Michael Delaney (He/Him) 🚀

My top tip is to be genuinely interested in the contributions of the audience. We know that people hold strongly to their opinions and, in fact, will double down even in the face of contradictory evidence. This is much harder to do if you are really interested in hearing from them. In many instances people just want someone to acknowledge what they are saying. Avoid raising your voice or interrupting, even if you feel what is being presented is clearly incorrect. You don't want to let falsehoods go unchallenged but if you approach it in a curious manner you are less likely to create an uncomfortable discussion. This will also give you credibility with the wider audience as they see you actually engaging with people rather than hectoring

One challenge you can face when restating is that it can feel disingenuous if you don't actively take on board the objection. To show that you have actually listened you need to do it in such a way that the person feels seen and heard not just handled. In addition you need to be prepared to change your view if presented with evidence to the contrary. A good model for this is the "strongly opinions loosely held" approach. If you get information that causes you to change your original viewpoint don't be afraid to acknowledge that. It is hard to do in real time but gives an authenticity that is valued by an audience.

There is no such thing as a "perfect ATS" just one that gives you what you need to deliver on your goals. That being said when it comes to other considerations mobile is definitely one to put at the top of the list. We all live on our devices so something that has a good experience for mobile will help you stand out. Secondly consider if you are a growth business, a stable business, a steady build business or something else. If you are in growth make sure you can detach from the ATS into something bigger with minimal fuss. If you are stable go for the closest match to your current model. If you are steady build then see what other modules they might have in the pipeline. What you select today might not suit you in 2 years so be careful.

If you want to be bold you can address any gaps in one adjustment. I appreciate it might be costly, especially if the disparity is significant, however the fact that it exists should be enough reason to fix it. Do an audit, be honest with the team about what you find, cost it up and then fix it. Once that is done you can put into place guidelines to stop it happening again. This will have 2 positive impacts to your business: *Firstly it will show you are taking the issue very seriously and that it's not some tokenistic response. *Secondly it cleans everything up quickly so you don't have a drawn out process to get to real parity. It might be costly however the cost if inequity is already there so why not do the right thing right away.

In my experience one of the most successful ways you can do this is to be accountable, hold others accountable and be consistent about it. Trust is so fragile and can be lost in the blink of an eye so don't shirk on your making this a top priority. Once you have set a standard then keep to it and people will come with you on the journey. If something falls short be honest about it, look to rectify it and own whatever steps need to be taken. As people learn what is the required standard it becomes a self regulated model of accountability and creates a genuine sense of connection and shared responsibility.

One of the biggest keys to success is to keep it simple. If it takes multiple points, lots of discussion and detail to get the point across then it might be too complicated. Consider what you are really trying to say at the core and focus on making that clear enough that anyone can understand it.