Recruit and Retain People of Color in IT
Good business, not good philanthropy.
RETIRED CONTENT
Please note that the content on this page is retired. This content is not maintained and may contain information or links that are out of date.Many organizations want to diversify their workforce but encounter challenges. Learn how avoid these challenges:
- Organizations are often unable to show the representation needed to be more attractive to talent that is different from existing employees.
- Organizational culture that is not open to doing things differently.
- Leadership is unsure of how to support managers to avoid bias (conscious and unconscious).
- Technology is fast-changing and so is its workforce – attracting and retaining talented IT staff is competitive; unless underrepresented staff feel like they are included and belong, they are often tempted to leave.
Build a plan that positions your organization for IT and business success:
- Establish criteria to recruit people of color.
- Foster a culture that encourages a diverse team to stay.
- Capture metrics to help you analyze gaps and targets.
Book Your Workshop
Onsite Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn’t enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our Project Workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a road map in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Setting the Stage
The Purpose
Introduce challenges and concerns around recruiting and retaining people of color.
Key Benefits Achieved
Gain a sense of direction.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Introduction to diversity conversations. |
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| 1.2 | Assess areas to focus on and determine what is right, wrong, missing, and confusing. |
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| 1.3 | Obtain feedback from your team about the benefits of working at your organization. |
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| 1.4 | Establish your employee value proposition (EVP). |
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| 1.5 | Discuss and establish your recruitment goals. |
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Module 2: Refine Your Recruitment Process
The Purpose
- Identify areas in your current recruitment process that are preventing you from hiring people of color.
- Establish a plan to make improvements.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Optimized recruitment process
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Brainstorm and research community partners. |
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| 2.2 | Review current job descriptions and equity statement. |
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| 2.3 | Update job description template and equity statement. |
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| 2.4 | Set team structure for interview and assessment. |
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| 2.5 | Identify decision-making structure. |
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Module 3: Culture and Management
The Purpose
Create a plan for an inclusive culture where your managers are supported.
Key Benefits Achieved
Awareness of how to better support employees of color.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Discuss engagement and belonging. |
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| 3.2 | Augment your onboarding materials. |
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| 3.3 | Create an inclusive culture plan. |
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| 3.4 | Determine how to support your management team. |
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Module 4: Close the Loop
The Purpose
Establish mechanisms to gain feedback from your employees and act on them.
Key Benefits Achieved
Finalize the plan to create your diverse and inclusive workforce.
| Activities: | Outputs: | |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Ask and listen: determine what to ask your employees. |
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| 4.2 | Create your roadmap. |
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| 4.3 | Wrap-up and next steps. |
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