Ghosting is no longer just an issue of the dating world; it has also infiltrated professional spaces. Job ghosting occurs when one party abruptly ceases communication without any explanation, leaving the other party feeling ignored or rejected. This trend has become increasingly prevalent during the hiring process, confusing job seekers and employers. In a 2023 ZipRecruiter survey, approximately 21.6% of respondents admitted to “ghosting” a potential employer during their most recent job search. And younger employees were reportedly “the biggest culprits” of ghosting, according to Business Insider. What To Do If An Employer Ghosts You In The Hiring Process Although the trend of ghosting has seen a spike for job recruiters, many job seekers have also experienced ghosting from potential employers within all stages of the hiring process. Discovering that your potential employer has ghosted you can be frustrating, but it’s important to take proactive steps to navigate this situation....

There is a commonly held belief in the business world that we are in the midst of a global skills shortage. In fact, 80% of CEOs are still reporting skills gaps as a major threat to their organization’s growth. But there is good news to be found in this current climate; because, as ServiceNow’s Sarah Tilley simply puts it, “While there is a very real skills shortage, there isn’t a global people shortage.” For Tilley’s team, that means approaching talent acquisition and development on a multipronged level that takes external recruitment, internal mobility, learning and talent planning into consideration to support ServiceNow’s overall talent strategy and business priorities to ensure a seamless and quality employee experience. “Our integrated approach allows us to be more transparent and establish clear expectations for candidates and employees,” Tilley explains. “Through a unified approach, we can also better understand and respond to employee needs, which drives higher engagement,...

Navigating the delicate topic of salary expectations during a job interview requires finesse and preparation. It’s a common question that can influence the course of your employment negotiation and shape the future of your salary earnings at your company. It may seem easy to just let them know your dream number. But to truly get the desired outcome, handling this question with finesse and researching why you selected that given number is crucial. From viewing that current company’s financial standing or the average salary for similar roles on Glassdoor , you should do your due diligence. Being intentional before letting employers or hiring managers know your number is not only smart but essential. Here are some strategies to help you tackle this question confidently. How To Answer “What Is Your Current Salary?” The “What is your current salary?” question can be tricky, as it might seem like a straightforward inquiry. However, it’s essential to handle it with care. Instead of...

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and media, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) stands as a powerhouse – not just in terms of its vast portfolio, but also in its commitment to innovation and inclusion. On the heels of its 100-year anniversary, the company remains committed to its mission of amplifying the voices of global storytellers to reflect audiences around the world, promoting diversity, removing barriers and creating space for all to share ideas and be heard. As the Senior Vice President of Applied Data Science and Machine Learning, Haile Owusu has witnessed first-hand the organization’s transformative journey. Across his five years, WBD has drawn the brightest minds and fostered an environment of creativity, diversity and limitless opportunities. A Legacy of Reinvention WBD’s scale is unparalleled, boasting 95 million direct-to-consumer subscribers globally. This scale gives the company even more reason to be innovative while addressing complex tech issues and solving...

Interviewers evaluate candidates for a job based on much more than just an answer to a question. Aside from experience and qualifications, they usually seek someone with good communication skills, professionalism, respect, interest in the position, and more. This means that showing interest in the conversation with the interviewer or being engaged in the information they give is important. A good way to display this is by asking unique interview questions. Before delving into the questions , remember that it’s probably for the best if you don’t overthink the interview process. Although staying calm may be hard , it is still necessary. These unique interview questions will help you make a better impression , but even beyond impressing an employer, questions like these help a candidate gain valuable insight into the company culture, expectations, opportunities and more. Unique Interview Questions To Ask an Employer 1. “What’s a recent project that has excited or challenged your team?”...

In the fast-paced world of technology, where innovation is a driving force for change, ServiceNow emerges as a beacon of leadership. Vanessa Smith, President of ServiceNow.org, shares her insights into her journey and the organization’s commitment to making a positive impact on nonprofit organizations, the transformative power of technology, the role of digital experience, and the importance of inclusivity in the tech industry. A Change Catalyst: Vanessa Smith’s Tech Odyssey Smith’s journey with ServiceNow began in September 2020, a time marked by the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was drawn to ServiceNow by three key elements: the readiness for change, the remarkable capabilities of the NOW platform , and the chance to work again with influential tech leader Bill McDermott . With over 25-years of experience in tech and a family deeply rooted in the industry, Smith’s unique perspective and passion for social impact fuel her role as President of ServiceNow.org . Smith’s family...

Job interviewing is a process that consists of much more than submitting an application, doing an interview and getting hired or not. Another aspect of the process that should be gone about strategically is the follow-up process. It is natural to want to contact an interviewer or recruiter after an interview to know whether the position has been secured or if it is time to look elsewhere. However, it is important to avoid being too pushy, too casual or too informal when conducting a follow-up. Here is some general guidance on how to follow up after an interview. Send A Thank-You Email Before a follow-up email is of any concern, consider sending a thank you email after the initial interview. A thoughtful gesture is to send a personalized thank-you email to each person you interviewed within 24 hours of the interview. Express gratitude for their time, reiterate your interest in the position and highlight a specific aspect of the interview or conversation that resonated with you. This...

