As the graduation season approaches, the job search is in full swing. Companies are actively recruiting, aiming to construct a workforce that reflects the diversity of our nation. Yet many review their pool of graduate candidates and realize that their pipeline lacks diversity. These companies are striving to uphold diversity, equity and inclusion principles but feel challenged to spot diverse talent.
Diverse talent exists — it’s just not visible within their current pipelines. According to Angelita Howard, one way to do this is through creating pipeline programs, which assist students from underrepresented backgrounds in overcoming barriers to higher education and accessing rewarding careers.
Delaying efforts to address diversity until it’s time to hire recent graduates is a significant oversight, risking the neglect of a substantial, untapped talent pool. The onus falls on higher education institutions, organizations and companies to play a crucial role in this transformation. Universities can create these programs, but companies must seek them out and commit to engaging them. This moment presents an ideal opportunity to reevaluate and launch dedicated programs to boost the diversity within recruiting pipelines and bridging the diversity gap across a range of sectors.
To cultivate a truly inclusive professional environment, we must ensure that diversity is not merely a reactive response or an afterthought. Instead, it should be proactively, persistently and continuously integrated into the core strategies of our organizations. Diversity must be continually fostered, starting from the educational stage, in order to lay the groundwork for an equitably inclusive future. In an era where diversity equates to innovation and success, pipeline programs serve a crucial role in shaping future leaders, and it’s good for business.