In this episode of the Inclusive Excellence Podcast, Erin Sember-Chase and Toral Patel are joined by Carolyn Chow and Brad Stock, colleagues and talent acquisition partners in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment at Cornell. The pair share their unique journeys to the university and help listeners navigate the evolving world of recruitment, offering best practices for being intentional and inclusive during the hiring process.

Chow and Stock’s professional journeys have influenced how they engage with candidates and help hiring managers today. Stock began his career in Cornell Catering and quickly took advantage of opportunities to grow as an employee at the university. From managing a team to planning and coordinating events to hiring, training and recruiting employees, Stock sought experiences that allowed him to eventually transition into recruitment. Chow, however, experienced challenges with the hiring process at Cornell, pursuing nearly nineteen different roles across campus before landing a job as a recruiter in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Because of these experiences, Chow and Stock are committed to creating a welcoming environment for candidates and ensuring a seamless process for all parties involved.

“As recruiters, our role is the matchmaker,” Chow said. “We want to set everybody up for success. If the candidates receive transparency throughout the entire process, we're building that trust, and when a candidate is successful in the hiring process, they're going to be more energized about the role. We're not here to just fill the position and then throw them into the deep end, hoping they’re going to survive. We want to find out who will succeed, match these candidates with hiring managers and help build connections.”

The pair explains what goes on “behind the scenes” of the hiring process and how they help determine the best candidates for a role. Stock shares the importance of Cornell taking a more equitable and inclusive approach to recruitment by prioritizing conversations with candidates and fostering a connection beyond the resume and cover letter.

“We want to invite a good amount of people into screening conversations so we can understand them as a full person and how they would approach a problem, not just what problems they have solved previously,” Stock said. “We also want to be thoughtful about preparing our candidates. So, we share the description of the position and interview questions for the screening interviews in advance. I believe that's a key part of establishing the conversation. One of the things we get to do is be that warm, welcoming presence that can alleviate some of that nervousness, be a guide through the process and a resource for folks when they have questions.”

For more insight on recruitment at Cornell and guidance when it comes to looking for employment opportunities or adding a new member to the team, tune in to Episode 82: Recruitment Reimagined: Building Trust and Transparency. Visit https://diversity.cornell.edu/iepodcast to access the episode and transcript.