Episode 1
Diversity and Inclusion with Joanna Abeyie
When economic uncertainty hits, diversity and inclusion efforts often get shelved. Joanna Abeyie argues this is exactly backwards—and reveals how remote hiring, virtual interviews, and proactive sourcing can actually accelerate inclusive recruitment.
Episode Key Takeaways
Diversity isn’t a project you pause when revenue tightens. It’s a foundational pillar of culture, like integrity or honesty—something you either embed or you don’t. The moment you treat it as optional, you signal it was never truly a value.
Remote and virtual interviewing removes some traditional bias vectors—no office small talk, no judgment based on appearance or home environment—but introduces new ones. Interviewers may now see a candidate’s living space, wealth markers, or family situation, all irrelevant to job fit. The antidote: phone-only interviews, virtual backgrounds, and strict adherence to role-relevant questions.
Joanna emphasizes that asking each team member individually what they need to succeed is the foundation of inclusive leadership. One parent asked to move a meeting because she had no quiet space to join a Zoom call while homeschooling. That conversation—and the flexibility it unlocked—would never have happened in an office-first culture.
Building diverse talent pipelines must be proactive and continuous, not reactive. Most hiring is urgent, so unless recruiters are already connected to underrepresented talent pools through events, affinity groups, and regular outreach, they’ll default to ‘like for like’ hiring. Consistency matters more than scale.
Crisis accelerates what’s possible. An 18-month digital transformation compressed to 7 days; union roster changes that normally take 18 months happened in 24 hours. Once you’ve proven something works at speed, the ‘it takes time’ argument loses credibility—and should.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
How do I lead inclusively when I'm managing remotely for the first time?
Ask each person on your team what they need to be successful—not in a survey, but in a real conversation. Learn how they work best, what times suit them, what barriers they face. Then adapt your leadership style to those needs, not the other way around. One-size-fits-all management fails in remote settings.
Should diversity hiring pause during a recession or hiring freeze?
No. Recruitment freezes actually create time to build diverse talent pipelines proactively. Use the pause to survey employees on how they feel, identify underrepresented talent pools, and form relationships before roles open. Reactive hiring always defaults to ‘like for like.’ Proactive sourcing is your hedge against that.
What's the risk of video interviews for diversity and inclusion?
Interviewers see candidates’ homes, family situations, and wealth markers—none of which are job-relevant. This introduces new bias. Consider phone-only interviews instead, or require virtual backgrounds for both parties. Focus questions on skills and experience, not personal circumstances or how someone’s living situation compares to yours.
How do I convince leadership that diversity matters when we're in survival mode?
Reframe it: diversity isn’t a nice-to-have or a project. It’s a core value, like honesty or integrity. You don’t pause those in a crisis. Mental health, accessibility, and belonging matter more in uncertain times, not less. And inclusive hiring now means you’re not scrambling to find talent when the market recovers.
What should I do once I learn a better way to hire inclusively?
Do it. The principle is simple: once you know better, you should do better. If you’ve heard advice on inclusive hiring, attended a talk, or read a framework that makes sense, you can no longer claim ignorance. Knowing and not acting is a choice—and it’s one that erodes credibility and culture.