URx24 Unwrapped: 5 Takeaways for Talent Leaders ??

Reuniting at the URx conference after five years of being virtual was nothing short of electrifying—perhaps a touch of Vegas magic played a part! ?? This event wasn't merely a convergence of minds but a heartfelt gathering of ambitions within the university and emerging talent community. At Symba , we treasure this community profoundly—it fuels our connections, growth, and inspiration.

Exhibit A ??? The selfie above captures the vibe even before the conference officially kicked off—this community truly is everything! ??

Attending my fourth annual URx conference, I can confidently say it’s one of the few events where I leave more energized than when I arrived—and I attend a lot of conferences! ?? URx rekindles my passion for early careers and reminds me of my "why."

A very special thank you to the leaders who make URx a reality! Charlene Delapena , Wahab Owolabi , Sarah Hester , Kathleen Merto , Carolynn Choi , and Carmela Escarez ! ?????? For those who might not know, URx is a community-driven conference, and the organizers' passion shines through.

This year, URx offered an unparalleled experience to delve into the evolving realities of recruiting, complete with enriching workshops and invaluable networking opportunities. This forum fosters a dynamic exchange of ideas, empowering us to move FORWARD together. I seriously can't wait for the recordings at the end of the month—we had to make tough choices between parallel sessions. ?? Thank you to my Symba fam who attended with me: Nikita Gupta , our fearless CTO, and Brittany Ferry , our passionate Customer Success Manager.

Photo credit Dennis Belogorsky , thank you for capturing our best attempt at making the URx sign!

Together, we divided and conquered to bring you the key takeaways listed below:

1. AI, AI, AI... obviously this has to be a takeaway!

AI has ushered in a new era for talent and people leaders - it's time to unleash it's power! ??

Key Questions for you to think about:

• How do you understand AI and how it can be used?
• What are the risks & rewards of leveraging AI in recruiting and talent management?

We had a chance to hear so many differing perspectives and use cases on AI. Glen Cathey helped us fully understand the basics and what AI is. This is a recording I need! We dove into the good, the bad and the ugly.

In the keynote talk, Clifton Tay from OpenAI , expands our mind to how we think about leveraging AI and illustrates how AI can enrich lives—from creating bedtime stories for his child to enhancing mental health during onboarding processes. The possibilities are boundless, and he urges us all to dive in and experiment.

Ruben Harris , Co-Founder and CEO of Career Karma , doubles down on the power and opportunity for AI to revolutionize the entire talent management lifecycle from recruiting to upskilling/reskilling. He passionately outlined how AI could revolutionize feedback in recruitment, adding a layer of transparency and empowerment unheard of before. I'm inspired by the work he is doing and it's always great to connect with founders in our space!

Keep in mind, that AI needs people behind the steering wheel. This is a moment for a talent leaders who have these skills to leverage them.

And remember...

with great power comes great responsibility!

Hilke Schellmann reminds us to be cautious. She writes about holding artificial intelligence (AI) accountable in her book, The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired, And Why We Need To Fight Back. She says that while AI propels us forward, we must steer it with a vigilant hand, ensuring accountability and thoughtful integration.

So... are you AI ready?

2. Influence is an art and a science. It's something that you can actually study and learn to leverage.

Questions to ask yourself:

• How do you define and exercise influence?
• If you had more influence, what could you achieve? ??

Influence isn’t just interaction or something that happens magically. It's strategic alignment crafted through meticulous stakeholder mapping and the effective use of tools like data and story-telling.

In the discussion session titled "Discussion Group: Veris Insights | Unleashing the Influence of University Recruiting" led by Jacynta Smith from Veris Insights we explored how to secure buy-in across various stakeholders in emerging talent and early career programs.

Here’s a worksheet we utilized, prompting introspection on converting skeptics and novices into champions.

Golden Nuggets from Our Discussion:

• Educate Continuously: Keep stakeholders informed year-round, not just during peak seasons. Develop a timeline to manage expectations—no last-minute intern requests!
• Show the ROI: Demonstrate how your initiatives affect the bottom line. Present data and success stories in a compelling roadshow to highlight the tangible benefits of investing in early talent.
• Follow the Money: Understand the financial structure supporting your initiatives. Whether your program is decentralized or centralized affects your strategy for securing resources and buy-in.
• Influenc-ibility: (Yes, I just coined that! ??) Grasp what it takes to drive change within your organization. Study the decision-making pace and methods, and learn from other leaders who have effectively wielded influence.
• Build Strong Alliances: Cultivate relationships with allies who believe in and advocate for your work, enhancing your influence across the organization.

