Diversity in the Workplace: Why Job Applicants Should Care
An article from the College Journal has just caught my eye regarding workplace diversity and the reasons why job seekers should be concerned about it. Writer Laura Stevens quoted Mauricio Velasquez, president and chief executive officer of the Diversity Training Group, a diversity-consulting company in Herndon, Virginia, on the main reason for doing investigative work before sending out your resumes to companies. "An employer's diversity track record should be important to all job candidates," says Velasquez. Good diversity policies will help minorities to advance and improve general working conditions for non-minorities.However, many of these job applicants have little or no knowledge about researching how well a company handles its diversity training and inclusion programs and how effective its workplace diversity policies are. If you suspect your resume is being rejected because of your ethnicity or foreign sounding name then try these suggestions from Mr. Velasquez:
- Concentrate on applying only to employers listed at the top of diversity rankings.
- Seek work at companies that will value your ethnicity and cultural heritage.
- Start by looking online. Check to see if a company outlines its diversity goals and programs on its Web site.
- Check rankings. Review surveys and lists of the best diversity employers in the U.S. to determine top companies in this area. This can help you target your job-search efforts, especially if you're experiencing discrimination problems, Velasquez says.
- Ask to talk with current employees. Speak with them about the environment and culture at their company. Ask them: what is it like to work here? How long have you worked here? Could you describe the company's culture? Ask open-ended questions for better responses, Velasquez says.
- Network with family, friends and others, suggests Ron Jordan, senior principal director of Carter-White & Shaw LLC, which recruits diverse candidates for law firms. "Most likely, there'll be someone that will be able to give some positive [or negative] feedback about the company as far as diversity is concerned," he says.
- Research a company's compliance with federal laws. Check to make sure no lawsuits involving civil rights violations have been filed against the company, says Cathy Weiss, senior adviser for WSA Corp., a career-consulting firm in Shawnee, Kan. Start by entering the company's name into a search engine and then a term such as "civil rights violation" or "lawsuit".
Read the complete article at the College Journal.
posted by diversityworking @ 7:46 AM
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