Ways to Support the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

By Julianne Chang

Hireforce has developed a greater awareness of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month now more than ever. The alarming rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans over the last year is heartbreaking to witness. This is yet another reminder that we must all use our voices to reject racism in all forms.

Hireforce strongly condemns violence of any kind, especially racial violence and hate crimes. We stand in support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. The month of May, we honor our AAPI brothers and sisters. Asian American immigrants and Pacific Islanders contribute greatly to the U.S. economy. This is a time to recognize their achievements and how they have strengthened our communities. Building on our commitment to help others who are looking to learn, unlearn, donate, or take action, here are some resources and ways to support the AAPI community.

Stop AAPI Hate

An organization launched by the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University. Stop AAPI Hate offers educational, legal, and local resources. Stop AAPI Hate also tracks and responds to incidents of hate, harassment, physical assault, discrimination and more.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

A non-profit and civil rights organization that provides legal services and education on behalf of low-income Asian Pacific American communities. AAJC’s mission is to advance civil and human rights for Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all.

Asian Mental Health Collective

A non-profit organization with a mission to normalize and de-stigmatize mental health within the Asian community. AMHC provides resources that are easily available and accessible to Asian communities worldwide.

Asian Mental Health Project

Asian Mental Health project aims to educate all Asian communities about mental health, empower people to identify issues and seek help, and create a safe space to share experiences.

Asians Are Strong

A movement formed to promote physical safety, unity, and proactive not passive. Asians Are Strong offers self-defense tutorials and workshops to empower the Asian community and encourage everyone to help one another.

Hollaback!

Hollaback! operates to end harassment in all forms including online, the workplace, transportation, protests, the polling booth, and all identities who are treated as “less than” just for being who they are. Hollaback! collects stories of harassment and even train people to respond to, intervene in, and heal from harassment.

Compassion in Oakland

A movement formed to support our Elderly Asians by offering to chaperone anyone within Oakland’s Chinatown neighborhood. Compassion in Oakland’s mission is to promote safety and community especially to those who are vulnerable.

Why Your Company Should Consider Hiring Salesforce Contractors

At some point, every business needs to bring on additional help. Most of the time, a company’s immediate thought is to direct hire, rather than considering the benefits of hiring a contractor. There are several positives to note when hiring contractors, that aren’t available when hiring full time employees:

Less commitment on your end

• It’s not uncommon for companies to be hesitant when agreeing to hire a contractor from a third-party recruitment firm. The beauty of working with Hireforce is that if things change on your end, such as a delay in project start date or a change in budget, or in the off chance you’re not satisfied with the contractor for whatever reason, you can end the agreement immediately.

You may currently be overlooking your perfect fit because of sponsorship restrictions

• Considering contractors opens up your candidate pool to some exceptional talent that you may have otherwise overlooked because of visa sponsorship restrictions your company may have. Hireforce handles the logistics behind working with Salesforce contract professionals so you can focus on what is most important to you; finding reliable talent to get the job done.

There is (almost) always a potential for full-time conversion if you fall in love

• Contract-to-hire or temp-to-hire is becoming an increasingly popular way for companies and their employees to feel each other out prior to making the commitment. As extensive as your interview process is, nothing compares to working face to face (or screen to screen) with someone for a few months when it comes to deciding whether they’re a good fit for your organization.

Bring on someone who can hit the ground running

• There are many factors to consider when hiring FTE Salesforce professionals such as: do you have the project pipeline that will keep them engaged and interested, soft skills, culture fit, likelihood of staying with your organization long-term, etc.). Hiring contractors who have niche expertise for specific projects, working only on what is needed and when, will end up saving your company time and money in the long run.

You set the expectations

• We’re frequently asked about what happens if there are less (or more) hours of work available for the contractor than initially indicated. Once a contractor is hired on, you can feel free to discuss weekly hours expectations with the contractor. Hireforce will only ever bill for hours worked and approved by the client.

• Whether you need someone to work five or 40 hours per week, for two weeks or two years, we’ve got you covered.

Salesforce’s Sales Cloud, Reimagined

In October 2020 Salesforce published the fourth edition of its State of the Connected Customer research report, an “annual study of how customer expectations and behaviors are changing as businesses, technology and society at large evolve.” This was Salesforce's largest survey yet, gathering over 15,000 responses across 27 countries and six continents.

The survey revealed that 81% of customers around the world expect to conduct more business online after the pandemic than they did before. With that, 51% of salespeople say they’ll travel less for work after the pandemic than they did before, with only 16% disagreeing with the statement. In addition, 47% of surveyors predict that most selling will be done virtually moving forward.

With these staggering results of a shift to a larger online presence in sales, Salesforce did what Salesforce does and revamped Sales Cloud. A few key features of the reimagined Sales Cloud include:

• Salesforce Meetings allows virtual conversations to be more engaging, with a 360 view of all attendees’ account history, service cases and bios on a single screen during the meeting, and automated action items for salespeople after the call.

• AI-powered predictions, insights and automated explanations with Tableau Business Science lets sales teams analyze data and make smart decisions, faster, without relying on a data scientist — for example, when updating quotas, looking at forecast accuracy or reassessing selling strategies — all using clicks, not code.

• MuleSoft Composer for Salesforce connects data and apps without writing code so sales operations teams can connect apps and systems to Salesforce, automate sales processes, and unlock richer sales insights without waiting on development resources.

• Customers can find ready-to-install apps integrated with Sales Cloud on the Salesforce AppExchange — the world’s leading enterprise cloud marketplace. In addition, customers can connect to the right consulting partner to implement scalable Sales Cloud solutions for their specific business needs through the Consultant Finder on AppExchange.

