Data-Driven Strategy: How Veris Insights Supported Baird’s TA & DEI Goals
Building an inclusive pipeline is a top priority for Talent Acquisition leaders. That’s why Robert W. Baird & Co. (“Baird”) worked closely with Veris Insights to strengthen its candidate attraction and diversity recruiting strategies by leading with data. Using Veris Insights data on candidate preferences and custom segmented data cuts on key talent groups, Baird developed a more inclusive recruiting strategy driven by what matters most to candidates.
Developed initiatives for recruiting women in finance
Revamped job descriptions to foster greater inclusivity
Made a commitment to leading with data
Developed Initiatives for Recruiting Women in Finance
In its efforts to increase the representation of women in finance, Baird’s Global Investment Recruiting Team has been partnering with Veris Insights to spearhead diversity hiring initiatives. Using Veris Insights data on the preferences of women in finance, Baird’s recruiting team designed its Thrive with Baird event, which educated freshman and sophomore women about careers in banking.
of women business talent find off-campus events “very” or “extremely” valuable in forming perceptions of employers.
Career advancement & skill development is the third most influential factor when finance students consider employer appeal.
Not all of them [Thrive with Baird participants] are going to want to be investment bankers, but it’s about educating them and trying to pull out the things that we received from Veris Insights from a female perspective on what’s important to them. So, when we are talking about Baird, we can really make sure that we’re hitting those bullets on the things that are important to them that we do as a firm.
Revamped Job Descriptions to Foster Greater Inclusivity
To begin laying the groundwork for a more inclusive candidate journey, Veris Insights worked with Baird to revise its investment banking job descriptions using insights on what candidates look for in job descriptions. As a result, Baird added job benefits and updated the language of its job descriptions to replace words candidates found less compelling.
of candidates say that a section about company benefits in a job ad would make them more likely to apply.
1 in 4 candidates has not applied for a job because of the way the job description was written.
Made a Commitment to Leading with Data
With Baird’s growing focus on Talent Advisory, understanding the candidate journey has been key to providing more strategic guidance and influence. In August 2022, Veris Insights Strategy Leads visited Baird’s headquarters in Milwaukee to present at its Talent Acquisition Summit. There, they shared about how candidate priorities have shifted and offered insights into how Baird could redefine its employee value proposition accordingly.
Veris Insights also delivered over 15 custom data cuts on a variety of talent segments to Baird in 2022 as part of the unlimited market inquiries service — a testament to Baird’s commitment to leading with data.
One of the things that Veris Insights has done for us [is that it] has really helped us on leading with data and being able to go to the hiring leaders and share with them what we’re hearing in the market from a candidate perspective.
– Stacy Richter | Senior Vice President – GIB Head of Recruiting, Baird
