Hakimu Shuttlesworth Davidson, MBA

What attracted you to Nonprofit HR? Outside of working hours, I’ve always spent a lot of time participating in and supporting mission-based organizations. Whether it be the National Urban League, National Black MBA Association, Route to Stem Foundation or another org. I’ve been a board member, a president, a volunteer, a donor, etc. I’m always involved in something. I spent a long time connected to the Greater Washington Urban League and National Urban League’s Young Professionals (NULYP) — serving as President of the D.C. chapter and eventually the NULYP National Board. Wanting the world to be a better place but also taking action to make that happen is a big part of who I am and a big part of my family history. I feel like I had reached a point in my “recruiter journey” where I thought I was ready to move on and do something else. Then I learned about Nonprofit HR and the opportunity to leverage the skills and knowledge I’d gained in my dozen-plus years of talent acquisition/recruiting/executive search experience to support mission based organizations with their most important task: hiring the right people to lead transformational change and fulfill their critical missions. That spoke to me in a very different way than any job I had been in — or even interviewed for — before and I knew right away it was something I wanted to learn more about.   What is your favorite aspect of talent management? I enjoy the feeling at the end of a search. The “mission accomplished” aspect is fulfilling, validating and even comforting at times. But more than that, I like helping people and I enjoy coaching and teaching. A lot of people apply for the roles we fill for our clients and as a professional recruiter I reach out to even more. But there can only be one person getting hired for each role. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t provide something else of value — i.e., (good) resume advice, job hunting tips or interview feedback that will help the candidates I interact with flourish and meet their personal and professional goals. I also tend to make strong, genuine connections with many of my candidates — probably because they are mission-focused individuals like I am — and so helping them out comes naturally, whether or not they are pursuing a role through one of our clients at that time. Those genuine connections are something I value a lot.

What is the coolest thing you’re working on right now and why?

I recently placed a CEO at a local organization that is very much embedded in the fabric of the community of Washington, D.C. — the city I grew up in. Most of my previous work has been around the country, which is exciting in its own way. That being said, finding the right person to invoke transformational change and move the needle forward at an institution in the city that will help young people and families who grew up where I grew up is a hard feeling to top. I’m also lucky enough to have a client that is an organization I served on the board of directors for over a decade ago. Being able to continue to contribute to their community work and efforts — that’s pretty cool.

How do you see HR changing in the next 5-10 years?

I think there are a lot of things that we may see on the horizon. The way technology is changing so rapidly with machine learning, AI, CRM systems, apps, video interviews, and even things like Zoom and Slack — these are all massive changes in how work is done on their own. In combination, HR professionals and the industry as a whole has a challenge. How do we keep the “human” in HR? How do we ensure connections with employees and candidates (a.k.a. future employees) are genuine, productive and mutually beneficial? So I think the changes are going to be two-fold: continued proliferation of new technologies and simultaneously continued efforts to keep people feeling connected with their teams and organizations. I’m excited to see how the industry adapts and innovates.

What was your favorite thing to do as a kid?

Play baseball and read! Comic books, newspapers, magazines — really everything I could find that was interesting to me. I still have my set of encyclopedias that I did my homework with in high school.

Which two people would you like to have brunch with and why?

I’m struggling to come up with names but they would be two of the great minds of modern times. I’d like to ask questions and learn more about how they think and overcome challenges and see the world. In the end, it would probably end up being two comedians though — some of the smartest, most observant people do comedy for a living. I’d like to take a stand up class soon!

What is a fun fact that people might not know about you?

At some point, I’m going to be on TV winning a major poker tournament. 

What is your favorite quote and why?

“Today is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” 

This is a Maya Angelou quote that I came across about two years ago and it immediately became a mantra for me. We all work really hard and have any number of family, friends, society, pandemic, or health-related things that we’re dealing with on a given day. It can be easy to fall into a rut or depression or hold onto yesterday’s frustrations. But today is a new day! And you deserve to enjoy that day and see what it has to offer. So this quote reminds me to focus on what can be controlled today instead of worrying about the past and also it just feels hopeful and positive. I almost always smile when I think about it, and take a long, deep breath. It’s very centering.