Representation matters.

From the election of the 44th President Barack Obama to the almost cult following of the original “Black Panther” portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman – there is something special about someone who looks like you in spaces that have historically been void.

This perspective becomes increasingly more valuable regarding job and work cultures. As people of color navigate corporate and public-sector spaces for employment, one value at the top of most people’s list is a culture of inclusion and diversity.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies are being employed across several sectors. Companies are making efforts to ensure their space is more in line with the representation that exists in the world. However, with the importance of equitable spaces at the forefront, HR leaders are tasked with recruiting and retaining qualified diverse talent that meets their DEI goals and provides varied influence and critical perspectives to their organizations.

AfroTech’s first-ever SaaS platform, Talent Infusion, enters the chat at this intersection.

In a LinkedIn post, the new platform presented Talent Infusion to the world. It intends to leverage AfroTech’s mission of promoting inclusivity across all job sectors by intentionally connecting organizations with a pool of diverse candidates.

“Talent Infusion is designed to help enterprises find qualified, diverse candidates for hard-to-fill roles and increase the talent pipeline for businesses looking to improve their DE&I initiatives,” the LinkedIn post stated.

The launch of this unique platform comes to fruition after six years of committed work to help technology companies close the racial gap in the industry. Talent Infusion is not a culmination of AfroTech’s work but rather an additional step in its growth model as it assists organizations of all sizes in connecting with qualified diverse candidates for roles critical to an enterprise’s overall success.

According to statistics shared by Built In, companies that actively embrace diversity show 2.5 times higher cash flow per employee, and diverse management has been proven to increase revenue by 19 percent.

As the job industry is experiencing interesting inflection points, platforms are essential to helping ensure people from diverse backgrounds can access jobs.

In a previous post from AfroTech, there was a breakdown of how the job market is shifting with the influx of layoffs and transitions.

And Forbes reports this trend isn’t slowing down any time soon. The publication noted that job cuts have skyrocketed to a 400% increase as people continue to claim unemployment status.

“A rising trend in claims has been a key missing part of the labor market story, but it is now clear layoffs are increasing,” Pantheon Macro Chief Economist Ian Shepherdson said in a statement to Forbes. “These data alone won’t stop the Fed from raising rates again in May, but they are a warning sign that should not be ignored.”

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With such a pressing reality, resources like AfroTech’s Resume Book and its integration into the newly launched SaaS platform are helpful tools for all job seekers experiencing the tension of the ever-changing job landscape.

Now that Talent Infusion is a reality, its tools can be an asset, stepping in to help employers reach job seekers by providing a curated, diverse list of talent for potential recruitment. Directly connecting talent to employers takes out some guesswork in the job search process and changes how companies implement DEI recruitment strategies.

To learn more about Talent Infusion, visit the platform’s website and determine which subscription-based plan can help your organization reach its DEI goals.