WHAT IS WHAT ARE YOU MISSING? WORKING? LEARN

There is a lot of competition in this space with a heavy emphasis on attracting talent, but in a very narrow way. Organizations are lacking an important component which is fundamental to retaining talent: fostering an inclusive workplace. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) strategies to recruit and retain talents are minimized or sometimes even neglected. Over my 20+ years of leadership experience in the U.S. as a Brazilian woman leader in corporate America, I have observed successes and failures around DE&I which gave me some learnings and opportunities to contribute more actively to this space.

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One such learning is the importance of employee/business resource groups (ERGs or BRGs), which are communities/ groups created by and comprised of employees focused on a specific commonality that group members share or support. These networks allowing employees to feel a sense of belonging is creating an environment where employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. These groups are powerful resources for increasing awareness and retention. Keeping retention as a priority is an essential part of fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Another learning is that if companies want diverse talents, they need to recruit where those talents are and use their internal diversity workforce to attract those talents. They also need to improve selection processes to include measurements of candidate pool diversity for open positions. I am not suggesting that diversity is a replacement for qualification; however, if companies do not increase the candidate pool and train hiring managers in how to hire diverse talent (e.g., unconscious bias, cultural intelligence, etc.) increasing workforce diversity will be more difficult and companies will minimize their growth potential without the competitive advantage diversity provides.

Finally, leaders must take risks when hiring. Whenever possible it is very important focus on transferrable skills and future potential when selecting candidates. I have taken many chances in hiring by placing more emphasis on these characteristics, but the success rates of these candidates are very high.

By being intentional in recruiting for diversity, looking for talent with transferrable skills, and creating and supporting ERGs/BRGs, organizations will reap the known benefits of improving DE&I, thereby enriching everyone — people, businesses, and not-for-profits alike.

Marcelle Pires, panelist at the Executive Breakfast and Head of Global Customer Success Center of Excellence COE. Unidos Business Resource Group (BRG) Co-Lead — Bayer.

RECAP BY NALINI S MAHADEVAN

The discussion highlighted the readily available diverse talents for employment here in St. Louis — International students, spouses of immigrants, and the Ukraine and Afghani refugees.

It is not widely known, but international students can work under the OPT (optional practical training) visa for 12 months, plus if they are pursuing a STEM program, they can extend their OPT for an additional two years. Another pool that St. Louis has is the spouses of immigrants who left their jobs in their home countries. This group of spouses are mostly highly educated and some have previous work experience. Most of them (international talent) have a valid working authorization. So, what does this mean for an employer here in St. Louis?

They can hire these diverse talents immediately with no additional paperwork or cost. For those who need work authorization/valid visa, MLO Law, LLC can help guide employers navigate that process. MLO Law, LLC has been working in the immigration area for over 20 years helping corporations, educational institutions, individuals, and religious establishments with employee visas, green cards, and citizenship.

Word of advice — it is good to work with an immigration attorney at the start of the hiring process as they will be able to advise you on the type of visa that is relevant, options if any, processes, and timelines. If your hire is from Mexico or Canada for example, they may be eligible for a TN visa. There are other similar visas that might be applicable for an international talent depending on their citizenship.

MOSAIC shared success stories of Afghanis and Ukraine refugees who were successful in finding employment thanks to MOSAIC who is playing a big role in providing support and guidance to that community. Attracting diverse talent is only one side of the equation though, how do organizations retain this diverse talent? DEI, of course. Organizations have realized the importance of DEI and are investing heavily in this area.

They want their employees to feel welcomed and happy. The representatives from Bayer and Nestle talked about their employee programs that they have in place to support DEI efforts. We are all human, and as human beings, we want to be accepted, acknowledged, and appreciated for who we are. The biggest takeaway: St. Louis based companies need to start looking at all these potential diverse talents who are right here at our doorstep.

Her law practice has three locations — St. Louis, Chicago, and Atlanta. Her areas of practice include Immigration, Estate Planning, and Business Law.