Shout out to my all-star group Mel Smith from Milwaukee Tool , Kristen Rupnik from PPG工业公司 , and Chantal Verdugo and Sarah Boddy-Snee from HubSpot ! ??

This ideas came to action during the talk on Strengthening Technical Talent Acquisition: A Collaborative Approach with Engineering Leaders moderated by Justin Smith from GitLab and speakers from Verkada and Jason Lu from 欧特克 who shared how they build buy-in across their organizations. It was a standing room session - so be sure to watch that recording! ??????

3. Innovation is alive and well AND happening internally!

Ask yourself: are you trying out anything new?

Corey Twitty at Netflix showcased how he developed an entire emerging talent strategy from scratch. As a founder, I resonate deeply with the effort required to build from the ground up—it's not just about nurturing; it's about planting the seeds that will eventually take root. This exemplifies influence at its finest.

Echoing the theme of foundational growth, Natalie Chwalk tells us how she launched MongoDB ’s Bloom initiative to support their early careers with mental health resources. ??

A big thank you to Natalie for both sharing your journey and the significant impact you're making!

It's crucial for organizations to evaluate the benefits they offer early careers and new hires, as compensation and benefits are paramount for Gen Z. For deeper insights, check out Kate Beckman 's recent piece on RippleMatch 2024 Report for more insight here .

We also heard from Holly Estes and Kelly Barton from Duolingo have completely revamped their recruitment strategy, moving away from traditional fall recruiting. Their approach is just one of many stellar examples showing how bold, internal innovations can challenge and redefine industry norms.

4. Steps to Cultivating Psychological Safety:

Questions to ask yourself:

• What does psychological safety mean to you?
• What role do you think you have impacting psychological for yourself and others?

In this workshop, led by Hasan Rafiq PCC we delved into the art of cultivating psychological safety within our teams and ourselves. The workshop opened up with "What is your name and the origin story of your name?"?Everyone raised their hand to participate.

Then we spent time understanding why psychological safety is critical for innovation and progress.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou

Reflecting on our own practices, we discussed the various ways we encourage a safe psychological space at work:

• A kudos board celebrates personal and professional milestones.
• Regular one-on-one check-ins ensure every team member feels valued and heard.
• Cultural celebrations and recognitions enrich our workplace diversity.
• Flexible working hours and remote options support individual needs and preferences.

Each of these practices underscores our commitment to psychological safety, prompting us to consider: How can each of us contribute more meaningfully to the psychological well-being of our colleagues and ourselves?

5. Cultivating a Global Mindset: Strategies for Inclusive and Effective Communication

Embracing a global perspective requires more than just reaching across borders; it demands a commitment to inclusivity and effective communication that ensures no team member, regardless of location, feels left out.

During one of my favorite sessions titled "Expanding Your Reach: Hiring and Scaling Early Talent Globally," leaders like Renu Midha , Lauren Berger , Emma Surich, CHRL , and Daniel Carr provided invaluable insights into navigating the complex terrain of global talent management.

Practical Tips for Going Global:

1. Cultural Adaptation: Understand local cultural nuances to ensure your brand resonates positively in new markets. Engage local experts or consultants to refine your approach based on regional sensibilities.
2. Technological Leverage: Utilize advanced communication tools that support asynchronous interactions to keep global teams aligned. Invest in technology that bridges time zones and facilitates seamless collaboration.
3. Inclusion Practices: Regularly review your operational policies to include time zone rotations for meetings, ensuring that no particular region bears the constant burden of inconvenient meeting times.
4. Building Business Cases: When considering expansion, articulate clear business cases that highlight the strategic benefits and potential ROI from entering new markets. Use data-driven insights to support your proposals.
5. Feedback Loops: Establish robust feedback mechanisms to continually gauge the effectiveness of your global strategies and make necessary adjustments.

These strategies not only broaden your organizational reach but also deepen your impact, fostering a truly inclusive workplace that empowers every team member. Embrace these practices to transform your global ambitions into actionable, impactful realities.

And that's a wrap!! So grateful to reconnect with friends and customers!

If you'd like to learn about URx and the OneReq community, check out the website here . Excited to hopefully see you soon at future events!

P.S. Stay tuned for our tiny mic series going live next week! ??