Once again, Horizontal Talent finds itself on Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) diversity-supplier list for 2020. Thanks to our diverse ownership, our inclusion on this list is nothing new. But the designation rings a little differently this year. In the wake of civil unrest, businesses are catching up and prioritizing diversity.
This sea-change is not only welcome — it’s long overdue. Across many industries, organizations are beginning to see the urgency and value in diversifying their vendors, workforce and investments. After all, as Paul Wellstone once said, “We all do better when we all do better.”
At Horizontal Talent, we’ve championed the benefits of different backgrounds and diverse perspectives since day one, and we’re proud to once again be recognized on SIA’s list of 147 U.S. and Canada diversity-owned staffing firms.
“SIA’s diversity-supplier list dates back over a decade, with a focus on heightening visibility for the list and for the ongoing conversation around diversity and inclusion in more recent years,” said Subadhra Sriram, Editor & Publisher, Media Products, at SIA.
Sriram goes on to say something that we couldn’t agree with more — diversity and inclusion need to go beyond mere lip service. “The workforce solutions ecosystem must continue to address the racism and cultural bias that impacts the hiring process and the talent industry-wide.”
Thanks to our diverse ownership, Horizontal Talent is at the forefront of a growing trend: We support a less homogenous business landscape where companies have more access to diverse vendors.
We support the values of our clients
As a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), we work with many clients who share our commitment to diversity. For instance, take US Bank’s successful supplier diversity program — instituted in 2014 by Hector Martinez, the company’s Vice President of Supplier Diversity. Since then, demand for supplier diversity programs has continued to grow.
In a 2019 SIA survey, three out of five large companies that rely on staffing firms said they had a program for diversity suppliers in place, while 29% said they planned to put one in place over the next two years.
This is not only good news for the business landscape, it’s encouraging for businesses like ours for whom diversity is in our DNA. But we recognize that there is still much work to do. While our MBE status is a great foundation, our journey toward a more inclusive business landscape is just beginning.
Building an ecosystem that values diversity
To do our part in broadening the talent pipeline, we are cultivating and sourcing talent with a wide array of backgrounds and experiences. At Horizontal Talent, we believe in putting our money where our mouth is.
Business partnerships
- Our sister company — Horizontal Digital— is one of the fastest-growing Gold Partners in the Salesforce ecosystem. We’re proud to partner with forward-thinking companies like Salesforce, where they “know that diverse and inclusive companies are more innovative and better positioned to succeed.”
- We work alongside clients who are making the effort to remove unconscious bias from their hiring process to ensure the right person makes it to the right seat.
- Our staffing partners help us make sure open positions are included on specialized job boards, where diverse candidates are more likely to see them.
Organizations we support
Horizontal Talent supports and works with nonprofits and business organizations dedicated to helping people who have traditionally been underrepresented in the fields of IT, creative and marketing. Celebrating the value of a diverse workforce enables Horizontal Talent to support our community via volunteer opportunities, donations and partnerships with:
- Business organizations like The BrandLab that are focused on helping members of minority groups succeed as entrepreneurs and business owners.
- Nonprofits like Girl Develop It that encourage more girls to learn code and help minorities secure positions in tech and marketing.
- Industry alliances like the North Central Minority Supplier Development Council that help businesses make tech opportunities available for women, BIPOC and members of the LGBTQ communities.
- Annual sponsorship of Women Leaders in Technology through MNTech, aiming to get more women into technology and leadership roles.
Joining forces for good
The five pillars that guide our work — collaboration, greater good, integrity, positive energy and hustle — drive us to engage in meaningful ways with the communities that have helped us grow. To help our team go beyond the day-to-day and make a real difference, we recently launched Horizontal Cares. This initiative seeks to serve our communities through volunteering, education and training, environmental programs and a commitment to diversity:
- We believe that authentic investment in our communities is beneficial to everyone.
- We are good neighbors who support communities through local giving.
- We believe that positivity fuels possibility.
- Our values drive us to connect people with good. When we work together, we can make an impact that sustains change.
The business climate where we operate has never been more diverse. At Horizontal Talent, we believe that organizations must reflect this fact. Not only through the people they hire or the people they serve, but also through their actions. We know we still have much work ahead of us, but as long as we continue to collaborate with a commitment to diversity and equality in mind, we can achieve greater representation and improve the future of business. Because ultimately, more unique perspectives help us grow and drive better business outputs for all.
