The death of George Floyd caused an eruption of global outrage which led to unparalleled demonstrations of solidarity across the world. This included statements made by senior leaders that were meticulously crafted to align the organization with current social justice issues while giving the fact and/or appearance of genuine concern. Were those statements credible, filled with true empathy and a commitment to enacting real change or, were these statements empty, and orated just to fit in with the masses?

Utilizing my published research, this session will explain how the words and actions of Microsoft's CEO (termed executive symbolism) positively influenced organizational recruitment. Additionally, during this session, attendees will learn the various types of executive symbolism and understand how CEO credibility and race plays a part in how jobseekers interpret and respond to acts of executive symbolism.