We wanted to share some resources* that encourage inclusive and equitable working environments. Please review our compilation of resources, promising practices, and information for suggestions on how you can attract diverse talent, create a more inclusive workplace, and retain and empower all individuals.
The Career Center is constantly learning about new ways to improve and evolve our own practices and services. We would love to hear from you! Do you have inclusive practice success stories, strategies, challenges, ideas to share? Email [email protected]
*Please note that these resources are a work-in-progress, and there are many additional strategies for doing the same type of work.
Support Student Success Early
Promising practice shows prioritizing relationship building with underrepresented groups and proactively connecting early in students’ college careers helps to diversify and retain your workforce and builds networks from which to potentially hire.
Ways to support students’ career development include:
- Personalizing your outreach
- Offering paid internships to increase equity
- Understanding how to hire international students
- Offering diverse student organizations networking opportunities
- Creating scholarships for underrepresented students
- Becoming a UMD mentor
Create an Equitable Recruitment and Hiring Process
Write an Inclusive Job Description
A well-written, inclusive job description can increase diversity in your applicant pool.
Remove Hiring Bias
We all have biases. By recognizing conscious and unconscious biases you take a critical step to ensuring an equitable hiring process and give opportunities to all to contribute to the organization.
Advertise Openings in Various Places
Advertising opportunities in a wide variety of ways is a great way to promote your opportunities to a more diverse audience.
- Post opportunities to Handshake, the University of Minnesota’s no-charge, job & internship posting database to reach all 5 UMN campuses’ students and alumni.
- Research & post to diverse posting sites for your industry.
- Share job announcements with diverse community groups.
Promote DEI Efforts in your Employer Brand
Working for employers that promote and support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts is important to students. Promote your brand by:
- Sharing your DEI efforts and organizational culture. Post your Diversity Statement to the UMN Employer Partners site.
- Being authentic. Read How to Build an Employer Brand Early Talent Loves.
- Knowing your audience. A recent Handshake survey found that 67% of students and recent graduates agree they would only work for an employer that has built an inclusive company culture and provides a sense of belonging to employees from all backgrounds.
Seek Out Additional Resources
There is always potential to learn more about creating inclusive recruitment practices. Here are a few more resources to check out: