Opportunity Talent & the Value of Investment

Apr 13, 2021 | Board of Trade Staff

Companies can improve the diversity of their talent pipelines by proactively recruiting “Opportunity Talent,” defined by Grads of Life as often overlooked talent pools such as young adults without a 4-year degree, persons with disabilities, veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, and individuals with DACA status. In this webinar, Grads of Life introduced the Opportunity Employment Principles and speakers from Micron Technologies and Bank of America shared real-life examples of these principles in action.

Presenters:

Dwight Powery, National Site Director, Year Up
Krysta Sadowski, Director of Advisory Services, Grads of Life

Business Case Study Speakers:

Zuzana Steen, Academic and Community Relations Senior Manager, Micron Technology
Camille John, D&I Enterprise Head of Underrepresented Ethnic Talent Strategy, Bank of America

Webinar Recording

Summary

Bridging the Opportunity Divide is a win-win for employers and prospective employees. Employers get to fill open roles with great talent, and those who have faced persistent barriers to education and good jobs have a shot at opportunity.

Each of the six Opportunity Employment principles is important. The six principles are:

Culture of inclusion and belonging. Is the company truly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the leadership level and throughout its culture?
Minimizing barriers to accessing roles. For example, is the company willing to eliminate unnecessary degree requirements?
Family sustaining wages & benefits for all employees. Does the company pay a living wage for the metro area its operating in? Does it provide health benefits?
Data-driven approach to equity. Does it have systems in place to measure its progress towards diversity, equity, and inclusion goals?
Proactive & intentional recruitment. Is the company making relationships with new communities so that it can hire from a more diverse pool?
Systems that support on-the-job success and ongoing professional development. Is the organization giving staff at all levels opportunities to learn, grow, and advance?

To learn more about the six Opportunity Employment principles and view their affiliated list of practices, see this guide.

You can also use the Opportunity Navigator, a 10-minute online assessment that can help you see where you company’s strengths and growth areas are in hiring, advancing, and retaining Opportunity Talent.

About the Racial and Social Equity Webinar Series

The Greater Washington Board of Trade’s Racial and Social Equity Webinar Series will provide business leaders across the region the knowledge and tools they need to build more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organizations. It will help leaders identify drivers of inequity and injustice and take concrete steps towards being agents of positive change.

Presenting Sponsor and Knowledge Partner