DE&I job openings increase amid racial justice movement

If we’re learning anything from the nationwide protests following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor earlier this year, and now the shooting of Jacob Blake this month, it’s that the U.S. still has a long ways to go when it comes to achieving true racial justice and equality.

In this environment, there’s also an opportunity — and I’d say responsibility — for companies to do more. Part of that is external, but there is also work to be done within organizations.

That’s why I was encouraged by the stat I saw in the article below: Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I)-related job openings rose by 55 percent between early June — when protests over the killing of Floyd peaked across the country — and the beginning of August.

"While the COVID-19 crisis initially pushed companies to pull back on investments in diversity and inclusion, new economic research suggests that pressure and awareness from employees may be spurring companies to back up their commitments with action,” said Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao. “The rebound in hiring for diversity-and-inclusion-related jobs is a meaningful signal of a deeper and more sustained investment, given how expensive and challenging it is to find, hire and retain specialized talent."

I wrote before about taking “principled action” when it comes to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and this idea is as critical as ever. Companies should look holistically at their business and hiring practices and ensure they’re fair and equitable. The DE&I jobs that have been popping up the past few months should help, as it’s critical to have people directly focused on this area — particularly in executive and leadership roles. 

Mobility programs can play an important part in this process, too. It can never hurt to take a fresh look at what is — and isn’t — working within your program from a DE&I perspective. And if your company has (or is hiring) a specific DE&I-related leader, consider ways that this person can get involved with mobility and bring some useful perspective to the table.