The Mosaic Series at Yieldmo

The terms “diversity” and “inclusion” have become increasingly paramount to CEOs, executives, managers, and employees when focusing on the direction of their company. Their emphasis on creating a more heterogeneous team and inclusive environment has been pulled to the forefront of priorities and, not surprisingly, more people are becoming more aware and vocal. It is exciting to see open dialogues occur across companies, industries, and roles, but more importantly, to see a wave of transparent communication and shared knowledge start to empower change.

There are several companies in our portfolio network that are spearheading this conversation. Included in the wave of frontrunners, a team at Yieldmo has founded The Mosaic Series. Their goal has been to create a transparent, open space for participants of diverse backgrounds to share their experiences, while generating actionable takeaways for companies to implement. Thus far they have hosted three events, each partnering with different companies and organizations, and focusing on different topics.

Thus far, The Mosaic Series has included Volume 1: Recruitment and Hiring and Volume 2: Interview Process. Volume 3: Allyship will take place on June 6th, with the goal of defining what a true ally looks like, and how true allyship manifests itself in processes within a company. Link to RSVP here.

Their last event, Volume 2: Interview Process, began with dissecting three interview questions, each submitted by a different company or organization.

Those questions were:

1. Who was the best co-worker you’ve ever had and why?
2. Have you ever been unpleased with your work? And Why?
3. What are you not good at yet (personally or professionally)?

Interviewer feedback that came out of the discussion included:

• Provide context for certain questions: preface by talking about the values of the company before asking the question. Hypothetical examples can help.
• Be mindful of tone: Tone can make or break the experience for the interviewee, which will affect how they answer questions.
• Being direct with questions, transparency is key: what values are you, as an interviewer looking to assess.
• Provide an easy, comfortable environment for the interviewee.
• Have answers to your questions: Should be ready to answer the questions you are asking, especially when pertaining to the company’s values, culture, etc.
• Communicate all of the above to your team. Interviews can’t be effective if every interviewer is not on the same page. This also minimizes personal bias when deciding who to hire.

The rawness of the discussion was palpable and, even with 40 participants, you could feel each and every one of them engaged in the dialogue. The discussion ran long and 100% of the room still wanted to continue the conversation! That is an incredible compliment to the organizers and speaks to the quality of the discussion.

Volume 3, on June 6th at General Assembly will cover allyship, and what that should look like in the tech community. I can’t wait to join them for that discussion. To register, please go here.