Diversity is a core pillar of the talent solution we deliver at a global technology and communications customer. In our redesigned hiring experience that focuses on gender equality, we ensure that hiring managers are presented with diverse candidates proactively to ultimately increase the gender balance of their workforce in a field that is often male-dominated. This focus area is especially important when the talent supply is deficient, but the value of a diverse workforce remains critically important.
Did you know? Women hold just 26% of computing jobs and represent only 16% of the hiring pool for tech jobs in the US
-CompareCamp
Creating a female-focused tech talent program requires thinking beyond traditional candidate-to-job matching. In this program, we start with the candidate first, not the job or position that needs to be filled. Using various sourcing methods assisted by technology, our team of Talent Agents source, screen, and qualify female talent to proactively present more women to hiring managers. Pontoon’s Talent Agents identify and advocate for underrepresented, well-qualified women to not lose out to competitors on this valuable talent community.
Often, requisitions are filled by just one candidate while the remaining high-calibre, diverse candidates remain available to hire but not put to work. Talent Agents now proactively market these ‘Silver Medalists’ candidates to better utilise this pool of qualified talent. Pontoon’s Talent Agents team assesses past interview feedback for ‘Silver Medalists’ to identify high-potential candidates and diverse candidates that would be a fit for future openings. The Talent Agents collate feedback from the HMs of these ‘Silver Medalists’ and use scoring criteria to rate to further distinguish candidates that should be prioritised and proactively reviewed for forthcoming positions.
Once candidates are identified, they are further vetted and can opt-in to the program to be considered for additional opportunities. Once a part of the program, the Talent Agents will promote these candidates to the designated business unit evaluation committees. The committees consist of 3-5 managers within a function (e.g. HR or Engineering, etc.) and can cross-sect peers and managers. Once presented with the qualified candidate, the evaluation committees assess the individuals, interview them and make hiring decisions.
By implementing this program, three more qualified diverse candidates are now presented to hiring managers each month. The female talent submitted to hiring managers has increased by 75%. With more women who match the essential skills that our customer is looking for, we expect to see a significant uptick in the number of female workers hired onto their workforce.
