Salma de Graaff, who is the Chief HR Officer at Skyscanner, created an engaging session for the Leaders4Tomorrow team on: Breaking bias in recruiting, creating a diverse, inclusive and high performing team using our differences as advantage.
The goal of the session was to get real leadership input from a global leader who has always been one of the few women at her level. As we consciously build teams that think differently and work on our own terms, it was so helpful to hear from her and discuss the implications for our own work in recruiting projects and leadership.
Salma, we were curious to get more insights into your work and how you influence the organization’s strategy and direction at the C-level at one of the fastest-growing organizations in your market:
Reducing Bias: How have you actively worked to reduce unconscious bias within Skyscanner’s HR processes and decision-making?
Anyone involved in recruitment at Skyscanner, from our recruitment team to the people across our business who conduct interviews, receives unconscious bias training. We also monitor conversions through our hiring process stages, as data and patterns help reveal any unconscious bias. Longlists are required to be as a minimum representative of the gender diversity in the talent pool in the market we are hiring. Alongside, our recruitment process is designed so that multiple people interview the same person and come together as part of a ‘wash up’. The wash-up is led by a cultural interviewer, who frequently is not in a role related to the candidate’s team. The wash-up lead ensures that there is open discussion and diversity of opinion, helping further reduce any risk of unconscious bias.
More widely, we’ve also worked to diversify the channels we recruit from – for example, via coding academies, and working only with recruitment agencies that have (at a minimum) a DEI statement.
Challenges in 2024: Given the travel sector’s developments in the last years impacted by global crisis and the pandemic, what specific challenges did you face in maintaining employee motivation, preventing burnout, and preserving a culture of collaboration and innovation?
Our cultural values are our anchor and compass and helped us to navigate the challenges of the pandemic. We’ve always been a company that's supported flexibility in terms of working from home and operated from a place of trust. That's part of the reason we were so successful in moving from offices to remote working within a matter of days when the pandemic hit: as a business that is built around communicating across nine offices, multiple time zones, and teams that are often not co-located, we had the infrastructure and experience to pivot to over 1,000 home offices very quickly.
An at-home office equipment budget was given, and staff could take equipment home to see them through if needed. Blocked out ‘no meeting’ time was put in everyone’s calendars to guard against the fatigue of constant Zooms, and we encouraged all employees to prioritise their mental health (via our counselling services and Headspace subscription) and home balance (e.g. home schooling, care giving), as we all adapted during those difficult first few months.
We also conducted virtual company town halls every week to increase connection and witnessed a heightened sense of camaraderie across our business which remains today.
Data Privacy and Bias: With AI playing an increasing role in HR, how do you address concerns related to data privacy, security, and bias in Skyscanner’s people practices?
AI has a role to play within the workplace, but itis crucial that governance and care is applied to the handling of information. At Skyscanner we have an artificial intelligence use policy which sets out clear guidelines around this.
AI is a fantastic tool when it comes to content and idea checking, analysis and even document drafting. One example is the way we use AI through an internal bot that can signpost our people to policies and information relating to benefits based upon the content of their question in a query channel. However, we strictly prohibit the use of GenAI (generative AI) in relation to recruitment or any employment decisions such as CV analysis. We’re also conscious that AI can also present a risk of bias, and as such we look to ensure a process for human review to counter this. We’re carefully following how AI use within the HR profession develops: I believe we all have a responsibility to keep up with technological advances and understand how they can work with our area of expertise.
Career Journey: Could you share a pivotal moment or experience that shaped your career path, and what were your biggest learnings you want to give to the next generation of HR leaders?
Saying “yes” to opportunities has enabled me to learn and grow in my career. I have moved disciplines, e.g. transitioning from Finance to Sales to HR and to different countries and continents. The cross functional experience I gained from these moves and the opportunity to immerse myself in different cultures has been invaluable. Each move took courage and I had to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable, however, in these moments I grew and developed not only professionally but also as a person.
Throughout my career I have predominately worked in male dominated industries. In recent years, I’ve reflected upon past experiences and have realized that there were times when I should have spoken up in situations that today we would deem as toxic. These ‘aha’ moments have further driven my purpose as an HR leader to cultivate a positive culture and ensure that the workplace is fair, equitable, and supportive.
My advice for the next generation of HR leaders is to be courageous and say “yes” to opportunities that will enable you to learn and grow. Be present in the moment and use your voice to drive positive change and empower others.
Daily Motivation: What drives your energy and passion every day as a leader in the HR field?
I’m surrounded by a team of talented people who energize and inspire me. Together we navigate and solve complicated challenges and drive experiences that benefit our people. My role gives me a real sense of purpose and I feel fortunate to say that I love my job.
Thank you, Salma for your time and experience sharing! Read more articles about our Leaders4Tomorrow program here.