The final part of an interview usually entails the interviewer asking the candidate if they have any questions about the job or pertaining to the company . Many people may see this as marking the end of an interview, but the employer/recruiter is most likely using the answer to this question as another factor in determining whether the candidate is right for the job . This is most likely because the interviewer wants to determine the candidate’s interest in the job/company or their attention to detail. On the other hand, asking questions as a job candidate is important in determining whether a future can be seen with an employer. Asking any random or irrelevant question for the sake of doing so will not be beneficial. Try asking questions that pertain to specific aspects of the company/employer or aspects of it that will affect the desired position. Career strategist John Lees and author of How to Get a Job You Love recommends personalizing these questions for the specific role....

Whether you’re using WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family across oceans and time zones, or finding all types of entertainment and inspiration on Reels, chances are Meta touches your life on a daily basis. Many of us have had a front row seat to the evolution of this brand, from the days when your Facebook page had to be linked to a college email address, to the futuristic capabilities of the new Meta Quest 3 VR headset. Behind the tech giant that has come to permeate our lives are diverse tech creatives who have built an amazing ecosystem that equally pulls from their similarities and their differences. We recently caught up with Cyriel Dikoume, an Engineering Manager at the company, to find out more about what it’s like to be part of the team responsible for the wide range of innovation that has happened at Meta in even just the last two years. “It’s kind of like our apps: connecting people is what we do best,” Dikoume told AfroTech. “The essence of connection and...

For years, Expedia Group has powered and influenced some of the most unforgettable travel experiences, and their brands are among the best-known names in global travel. The company is at the cutting edge when it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), with those tools enabling customers to discover new destinations, plan and structure their trips without hesitation. That’s all by design according to Candice Tang, Vice President of Technology, Developer Experience with Expedia Group. “AI covers everything from booking to shopping to how travelers change their flights,” she says about the importance of AI platforms. “We’ve been using AI for years building on our platform’s capabilities to simplify our traveler’s experience.” Candice, who has been in the position for a year, focuses on the developer experience and leads a team that streamlines and automates routine tasks, so developers can focus on what they do best– solving tough tech challenges. Her team has...

Finding Opportunity at AfroTech Will Cleveland has always had a thing for analytics. Throughout his career, he’s been charged with figuring out strategies via content curation that give customers the data they need to make the best decisions possible. He’s always tried to make sure that people who look like him are empowered with information and opportunity. It’s his mission in life. As president of his former job’s Black employee resource group, he was able to present advancement opportunities for others while also helping the company advance in its diversity efforts. It was during his attendance at AfroTech 2022 in Austin that he discovered he was destined to do even more on a greater scale. “I love attending AfroTech. It feels like a safe space where I can see people who look like me and what they’re doing in tech to help us advance,“ Cleveland says. “I attended the Expedia Group panels and got to see the innovative things they’re doing to give their customers the power when it...

In a quaint restaurant in Rome, Lynett Marie—a Detroit, Michigan native—did a simple yet profound act she hadn’t done in years: She danced. Her long-awaited trip to Italy with her best friend to attend Easter Mass at the Vatican almost didn’t happen. Just months prior, Lynett Marie was bound to a wheelchair and walker due to a debilitating disease that few Americans know much about: lupus. Lynett Marie has one of the most common forms of lupus, known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which impacts the lives of up to 300,000 Americans—and counting. SLE is a complex, chronic disease attacking the body’s immune system. Its unpredictable nature means it manifests in everyone differently, but some of the most common symptoms include fatigue, skin rashes, fevers, and pain or swelling in the joints. But when Lynett Marie, a self-described “lupus warrior,” finally found the right treatment plan for her SLE, from that point on, she says, “Things just kept getting better, and better, and...

It’s no secret that artificial intelligence (AI) is currently the talk of the town. On March 30, AfroTech is taking the topic to center stage at AfroTech Executive 2023 in Seattle, WA, where Black corporate executives, investors, and tech moguls will convene.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech) Jessica O. Matthews, founder and CEO of Uncharted, and Jonnie Bradley, Acting Director and Responsible Artificial Intelligence Official at the U.S. Department of Energy, are set to discuss how to sustainably take control and maximize AI. While AI is being utilized to advance industries, there is the danger of errors and bias on the other side of the coin. To combat such a danger, Larry Adams took action. Adams is the founder and CEO of X_Stereotype, an AI-powered platform that analyzes content through a lens of diversity and inclusion. The company’s website describes it as “the world’s first inclusion operating system eliminating stereotypes and bias in...

Jerrie Johnson is one of the stars leading Prime Video’s hit series “Harlem,” which made its return on Feb. 3.

In today’s quickly changing job market, people are looking for companies that check all of their boxes. They want to show up and be inspired by their work, be inspired by company leadership and make an impact with the projects they work on. Many job seekers are also seriously considering how a company handles diversity in its workforce for the first time. Unfortunately, finding a company that meets those criteria in today’s job market can be challenging. In the past few years, employers have loudly proclaimed that diversity was a core part of their values and that the voices and contributions of Black talent were central to how they saw their company futures. But the reality of how Black employees are compensated, trained and valued hasn’t matched up to those claims. Fortunately, integrated advertising agencies within dentsu International’s network are showing up in a real way for Black employees. Through diversity initiatives and other social impact efforts, dentsu hopes to...