Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
At Acumen, we are proud to be a small, woman-owned and operated search firm dedicated to helping our clients build culturally aware, diverse, and inclusive teams since 2007. We take pride in our strong track record of attracting and hiring a diverse range of talented candidates, with 55% of those placed in leadership positions being women and/or individuals from underrepresented communities. We are especially proud to have presented and placed numerous women of color in executive roles over the last 2 years.
In equity hiring, it’s critical to understand our own inherent biases and point them out in others diplomatically when they surface – it’s important to be mindful of the fact that some candidates from diverse backgrounds may not be the most qualified on paper, but the gap can often be bridged with extra training or coaching, networking, resources that can help level the playing field.
Every organization defines Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in its own way. That’s why we take the time to truly listen and understand your mission, vision, values, and equity priorities, ensuring we attract candidates who align with your organization on every level. We also require our team members to engage in ongoing education and active community involvement to stay informed, connected, and accountable.
Our Senior Talent Director, Molly Norton, co-founded her own grassroots group dedicated to promoting equity, multiculturalism, LGBTQ, and intersectionality in the local schools and has worked closely with respected anti-racism community groups, LO for Love, and Respond to Racism. Their mission is to foster a community in Lake Oswego, Oregon that stands up against bigotry and intolerance and welcomes and embraces the diversity of all people.
Molly is also a part of PDX Women in Tech, which focuses much of its efforts on DEI training and implementing those frameworks in their education and outreach. She is also well-connected to international DEI thought leaders such as Madison Butler, Lily Zheng (Stanford), and Dana Brownlee (Forbes), who provide continuing education. She has been instrumental in keeping the Acumen Team well informed of DEI sector-specific recruiting trends.
Acumen is delighted to announce our partnership with Equity expert and thought leader Zhou Fang from Intersectional Group. Read our blog post to learn more about Zhou, EDI, and our partnership.
Some resources to reduce bias in your interview process:
This 2019 King County, Washington, training video offers a good explanation of bias and how to reduce its impact on hiring.
Blog Post “10 Ways to Reduce Interviewer Bias” by Lou Adler, CEO, Performance-based Hiring Learning Systems.
Read our blog post 5 Questions to Support Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace