Determining the level of commitment that an employer has to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives may be an important part of a student’s full-time job and internship search.
To help assess the level of importance and priority of DEI programs within a given organization, the following is a list of questions that a student may consider asking during the career search process.
* These questions are best asked during later stages of the interview process or may be appropriate during longer networking sessions if a DEI discussion is part of a presentation or information session. Note that not all of those involved in the interview process may know the answers to these questions; oftentimes, recruiters are the best source of this type of information. Remember that the goal is not to put the interviewer on the spot; if the interviewer doesn’t know the answer, it is appropriate to ask where you might be able to get more information.
- How does your organization define diversity? Toward which lenses of diversity has your company made a direct commitment?
- Does your company have a chief diversity officer (CDO) or a designated leader to drive DEI and engage internal and external stakeholders?
- What social justice causes does your company support?
- Does your organization actively support diverse suppliers, contractors and small businesses?
- Has your organization made any formal commitments in support of racial equity?
- Does your organization offer any formal employee training around biases, anti-racism or general DEI?
- Does your company support any affinity employee groups (also called employee resource groups) or committees internally? If so, how do these groups contribute to the culture of the organization?
- How has your organization prioritized executive accountability toward DEI advancement?
- What resources has your organization provided to its employees in support of COVID-19 and racial injustices?
- What does your company do to help people from different backgrounds or underrepresented minorities feel included and welcome?
Other tips:
Students should look for authenticity and progress. It is possible that the organization may not have an answer for all of these questions but may have made active, real commitments to be better in areas of DEI and social justice.
Read current articles and news stories about targeted organizations. What do leaders of the organization say about their progress with DEI initiatives? How do they answer if the public has been critical of their efforts?
Research the company’s website, employee and social media profiles. Are there signs that the organization is actively committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce?
Look at the organization’s leadership team, through their website or through a site like crunchbase.
Research the company’s core values and strategic pillars. What are they and are there demonstrated efforts in each of the stated areas of importance?
*Sources: NACE, The Muse