SECONDARY STORY
Hiring with intention DEN aims to match African Nova Scotian candidates with local businesses By Judith Kays
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he harsh and tragic realities of the past few years have promptly forced companies and organizations to try to create a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within their workforce. As a public, most of us value brands that take DEI seriously and authentically. However, more times than not, outdated hiring practices and unconscious biases, among other things, can make it difficult for diverse applicants to be successfully hired. Idy Fashoranti is hoping to change that norm. Her social enterprise, Diversity Employment Network (DEN), opened just over a year ago, and seeks to not only match qualified candidates who are persons of colour with businesses who need great talent and want to diversity their workforce, but her team also offers training and strategic planning for companies wanting to develop a fulsome and inclusive hiring policy. “Adding diverse voices and a wide range of experiences to the culture of a workforce increases engagement and builds a safe and inclusive space for meaningful connections to be made,” Fashoranti says. “Employers want to strengthen their organization’s diversity, and job seekers of colour are looking for the right opportunity to contribute their skills and expertise.” As a Black Business Consulting initiative, DEN offers services like board governance training, diversity coaching, mentorship, and helps candidates find roles in organizations that value unique and diverse perspectives. DEN acts as a hub for skilled African Nova Scotians, businesses, government associations, and community organizations to come together in mutually beneficial business partnerships. “We want to improve the career trajectories of people in the African Nova Scotian community, who have long been under-represented in the workforce, says Fashoranti. “By charging employers a fee for our service, we’re able to provide support to job seekers, like employability readiness training and job search assistance, which will help shift this imbalance.”
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Only two months on the job, Evelyn Olaiya has already proven her worth and Shane Kennedy is grateful for the recruiting help he received from DEN.
Many businesses are putting significant effort into their diversity, equity and inclusion policies, including developing staffing plans that reflect and mirror the world around them. Business leaders and hiring managers would also admit the process isn’t an overnight transition. There are many factors to take into account that can affect normal hiring practices and a company’s efforts to diversify their workforce. The Co-operators organization, for example, has a strategy to prioritize inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. “We see the value in reflecting and supporting the strengths of the communities we serve,” says Shane Kennedy, financial advisor with Co-operators in Dartmouth. “We know there is a direct link between our success in doing business and the healthy, inclusive, and equitable work culture we have achieved together.” NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021
Kennedy says that while they are always on the lookout for top talent, he recently spent months trying to find qualified candidates for a senior growth position with the company. He says the employment posting had the same language as always, inviting applicants from diverse backgrounds. However, he just wasn’t getting the right people to apply, no matter what their background was. Things changed for Kennedy when he was introduced to Fashoranti and her team at DEN. “After discussing the type of candidate we were looking for, and given our organizational culture and the opportunity for growth, Idy helped us source individuals who might fit the bill,” Kennedy says. “The quality of talent was impressive and ultimately we hired Evelyn Olaiya as an associate insurance advisor, who has quickly become a strong addition to the team.”
