3 Things To Do To Start Your Native American Recruiting Program
It takes a lot to steer a ship even one or two degrees off the plotted course, both in time and energy. What it takes most of all is foresight, the ability to see into the future and realize that the current course will not do. It is the same with companies and their recruiting strategies. For an organization to get to where it needs to be takes time and planning.
Fortunately for all of us, one of the luxuries we have right now is time — a perfect opportunity to plan a new recruiting strategy for Native American talent. Finding Native American talent takes time and building the right recruiting plan and process requires dedication and knowledge to grow your recruiting reach and capability.
Recruiting Native Americans requires the following components:
- Promoting worksites or remote work opportunities in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, and California), Northwest (Washington and Alaska), or Minnesota to make it easier to attract Native American students and professionals. Twenty-one federally recognized tribes are located in Arizona, and twenty-three are located in New Mexico; Washington has twenty-nine tribal communities within its borders. These candidates want to be close to home to return to their tribal communities often to see family and attend or participate in traditional ceremonies.
2. Attend Native American and Alaska Native hiring events and national conferences as well as their local university student events. These include the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), and the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). There are other groups, but these organizations offer the size and scale to help you start your pipeline.
3. Partner with Tribal Colleges and public universities that attract Native Americans to recruit university talent. Currently there are thirty-two fully accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in the United States, with one formal candidate for accreditation; three are in Associate Status. Oklahoma State University and New Mexico State University are great examples of public universities with large Native American populations. Located mainly in the Midwest and Southwest, these schools are a great place to recruit Native American professionals who are entering the workforce for the first time.
Above all else, no matter where you put your efforts, focus on long-term relationships, consistency, and trust when you create and develop your Native American recruitment program. Identify good students early, develop those relationships outside of career fairs and recruiting events, and help them with their professional development — recruit them for intern opportunities. Offer in-person and virtual development workshops around your industry and company, as well as the interviewing and hiring process. Have members of your Native American Employee Resource Group support your recruiting efforts and lend their help to your efforts.
Trust and proof of your dedication to their professional development is critical in recruiting Native Americans, two things that take time to develop so use the luxury of the time you have now and start planning today.
Matt Brogdon is the Managing Partner for Pathfinder Consulting, a firm dedicated to building company culture through diversity and veteran branding, marketing, recruiting, training, education and retention. Learn more at www.pathfinderveterans.com.
