The Power of Stories to Transform Work with Elena Valentine

Nancy Harris chats with Elena Valentine, CEO and co-founder of Skill Scout, an organization which specializes in talent acquisition and employer branding, about a more inclusive way to build your workforce.Here are a few highlights from their conversation:Elena is dedicated to looking past qualifications and sourcing talent in trendy ways: by media, which she calls the literacy of the 21st century.You cannot be what you cannot see, Elena says. The idea for Skill Scout stemmed from Elena’s and her colleague’s realization that many youths and disenfranchised communities lacked access and exposure to job opportunities.“Production light” is a method Skill Scout uses to help companies attract more employees. By encouraging the employees to show their experiences via their own smartphones, they democratize the tools so more narratives can be shared.Elena quotes, “If you want to change the story, you must change the storyteller.”Elena shares some of the backlash she received from putting women of color at the center of her other business, Mezcla Media Collective. She explains that rather than being about diversity and access, the purpose of her decision was about equity.We have to look at our employees holistically, as more than just workers and as people with unique interests and families, Elena says.At the heart of diversity and inclusion is feeling like you belong.ResourcesSkillScout.com