & Potential Clients: Through our website and social media, we’re also speaking to a few external groups. One key group is clients and potential clients. We need to project feelings of trustworthiness, credibility, authority, reliability, and intelligence so job seekers who discover us want to learn more and, eventually, reach out to one of you.

Career & Workforce Professionals: We’re also building a reputation among the broader career services, recruiting, workforce development, and education sectors. When professionals in those industries perform work that brushes up against the NRWA universe, we want to be top of mind, so they reach out to us as an organization or to our members as subject-matter experts.

What’s Next?
In the coming weeks and months, I’m eager to think and act more strategically about how the NRWA is speaking to you and our external audiences. You know the marketplace is loud and crowded! It can be challenging to be seen and heard and for your message to be understood clearly. I got involved in the NRWA because I see that it’s built on a foundation of ethics, community, purpose, and mutual support. Let’s work together to make sure everyone who wants to be part of the NRWA knows who we are and can harness the power of what we do.

How’s the NRWA doing at speaking to you, your potential clients, and your peers in the open market? Email me at kristen@wordschmidt.co to share your thoughts and constructive criticism.

Kristen Schmidt is the new Marketing Chair for the NRWA. She is also an independent editor, writer, and branding consultant at Wordschmidt Consulting, LLC. She works with clients in the higher education, arts, and construction industries. Her affinity for creatives and communicators is fueled by a strong career in community journalism. Local to Columbus, OH, you can find Kristen online at linkedin.com/in/kristenmargaretschmidt.

By Amanda Brandon, NCOPE – NRWA Newsletter Editor

I’m bringing back this column with a big tip this month—audit your links!

I kept getting these weird Zoom meeting requests on my calendar for 30-minute consultations. This only happens when I book a session with a client. I pondered it for a couple of days, and then it dawned on me—I forgot to update my scheduling link in my LinkedIn profile!

I recently switched over to a new system for scheduling and invoicing, and I missed a link! This led to an audit of all my links. I realized I needed to update content on my website, LinkedIn profile, and marketing touches.

So, a random appointment saved my life this month! I challenge you to review your links, social profiles, and NRWA member profiles. We resume writers get so busy we forget to check our own professional brand.

Have a “What’s Saving My Life…” tip? Email us at newsletter@thenrwa.org.

Welcome to our new and renewing members for the month of January 2022!

Feel free to introduce (or reintroduce) yourself via our members-only networking forums: the Member Forum on our website, Facebook group, and LinkedIn group.

You can find colleagues in your area by searching here.

NEW MEMBERS

RENEWING MEMBERS