BC Business
Eleven Eleven Talent Collective emphasizes EDI strategies and emotional intelligence if you want to grow your business.
When it comes to hiring, there’s no such thing as the perfect candidate, especially for C-suite positions. Vancouver-based Alisha Adams and Tess Sloane, founders of global headhunting firm Eleven Eleven Talent Collective, know that all too well. The firm, which launched in 2015 and has helped Lululemon scale from two to 19 countries, offers recruitment services for top corporate and executive-level talent with a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion as well as emotional intelligence.
When Adams and Sloane looked at female leaders that they aspired to be, they noticed that these leaders were in the office at 8:00pm. As moms, they knew that wasn’t going to work for them. “Ultimately we wanted to bring a human-ness and breathe some feminine energy into the industry and in our approach to attracting talent,” says Adams.
With 30 years of experience in talent acquisition, here are the duo’s top five things to do when you land your dream position.
Why did you choose to join the company and what is your intention in the role? New executives can sometimes bring unease to the team, so it’s important to invest in relationship building. Share your goals, be vulnerable, let the team in.
Learn at all levels of the organization by spending time with all levels of the team, from the individual contributor all the way up to vice presidents. It’s the fastest way to get exposed to the inner workings of the business and acclimate to the company culture.
Having spoken to thousands of candidates every year, Adams and Sloane claim that the number one question that people ask before joining an organization is what their current EDI strategy is. This is the future of business right now, and it’s a clear and effective way to make an impact. Hiring an EDI consultant can support you in diversifying the company in terms of thought, gender, representation and other key factors.
Identify any glaring weaknesses in the business, operationally or otherwise, and make timely decisions. This is a great way to establish trust and confidence quickly.
Turn your video on in Zoom calls! And if your company is doing a hybrid model, show up to the office, let people see you, stay in communication, and share your observations and subsequent strategies within the first 90 days. Even if it’s at a very high level, the team is looking for leadership, guidance, and most importantly, they want to feel a sense of action.