As always, Salesforce released a trailhead highlighting what’s new with Sales Cloud that you can find here. This trailhead shows you how to:

• Access your forecasting from anywhere.

• Leverage sales cadences on any top sales object, at any stage of the sales cycle or deal.

• Leverage even more field safety capabilities within the Salesforce Maps Field Safety Kit.

What new feature are you most excited to utilize in your business?

Women’s History Month Spotlight Series: Rachel Saks

Rachel Saks is the CEO & Co-Founder at Hireforce, a specialized service provider to the Salesforce community, offering recruitment services to companies who need to hire Salesforce experts and helping Salesforce professionals find their next exciting opportunity. Since founding Hireforce in 2014, Rachel has grown Hireforce as a leading Salesforce-specific recruitment firm, focusing on both contract and full time placements. A former employee of Hireforce commends Rachel for her leadership skills, noting Rachel is “a rare breed of CEO and leader, able to simultaneously connect with and mentor each individual in her company while also allowing for management growth and a hands-off, flexible approach.” We are lucky enough to connect with Rachel daily over her time in the Salesforce Community, and as a female leader:

Can you tell me a bit about what you do in the Salesforce Community and what your role is?

• After recognizing the need for a Salesforce-specific recruiting firm focused on finding the highest quality candidates for clients, I started Hireforce in 2014. Hireforce is focused on helping companies hire full-time Salesforce experts, as well as contractors, to work on Salesforce projects. Since joining the Salesforce Ecosystem, I’ve been privileged to grow Hireforce as a leading Salesforce recruitment firm, as well as speak at Dreamforce, Salesforce User Groups, and sponsor numerous events in the ecosystem.

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

• I don’t consider this to be a barrier but one challenge that I believe isn’t talked about enough is being a mom while pursuing a career.  I am a new mom to my ten month old daughter, Juliana, and I’ve come to realize that juggling being a present mom while also running a company can be a challenge, albeit a lot of fun!  Before I had Juliana, I assumed that I’d have full-time help to allow me to focus on my work.  After she was born, I quickly realized that I want to be the one spending time with her.  That being said, for me it’s important to lead by example and be a role model to Juliana just as my mom was a role model to me.  I also love what I do!  I’m so passionate about Hireforce, our team, our clients and candidates.  I’m working on creating balance in my personal and work life to allow me to do the things I love.  I feel fortunate to have such a supportive leadership team around me, and I plan to continue to empower them as they assist in our company’s growth.  I recognize that not every working mom is given this support and some have to make hard choices.  I empathize with them and hope that there is more of a conversation around this topic in the future.

Who inspires/inspired you and why?

• My mom inspires me!  My mom raised my sister and I with strong values and an optimistic outlook.  She truly leads by example by always being engaged in her work and passionate about what she does.  She’s one of the most positive people I know.  She raised me with a “you can do anything” mentality and I’ve always had the confidence in myself to pursue whatever ambitions I’ve had. 

What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?

• Exuding confidence in your vision.  Leading with compassion.  Inspiring others by leading by example.  Having a positive attitude and outlook.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

• Be true to yourself, believe in yourself, find out what you’re passionate about and pursue that passion with all your might.  Be resilient or you won’t get far!

What is your proudest accomplishment?

• I have two.  1.  Being a mom to Juliana and bringing her into this world!  She’s perfect and all that I could ask for!  2.  I’m proud of the strong work culture we have at Hireforce.  I genuinely always feel like we’re at our best but things keep getting better and better.  I’m grateful for the team and dynamic that we’ve created.

Where will we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.?

• On a hike with my husband, Dan, our daughter, Juliana, and our dog, Storm!

Women’s History Month Spotlight Series: Alexandra Ervan

Ali Ervan, is a 4x Salesforce Certified Principal Consultant for Cloud For Good and an all-around dedicated and passionate female leader in the Salesforce Ecosystem. In addition to her role with Cloud For Good, Ali leads Charlotte's Salesforce Saturday group and regularly shares her expertise with the nonprofit group. Since joining the Salesforce Ecosystem in 2009, Ali has focused heavily in the Non Profit and Higher Education space, optimizing and streamlining business’s processes to help carry out their missions. A previous client of Ali’s “appreciates her perseverance” as well as her “willingness to mentor” in every aspect of her role. We were lucky enough to connect with Ali briefly over her time in the Salesforce Community, and as a female leader:

Can you tell me a bit about what you do in the Salesforce Community and what your role is?

• My time in the Salesforce Ecosystem started with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation and Institute as their Salesforce Administrator. After being there for seven years and working closely with Cloud For Good, I fell in love with the consulting world. I called Tal and said, ‘I want to work for you’. Next thing I knew, I started as a Consultant, and was recently promoted to Principal Consultant. What I love about Cloud For Good is I can work with multiple Non Profits and Higher Ed companies at once, making a difference.

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

• Truthfully, it’s more personal than anything and it’s not speaking up for myself. I don’t often advocate for myself and believe in myself.

Who inspires/inspired you and why?

• My college best friends. I made a decision to go to college and didn’t understand how difficult it would be for me. In college, I met a group of women who are still my best friends 15 years later even though we don’t live close to one another anymore. These women are continually my cheerleaders and inspire me every single day. Prior to the pandemic, we made it to connect at least once a year in person.

What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?

• Characteristics of a good leader are someone who is firm but compassionate, open minded, and kind.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

• Advocate for yourself, believe in yourself.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

• Over the last four years I’ve been able to help so many organizations be successful through the use of technology and help them further their missions.

Where will we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.?

• If it’s the second Saturday of the month I’m leading Salesforce Saturday for Charlotte and any other Saturday I'm out doing something outside, in nature.