Talent 2025 and Michigan Works! have recently collaborated to create HireReach, a three-year initiative designed to train 20-30 West Michigan Employers on how to implement an Evidence Based Selection Process (EBSP).
Why EBSP?
EBSP is a proven practice that ties in to Talent 2025’s Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals by improving the diversity of West Michigan’s workforce, as outlined in the CEO Commitment. It is a methodology that was initially developed and implemented by the Mercy Health team over eight years ago.
Since implementing EBSP, Mercy has seen a variety of benefits, including:
- Decrease in first-year turnover by 23%,
- Decrease in time to hire a new candidate by 16%, and
- Diversity of new hires was improved,
Mercy notes that the new diversity of their employees more closely reflects the diversity of the community as a whole. This has also brought higher patient satisfaction rates and better engagement among their colleagues.
Overall, increasing the diversity of employees is important because this helps employers to meet current and future talent needs in a tight market. Additionally, increased diversity has been shown to increase organizational performance. Finally, a more diverse staff improves the employer’s understanding of the increasingly diverse consumer base and has the potential to establish new markets.
What Can Employers Expect from HireReach?
By participating in HireReach, employers will have access to subject matter experts, the ability to engage in a Community of Practice, and receive onsite consulting from technical advisors.
Through HireReach, employers will learn the two main concepts of EBSP:
- Examining and understanding the skills and characteristics a candidate needs to succeed in a job type, and
- Reliably measuring those skills in candidates while reducing unconscious bias.
Participation in the initiative includes training, guidance, and consultation. However, employers must use their own staffing resources and cover any systems or tools needed for implementation.
The first step for interested employers is to take part in Employer Awareness Events. These events will take place of four separate dates from August through October in cities across West Michigan.
Note that employers do not need to attend multiple dates but should choose the location that is most convenient. However, space is limited, so early RSVPs are required. For registration details, please email info@HireReach.org.
