“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” – John Lewis, American politician, statesman, and civil rights activist
Every search firm is talking about diversity, but no one is doing anything fundamentally different. At Modern, we are determined to set a new benchmark in the industry and to transform if for the better. Our purpose is to enable our clients to hire and retain a sustainable, diverse leadership team that will encourage a thriving culture of inclusion and belonging for all.
As a firm we see an opportunity for organizations to partner with us to better leverage the power of diversity to drive business growth. As our name implies, we bring a modern approach that focuses on providing inclusive sourcing, recruiting and support for diverse talent so they can thrive at all levels of leadership. To create indelible impact for clients we have combined experience with the courage to be vulnerable as we bring our innovative solutions to market. While our team of experienced search, advisory and diversity, equity and inclusion professionals bring decades of expertise and experience to clients, they also bring the willingness and openness to work through ambiguity with clarity and kindness. A quote by research professor and motivational speaker Brené Brown describes how we move forward courageously with clients on their journey to create an inclusive workplace; “Vulnerability is not winning or losing. It’s having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome.”
We invite you to explore the Modern difference and position your organization for success.
- We find previously untapped diverse and underrepresented talent. Due to our heavy investment in our research and intelligence function, Modern has a sophisticated understanding of the diverse talent map within the industries and functions where we specialize. And we can show our clients how modifying some search criteria will provide access to a broader pool of talent, increasing the number of diverse and underrepresented candidates the organization will have the opportunity to meet.
"An organization's greatest asset is their employees. And the greatest benefit a group of employees can bring to an organization is diversity of thought. Diversity of thought is best achieved by having a group of employees who bring a unique perspective on life through each of their personal lenses. The employers who invest in attracting and retaining diverse talent have a proven return on their investment, both from a financial perspective as well as a positive workplace culture." Mike DeCandido, Co-Founder and Board Chair, CommonBondz, Inc.
- We build authentic relationships with talent. We know from talking to both clients and candidates that the same diverse candidates get called by search firms over and over again. And that the roles presented to them are rarely a fit. The process is off-putting and minimizes the chance that qualified candidates will respond when a role is actually right for them. At Modern, we are committed to getting to truly know a candidate before we bring them a role. And we ensure an integrated effort where one Modern team member owns the relationship with a candidate, keeping them abreast of updates every step of the way and never treating a candidate like a commodity.
- Our assessment process serves both the client and the candidate. Modern’s assessment approach allows us to understand the alignment of a candidate’s leadership capability and unique experiences to the organization’s culture. A traditional search process looks for candidates that fit the mold. At Modern, we look for differences that can both add value and be potential obstacles, and we use our assessment observations to prepare both the candidate and the client to successfully leverage these differences.
- We provide a development opportunity for all candidates. Every candidate that goes through our assessment process will receive a developmental feedback and coaching session from one of our assessment experts regardless of if they move forward with the role. For diverse and underrepresented candidates, they will receive their coaching session from a specialist who can support them in crafting a value proposition that highlights how their unique talents and background create a competitive advantage for future organizations considering them for hire.
- We coach our diverse and underrepresented candidates to successfully navigate their new organization. Modern’s onboarding process is specifically designed to support underrepresented talent to integrate and leverage their unique life experiences, cultural background, and perspective to create personal career impact while driving results for the organizations they support. With the support of a strategic network of mentors and sponsors, Modern coaches, outline a long-term career strategy that clearly articulates the experiences and milestones required to prepare one for the inevitable headwinds they will need to navigate.
- We train our client organizations to foster a more inclusive environment. Any organization that intends to add more dimensions of diversity to their leadership team, must evolve their culture if the additions are to be sustained. We coach our client organizations to understand where they may have blind spots and to help them create the space for diverse hires to be successful while leveraging their unique backgrounds, culture and skills.
- We donate a portion of our profits to the cause. Modern donates 10% of our profits to organizations that support the mission of creating diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. In 2021, we have chosen to support Futures and Options.
“At Futures and Options, we fill a critical need, providing our low-income, minority youth with the training and access they need to compete for jobs. By supporting our programming, businesses are connected to a pipeline of diverse, promising, motivated young talent that impacts their organization’s efforts to engage a more diverse workforce and develop the leaders of tomorrow.” - Patty Machir, Executive Director, Futures and Options
At Modern, we elevate more talent in the market…and promote the probability that candidates will be engaged, valued, and retained by hiring organizations. We do this by providing access to inclusive mindset coaching and tools that create a workplace that appreciates and leverages everyone’s contributions. We are excited to walk courageously on this journey of learning with clients, candidates, and expert partners.