In 2018, a handpicked group of the world’s most promising young plant scientists arrived for a unique interview experience at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI), a prestigious independent research institute headquartered and located on the Cornell campus. Over the next 48 hours, BTI put these faculty candidates through an elaborately orchestrated and potentially groundbreaking experiment in hiring. Join David Stern as he discusses the values and challenges of this process, and how it helped them align a team of scientists, reducing the time to competency, encouraging risk-taking, and shrinking the time to innovation.

David Stern

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Boyce Thompson Institute and a Professor of Plant Biology
Cornell University

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Republic Services is working to create and support an inclusive and diverse workplace with a focused strategy, and in recent years their efforts to create a work environment that attracts and retains the best talent have received notable recognition. Most recently, they were named to Forbes’ 2019 Best Employers for Women, and have made a targeted initiative to increase the number of female drivers, by supporting women in a range of areas, including career development and pay equity. In this session we will discuss the steps that Republic took to grow diversity, including:

• Writing job descriptions that remove implicit bias
• Utilizing social media to convey company culture and benefits
• Creating on-boarding campaigns that ensure employee success

Shannon Taylor

Director of Talent Acquisition
Republic Services

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Every employer is under pressure to demonstrate momentum and results with diversity and inclusion, not only in their workforce but also in their hiring and attraction practices. And, we know why: Harvard Business Review shows that racially diverse teams outperform non diverse teams by 35%. Many employers are finding success by bringing more equity into their workforce through early talent. It’s proven to power a more representative, diverse workforce. Join Luke Baxter, Handshake’s VP of Employer Product and Insights, to learn how early talent can: 

• Create larger, farther reaching talent pools
• Develop a pipeline for growth and leadership internally
• Bring talent into an org that already possess many of the digital skills that are needed to succeed today 

Low unemployment rates have created a fierce competition to fill entry-level QSR, retail and warehouse positions. To counter that, Checkers and Rally's Restaurants began overhauling their recruitment program, focusing on establishing their brand in online job portals, creating a text recruit program, and offering a flexible pay program. The end result was fewer vacancies and a 30% reduction in absenteeism. In this session we will discuss:

• Best practices for managing your online employer reputation
• Streamlining the application process for mobile platforms
• Effective candidate marketing, including point-of-sale and job fair events 
• Creating effective referral programs utilizing employee networks 

Marna Killian

Senior Vice President of People
Checker’s and Rally’s Restaurants

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The U.S. ranks #53 in gender parity among all countries, according to the World Economic Forum. As with all social justice movements, the change needed will come about through policy and collective action over time. That may sound abstract and impersonal.

But if you implement actions known to move the needle and have the data to interpret and track progress, you can be the talent leader who makes a difference.

In this session, we will review current data on gender equity and discuss how to drive change in your organization. Our focus will be on the immediate and the actionable.

Sponsored by: Scout

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With unemployment rate well below the 70 year average, and job openings at a 17-year high, a constructive candidate experience is the first step to building an engaged workforce with high retention rates. It is paramount for talent acquisition leaders to build a positive candidate experience that effectively transitions into a positive employee experience. Each step of the hiring process, from the wording on the job description, application process, extending through the interview and job offer, should be seamless and transparent. In this session we will speak with Talent Officers who have revolutionized their candidate experience, and discuss common challenges including: 

The application process in 5 clicks or less – reducing application abandonment 

Improving communication using technology to keep candidates engaged throughout the recruiting process 

Building an on-boarding program that encourages employee retention

Join the other attendees as we break into groups, enjoy a glass of bubbly, and take a deep dive into the challenge faced by Talent Acquisition executives. Topics include:

• Modernizing How Companies Develop Talent, 
• Social Strategy and Execution, moderated 
• Monitoring the Candidate Experience Online
• Communicating Company Culture

Sponsored by: Bayard Advertising Agency, Inc.

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