diversity, diversity recruiting, diversity AHA, diversity hiring

Ep 109 – Diversity Recruiting with American Heart Association

Summary:Our guest is Nisha Raghavan. She is a Talent Acquisition Specialist & a powerful force behind her employer's recruiting & diversity efforts.

Ep 109 – Diversity Recruiting with American Heart Association

Summary:Our guest is Nisha Raghavan. She is a Talent Acquisition Specialist & a powerful force behind her employer's recruiting & diversity efforts.
diversity, diversity recruiting, diversity AHA, diversity hiring

Table of Contents

It seems a week doesn’t go by that the topic of workplace diversity isn’t in the global or national news. Diversity is an important topic of discussion for employers who are government contractors but also companies that are committed to hiring and retaining employees from a variety of backgrounds and experiences beyond the women, minorities veterans and LGBT.

Maybe you are thinking about starting up a diversity recruiting program or you are looking for ways to expand your current efforts. I am a firm believer that diversity provides companies an opportunity to employ professionals with different backgrounds, experiences that are professional as well as personal. The question is where do we start, stop, expand or begin.

Episode 109: Expanding Your Diversity Recruiting Efforts with Nisha Raghavan (@thehrbuddy)

Our podcast guest today is Nisha Raghavan. She is a Talent Acquisition Specialist with the American Heart Association and a powerful force behind her employer’s recruiting and diversity efforts. I have been impressed and interested in the work that AHA has been doing when it comes to diversity as they seeking to engage a diverse group of volunteers, donors and candidates that align with the non-profit mission as well as the culture working at a non-profit also brings. Nisha walks us through their culturally competent programs and how the talent acquisition team partners with volunteer associations in their hiring efforts as well veteran organizations. They host their own career and resource fair for the military veteran community in addition to a customized landing page and online resource center for military veterans including a military translator on their career site.

[bctt tweet=”The #theAHALife hashtag is one of the most active in all of employer branding & #recruiting ” via=”no”]

Nisha explains to me during the interview that employees are our number one ambassadors for recruiting diverse talent. She provides insights into their The AHALife ambassador program, the training they provide and employer expectations by ambassadors on social media. If you are interested, you should check out the #theAHALife hashtag on Instagram and Twitter. Because the American Heart Association is a small organization, they rely on their employees to be a part of the recruiting, selection and hiring processes. At present, 25% of the company’s hires are from employee referrals.

How Social Media Can Enhance Your Diversity Hiring Efforts

As I mentioned, the organization is very active on social media. It’s an important part of both their diversity recruiting and overall hiring efforts. Employees receive in-depth training on social media. The talent acquisition team does share job postings on social media including Twitter and Facebook, however, Nisha assures me that social media is more than just sharing jobs. It’s an opportunity for recruiters as well as employees to share information and photos about the workplace and what makes it a great place to work. This is especially important and in the words and voice of the individual employees.

[bctt tweet=”The American Heart Assoc. always presents at least 1 diverse candidate in final candidate pool #recruiting” via=”no”]

Recruiting is truly a team effort as leaders own and are responsible for diversity. The organization has a diversity council where business leaders, council members and talent acquisition is committed to presenting at least one diverse candidate in the final candidate pool list. I’m going to say that again, the company is committed to making sure that at least one of the final candidates for each position are diverse. You might think this would increase the time to hire, however, Nisha assured me that according to their recruiting data, doing this has lead to a decrease in time to fill across the company. Listen to the podcast to hear more ways the American Heart Association is committed to very specific diversity and hiring campaigns specifically for African-Americans, women and other minorities. You’ll be glad you did. This interview is one of my favorites.

Connect with Nisha Raghavan on LinkedIn.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

How to Subscribe to the Workology Podcast

You can also click here to find out how to be a guest on the Workology Podcast. 

*A special thank you to my production team at Total Picture Radio.

Did you like this post? Share it!

A Word From Our Sponsors

Ads help make Workology resources free for everyone. We respect your privacy. To see our Privacy Policy click here.

Recommended Posts

Digital Recruiting: Shaping the Modern HR Landscape

Discover the transformation of digital recruiting, its impact on HR tech and how it's reshaping CEO perspectives on measuring human capital....

8 Smart Ways to Raise Cash Quickly

Not everyone has the luxury or discipline to set aside extra funds for unforeseen events. However, when you encounter unexpected situations and your bank...

Navigating GPHR Recertification: Your Global HR Pathway

Navigating GPHR Recertification: Your Global HR Pathway

Uncover the path to GPHR Recertification. Dive into requirements, credit earning methods, and comparisons with other HR certifications. ...
GPHR vs SPHR: Decoding HR Certifications for Professionals

GPHR vs SPHR: Decoding HR Certifications for Professionals

Discover key insights on GPHR vs SPHR certifications: eligibility, exam details, prep tips and career paths in our comprehensive HR professional guide....

Episode 410: Conflict Management, Conflict Resolution, and Forgiveness With John Baldino From Humareso

In this episode, we interview John Baldino, Founder and President of HR consulting firm Humareso, speaking about conflict in the workplace....

Resources for Session Attendees of Digitizing Talent

Resources for conference session attendees of Digitizing Talent: Creative Strategies for the Digital Recruiting Age....

Get These #BlackFriday & #CyberMonday Deals For #HR Certification

I wanted to consolidate our Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in one spot so that you can quickly see what's available. Snag yours...
Comparing the PHR vs PHRi HR Certification Exams

Comparing the PHR vs PHRi HR Certification Exams

Uncover the nuances of PHR vs PHRi Certification Exam for HR professionals. Learn which boosts your career prospects best in our detailed guide!...

Checkout Our Products

Ads help make Workology resources free for everyone. We respect your privacy. To see our Privacy Policy click here.

More From Workology

Digital Recruiting: Shaping the Modern HR Landscape

Discover the transformation of digital recruiting, its impact on HR tech and how it's reshaping CEO perspectives on measuring human capital.

Job Jackpot: Navigating the Job Market in the Online Gambling Industry

Click on read more to open this post on our blog.
Comparing the PHR vs PHRi HR Certification Exams

Comparing the PHR vs PHRi HR Certification Exams

Uncover the nuances of PHR vs PHRi Certification Exam for HR professionals. Learn which boosts your career prospects best in our detailed guide!

Get These #BlackFriday & #CyberMonday Deals For #HR Certification

I wanted to consolidate our Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in one spot so that you can quickly see what's available. Snag yours now!