Cecyl Hobbs, an executive search and DEI consultant, began to encounter an unusual problem over the last year. Some people who took part in racial justice protests were later arrested, leaving a record that could appear on a background check. Companies had to ask themselves, for what felt like the first time, whether that kind of record should affect their future candidates' job prospects, and how their professed commitments to racial justice would play out in the hiring process. The issue was unusual because, in general, there are almost no corporate executive candidates who have been previously incarcerated or have a criminal record — almost no one who has spent time in prison has ever made it that far (with a few exceptions, notable for their rarity). "They get filtered out far before that," Hobbs, who works at Russell Reynolds Associates, told Protocol. Read the full article here

“Boyden has a long-term commitment to anticipating the trends and issues that will affect our global clients,” commented Trina D. Gordon, President & CEO of Boyden. “While business leaders are seeing strong indicators of recovery, alignment between talent requirements and the suite of leadership skills that will drive growth will be imperative to sustainable success. Leadership needs have changed in this new global environment, from C-suite to the boardroom. It is important that organizations synchronize their leadership requirements to strategies that reflect the evolved global landscape.” Read the full story here

Climate change and sustainability were widely acknowledged as the world's greatest challenges in early 2020, and boardrooms around the world were responding to their priority. Everything else fell by the wayside for many businesses as management tried to protect their workers and profit margins. In 2021, the focus has switched to repositioning enterprises for the recovery period, which typically entails a complete overhaul of how they operate on a day-to-day basis and how they provide services to clients. What's surprising, therefore, is that executives in the industrial sector, in particular, have managed to navigate the pandemic without compromising their climate commitment. Read the full article here

Employee engagement will be critical in addressing the challenge of workforce restructuring following COVID. What leaders must understand is that organizations receive the employee engagement they deserve because they initiate it. Cornerstone New York's George Bradt explains the four possible approaches. Employees become committed to a cause when organizations allow them to co-create the path forward. Those who invite their employees to contribute have a better chance of receiving those contributions. Employees are mostly compliant in organizations that operate on a command and control basis. And organizations that are constantly reorganizing and do not provide clear direction to their employees should not be surprised if their disengagement rates are extremely high. Read the full article here