Thanks for your recent article "Covering diversity requires self-reflection" (Aug. 2 Viewpoint, Page 6). I thought it was a bold move to expose your company in your hiring practices and try to commit to do better.
I think in the wake of recent events in the U.S. last summer, many companies are making statements about what is not right and joining in support for change, but no one is really doing a lot to make change.
If your company is serious about change, perhaps you can consider a few options to attract minority candidates to your organization. A good place to start might be the following:
• Recruit at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and set a goal for hiring. Many of these schools have disciplines in communications, media study or journalism, so this would be a great option.
• Offer internships to students, so that they get exposed to your company and vice versa.
• Offer a job shadow option, where students can get a firsthand take of what you do and maybe become interested in your company.
• Offer topics related to STEM, or upcoming technologies, for the future and partner with a couple of schools and offer small scholarships that might help offset costs for a semester or so, but also attract students who want to write about things that you have interest in.
You could even set up an HBCU challenge and have students write about something or complete research for something of your interest and reward students that way, and build a relationship with universities to understand and identify future top talent that might fit for your company.
Thanks for reading and offering the option for feedback. I appreciate your interest and desire to do more to attract diverse talent to your organization. I am not associated with any of these schools, but as a Black male minority in the plastics industry, it would be a welcomed change to see more people that look like me working in the industry.
Stacy Fields
Houston