56 What’s the Real Impact of CSR? Corporate Social Responsibility is often used in conjunction with consumer-facing compa- nies. But it’s just as important to many sales- people, who want to know that their work goes to more than just profits. Having a com- pany culture that provides an element of giv- ing back to communities can be a big draw and a clear differentiator for candidates. "Community involvement crossed the “T” for me. I enjoy helping and serving others in my private life, and Radio One is always “giving back” (throughout the year) via various walks, drives, St. Jude’s Radiothon, holiday giving experiences, etc. So being here, I’m able to embrace the opportunity to work with my team and extend my service to others professionally!" Are You Leveraging Data and Technology? Data and technology are a potent combi- nation in sales, and they’re just as powerful for a sales manager looking to hire top tal- ent. Data in particular is crucial. Per Linke- dIn’s Global Recruiting Trends 2018 report, data is used for talent acquisition in order to: evaluate skills gaps, build better offers, understand candidate wants, predict a re- cruit’s success, assess current talent supply and demand, and forecast hiring needs. This helps you hone in on what roles you really need to fill and to fill them most successfully. As a CSS client and sales manager, you use technology and data each time you put a can- didate through one of our talent assessments. These instruments allow you to compare the behaviors and talent intensities of each can- didate to the benchmark of the best in your industry and they accurately predict success. LinkedIn’s report keys into developments in the actual interview process. The best hiring organizations are making changes to reduce bias, get a realistic idea of the potential re- cruit’s personality, and give candidates the opportunity to actually try the job itself to see if it’s the right fit. Part of this is attribut- ed to face-to-face interviews being utilized a bit differently – 53% of businesses pointed to meeting in casual settings as one of the most useful interview innovations, while another 54% point to job auditions. But the real shift is provided by technology. While virtual reality assessments and video interviews lag behind casual settings and au- ditions for now (28% and 18% respectively ) this is largely due to the fact the technology is new, and utilizing technology in this way is new. Virtual reality assessments take au- ditions to the next step and allow you to see how the recruit would carry out the job in the real world. Their natural skills will come to the fore, whether it’s been listed on their resume or not. Similarly, video interviews al- low you to reach younger recruits in a way that makes the most sense to them, while also giving you access to talent across the country or around the world that would oth- erwise be unable to perform a face-to-face interview. It can close the gap between a phone interview and an in-person interview, as well.