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Choosing Who We Work With
Charlotte-based Zaddy Solutions is changing the way we think about recruitment and community BY CHRIS RUDISILL | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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he U.S. is likely headed into a recession. According to Robert Reich, former US secretary of labor, economist and columnist for The Guardian, new home construction has finally slowed, mortgage demand continues to decline, and the country’s largest and most influential retailers are reporting disappointing sales and profits. “The stock market is in bear territory. Futures markets are signaling trouble ahead,” says Reich. The Federal Reserve’s response to May’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report by raising interest rates three-quarters of a point was the largest single interest rate increase since 1994. Basically, rate hikes increase the costs of borrowing for individuals and consumers. We purchase less as a result and the economy slows. A recession, or even impending recession, often means fewer new job opportunities for workers but today’s unprecedented labor imbalance could work out a little differently. It is still a job seeker’s market. The labor market currently has nearly two job openings for every unemployed person. Sign-on bonuses in Charlotte range from $500 at some customer service jobs and up to $45,000 for nurses at Novant Health. Current job boards on Indeed.com include $2,000 bonuses for factory workers in Concord and $3,000 sign-on bonuses for apartment leasing consultants in Charlotte. While job offers might lessen for some seeking new employment, the dynamics are not likely to change anytime soon, and research shows that diversity matters when it comes to hiring. That research has shown that promoting gender and racial diversity has a positive impact on a company’s financial performance. Intel and Dalberg Global Development Advisors found clear correlations between more diverse tech company workforces and higher revenues, profits and market value. Specifically, to the LGBTQ community, Forbes reported last year that academics at two universities in Finland accessed the financial performance of 657 publiclytraded U.S. companies between 2003 and 2016 and found that those with “LGBTfriendly policies” saw higher profitability and higher stock market valuations. The study used HRC’s Corporate Equality Index to measure LGBTQ competencies. “These findings can be considered to support the view that socially progressive corporate policies and diversity management pay off and create value for the firm,” read the report. Employees have more power than ever and a new generation entering the workforce have higher expectations for fairness and equity. Events like the Out and Equal Workplace Summit, Lavender Law and the Reaching Out MBA career expo give companies an opportunity to reach students and graduates and spotlight their interest in hiring LGBTQ professionals. LGBTQ Recruiters in a Crowded Space
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Qnotes
June 24-July 7, 2022
As recruiting communities. the need manager on He did as much as he could in the for talent the marketing structures that existed, but soon reached increases, and creative out to Webb, who got his start in financial recruitment side before operations working at his family’s tax firms are expanding into preparation company. “It’s not like we changing technology were flush with money,” remembers the narrative at Meridian Anderson. With a notebook full of charts when it Technologies. and ideas, the two began hashing out a comes to He then got plan. This is what we can do. This is how building into the AI the industry currently works. The two future world working started brainstorming on how to solve the employment with Zen & problems they had witnessed. relationships Art, a leader They brought McCurdy on a few and some in strategic months later. Today, Anderson and Webb, are setting business, IT the official co-founders, serve as CEO a standard architecture and CFO respectively. McCurdy is Head for inclusion. and digital of Talent Management. His parents ran a Zaddy services. successful medical staffing company for Solutions in “I didn’t over 30 years. “We just came together, set Charlotte is feel like I out a mission and have been working ever a boutique was actually since,” says Anderson. recruiting accomplishing “We had a good number of iterations firm focused anything of this company already,” says Webb. “The on the digital, other than initial idea is not quite what we’re doing creative, just bringing now.” The goal resonated with him and technology more business just as he lives his life, Coty knows that and in. I didn’t you may change the plan, but you don’t marketing feel like I was change the goal. space. really solving Trust, Honesty, Transparency They anything,” he “We don’t do process for process-sake,” Longtime friends Zach Anderson and Coty Webb are one of says. Anderson says Anderson. The three agree that there launched Zaddy Solutions in March 2021 as the first two LGBTE didn’t yet is a big problem with trust in most staffing LGBTQ recruiting company in the Southeast. Photo certified know what the firms and that’s damaging both the courtesy of Zaddy Solutions staffing and exact problem industry and the job candidates. recruiting was when Zach compares it to an airport. “If firms in the country. LGBTE stands for he started. The bells went off a bit later the airport is successful at what they do, LGBT Business Enterprise, a designation when working with a colleague resourcing parking will be easier, getting through of the National LGBT Chamber of HBCU contacts across the Carolinas. It security, doing all that, getting all of Commerce (NGLCC). In addition to some was tough. There was no platform or your baggage – the quickest way to get positive recognition, the certification also strategy to make gets you into the organization’s database real meaningful which is accessible by NGLCC corporate connections. partners, qualifies your business for One school’s sourcing opportunities and provides Director of mentorship programs, leadership Alumni Relations trainings and scholarship opportunities. might be With 20 years of combined recruiting another’s Career experience, Zaddy Solutions is run by Services. “This Zach Anderson, Coty Webb and Bradley started sparking McCurdy, three North Carolina natives. my way of They have already set themselves apart in thinking,” recalls a crowded field, and not just because of Anderson. their name. Anderson and Webb started Zach noticed the company in March 2021 to make an that no one was impact on the Charlotte area and disrupt truly addressing the status quo. This didn’t come without diversity. While ruffling a few feathers along the way. people were “The system to me is broken,” says throwing around Anderson. “It is so crowded by the same terms like D&I folks, that the supplier diversity managers (Diversity and are excluded from those conversations. Inclusion) or DEI We’re not able to get through it so we are (Diversity, Equity having to literally break the system and and Inclusion), get people pissed off at us for breaking organizations the system, then put it back together.” weren’t really Anderson has been in the staffing creating field for nine years now and knows what meaningful success looks like. He made the money, relationships did all the partying and schmoozing, and or measuring placed people in jobs everywhere from their progress in startups and small companies to large building tangible Zach Anderson kept hitting glass ceilings and wanted to make an national brands. He spent nearly three partnerships impact on the Charlotte area as it grows into a hub for technology. years as an account manager and then with diverse Photo courtesy of Zaddy Solutions
