Category: Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is an important and ongoing strategy of any HR plan. Ensuring that your company supports hiring, engaging, and retaining diverse workers with varied backgrounds will set your company up for long-term success and an increased bottom line. This topic offers the latest strategies for talent management, key insights from diversity leaders, case studies on D&I in the workplace, and more.

Policies designed to protect employees may do more harm than good

by Jeremy M. Brenner The law prohibits discrimination against employees and applicants based on a number of protected statuses. Employers often implement policies that are intended to benefit workers but actually cause illegal systemic discrimination. Unfortunately, no matter how genuine an employer’s good intentions are, they typically do not excuse it from discriminatory conduct. Read […]

Ivy League or State U? Employers considering educational diversity

Once upon a time a resume touting a prestigious university would automatically land at the top of a recruiter’s stack. Conventional wisdom dictated that a degree from an esteemed school signaled the best-educated, highest-potential candidates. But now a desire for educational diversity may be changing the old way of thinking. Professional services firm Deloitte announced […]

Leading with emotional intelligence

by Jimmy Daniel 75% of careers are derailed for reasons related to emotional competencies, including inability to handle interpersonal problems; unsatisfactory team leadership during times of difficulty or conflict; or inability to adapt to change or elicit trust. —The Center for Creative Leadership It does not matter what your IQ is or how smart you […]

The H-1B loophole: replacing American workers with foreigners to cut costs

by Cristopher Willis Each year, the United States grants 85,000 H-1B employment visas, and every single one is highly sought after by American companies. These temporary work visas allow companies to hire international applicants with college degrees—often advanced—in a variety of fields, such as medicine and health care, engineering, architecture, accounting, and the arts. H-1B […]

Human trafficking prevention and awareness law on the horizon

by Elizabeth B. Bradley Do you know what lurks in your supply chain? Would you sign a certification subject to the penalties of perjury stating there is no human-trafficking-related activity anywhere in your company’s supply chain? For all federal contractors, the answer must already be “yes.” But new bills pending before Congress will bring these […]

Dealing with mental disabilities in the workplace

by Jonathan Mook These days, the news is filled with stories of returning veterans who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental impairments and have problems adjusting to civilian life at home and in the workplace. The issues employers face when dealing with veterans and other employees with mental disorders were put on […]

Looking to hire former service members? Veterans offer advice, encouragement

As Veterans Day approaches, the nation looks at ways to honor those who have served in the military. But honors alone don’t get former service members employed once they re-enter the civilian world. So employers need not just an understanding of the legal requirements related to employing or reemploying veterans; they also need to understand […]

Prevent, don’t just pardon, manterrupting

by Dinita L. James As a woman who has been in the workplace for nearly 35 years, I have a lot of experience with being interrupted by men. I also have experienced many times a phenomenon in which I make a point or share an idea in a meeting that does not appear to catch […]

Friend or foe: illegal or inappropriate interview questions

by Michelle Dougherty Asking illegal or inappropriate interview questions is one of the easiest ways for an employer to create a risk for discrimination claims. It isn’t unusual for polite, friendly, personal, non-job-specific conversation to be part of the interview process. However, when conducting an interview, you must always be aware that even indirect or […]

EEOC says sexual orientation is protected under Title VII

by Courtney Bru The last few years have seen a dramatic expansion of rights on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court found unconstitutional the heterosexual definitions of “marriage” and “spouse” in the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). And earlier this year, the Court found same-sex marriage […]