Biggest Challenges Faced By a Diversity and Inclusion and Talent Acquisition Leader at a Global Technology Company
Teobesta's biggest challenge as a Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader and Americas Talent Acquisition Leader is "stakeholder management," navigating conflicting priorities by setting clear expectations and fostering strong partnerships—for example, between hiring managers and recruiters—to achieve optimal outcomes. This focus on collaboration and clear communication highlights the importance of proactive process management in such a multifaceted role.
Stakeholder Management, Recruitment Processes, Partnering, Prioritization, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Teobesta Ashenafi
Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader and Americas Talent Acquisition Leader
Global Technology and Measurement Insight Company
UC Davis
N/A
Biology & Related Sciences
Electronics & Semiconductors, Technology
Human Resources (HR)
Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Stakeholder management is crucial in both Diversity & Inclusion and Talent Acquisition, requiring balancing conflicting priorities and expectations.
2. Effective communication and clear expectation setting are key to successful stakeholder partnerships, particularly between hiring managers and recruiters.
3. Building strong partnerships, understanding roles, and prioritizing tasks are essential for achieving optimal goals in talent acquisition.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
The biggest challenge, in both the IND and TA spaces, is stakeholder management. There are so many different stakeholders with conflicting priorities.
It's all about consistently prioritizing your work to deliver on what's needed for each stakeholder. You need to be consistent so they know what to expect and how you always show up. Most importantly, they need to know what they need to do and what you need to do to achieve the optimal goal.
In the TA space, an example of this is the standard process for opening a requisition. This involves understanding what the hiring manager needs to do and what the recruiter needs to do. It's a partnership, a dance between these two throughout the recruitment process.
This partnership begins with setting expectations, clearly understanding the role, and identifying what is needed, including must-haves and nice-to-haves. Getting clear on the front end allows the hiring manager and recruiter to build a strong partnership throughout the process, which ultimately leads to the right hire.