Buzz-worthy Interactive Installations from Indeed FutureWorks 2022

As Maggie Hulce, executive vice president and general manager for enterprise at Indeed, said during her keynote speech at the Indeed FutureWorks 2022 conference, companies that are still omitting salary ranges on job postings or insisting candidates have a college degree or zero resume gaps “are missing out on skilled and diverse talent.”

The 21st century workforce is evolving dramatically — both in terms of lived experiences and workplace expectations — and that was a recurring theme at Indeed’s flagship thought leadership conference, held October 12th and 13th at the Javits Center in New York City. Thousands of attendees across a range of business functions and from more than 10 countries, engaged with sessions (available in person and virtually) that broached the future of work and its impact on the talent landscape.

Those who attended FutureWorks in person were able to experience these themes on a different level. Throughout the venue, interactive installations prompted attendees to think deeply about the state of urgent recruitment issues: pay transparency and talent shortages. Here is how Indeed brought these complex concepts to life — and how attendees reacted to them.

Equal Pay Cafe: “Be Transparent”

Attendees jonesing for a caffeine fix at FutureWorks made a choice before accepting their brew: Did they want a white, lavender or blue cup sleeve? Each featured a provocative question about pay transparency.

- “Does talking about salary make you feel like you are in hot water?” 

- “Does your company post salary ranges on job postings? Spill the tea.” 

- “On a scale of water to coffee, how transparent is your company about pay?” 

This often-innocuous beverage accessory sparked discussion around a historically taboo topic that companies must now confront: Indeed research shows that 75% of applicants are more likely to apply for a job if the posting lists the salary range. 

“My company is very transparent,” said Carrie Wallace, a talent acquisition manager at Infosys. “Our jobs are based on experience and skill, and we keep competitive salaries. On the hiring side, posting salaries weeds out people quickly.”

The Equal Pay Cafe also prompted conversations around gender pay equity. Women in the U.S. still earn roughly 82 cents for every dollar men earn. “As a female, I want to make sure I have equal pay to my male colleagues,” said Liz Mercado, vice president of operations at Custom Staffing Incorporated, as she drank her cappuccino. “If a company says we are a family; prove it. Be transparent.” 

Recent state laws have mandated varying levels of pay transparency. And employer sentiment toward pay transparency is now largely favourable, as research from Indeed shows. Since 2018, Indeed has moved toward pay transparency by posting pay ranges for its own openings.

Expand Your Talent Pool: “We Can Not Pretend Everyone Has A Perfect Background”

Near the TeamWorks area of the venue stood a small stage swimming with LED-projected koi. As attendees stepped onto the platform, which represented today’s talent “pool,” only a few fish swam beneath their feet. Moving to a particular spot removed common restrictive hiring filters — a college education, a spotless background check, a resume with no gaps in employment history — and filled the pond with more fish, scales shimmering. 

“I personally do not ask about gaps in resumes, especially since the pandemic, when a lot of people stopped working for personal reasons,” said Michael Juta, recruiter at Tata Consultancy Services, after stepping off of the platform. “It has been a hard time, but we have been going through it all together, and we have to recognise that.”

What does an employer lose by adhering to strict hiring requirements? Nine out of 10 people have a gap in their employment history. That is a lot of people who could be immediately excluded from a talent pool.

If you would like to discuss more strategies about hiring and building a culture of transparency, contact us.