Orlando L. Williams
Orlando L. Williams
Chief Executive and Equity Officer, Motus Recruiting & Staffing Inc.
“The work I do in the DE&I space is appropriate, not important,” says Orlando L. Williams. This modest approach to diversity has been his hallmark from the time he won an award in high school from former President Ronald Reagan, through his Harlem Globetrotters days, to his current role as founder, CEO and chief equity officer at Motus Recruiting and Staffing Inc.
“What drives me every day is when I realized that all of us, you know, have ultimately succumbed to some sort of misinformation regarding each other and we’re seeking to correct that,” he says. His corporate role at Nike helped launch his staffing career and eventually his own recruiting firm.
He also trains execs on DE&I, building solutions and sustainable equitable practices. A particular point of pride is his work with a roundtable that was attended by executives of some of the largest employers in Oregon, after which one made a commitment to diversify its board by 10%.
He is also proud of launching in 2016 the Oregon Diversity Recruiting Council, which coaches and helps organizations be more inclusive in their recruiting practices. “We in the staffing world have the unique opportunity and responsibility to help our employers be diverse with talent, thought and action,” he says.
Devoted to creating a more inclusive and equitable work environment, he has launched a number of organizations that help enhance the human experience. He hosts speaking events and is a sought-after speaker himself. Volunteering his time to executives as a trusted advisor and racism disrupter is another thing he enjoys.
What are his future plans? Ideally, it would be the extinction of a DE&I practice as it won’t be necessary anymore. But in the meantime, “The future for me is about finding simpler and more efficient ways to disseminate the messaging and the training for DEI” through technology, he says.
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