How to be an Opportunity Employer
Six Opportunity Employment Principles
Opportunity Employers benefit from increased diversity, improved retention and employee engagement, and boosted brand perception. Businesses can begin to access these benefits by building a talent strategy based on the following principles and associated talent practices.
Strategy & Set-Up
A Culture of Inclusion and Belonging
A commitment to inclusion and respect is a critical part of being an Opportunity Employer, and can manifest in many ways. Ensuring that all employees understand and are empowered to speak out against bias and racism in the workplace, and that your organizational structure includes accountability for diversity and equity metrics are but a few ways this culture can be developed.
A Transparent Data-Driven Approach to Equity
In business, what matters gets measured. To be an effective and responsible Opportunity Employer, it is important to establish clear metrics of success for your equity and inclusion strategies, hold people accountable, and incorporate insights for continuous improvement.
Recruiting & Hiring
Proactive and Intentional Recruitment
Opportunity Employers go beyond traditional recruiting methods to seek out talent that faces barriers to economic opportunity due to systemic factors like racism and bias. Understanding how your company can effectively connect with Opportunity Talent will help you develop a strong pipeline. You can build training-to-work pathways and customize curriculum aligned with your business needs by working with a training provider.
Minimized Barriers to Accessing Roles
Many common hiring practices can act as barriers for Opportunity Talent and limit your candidate pool. Taking steps to remove bias and focus on skills over credentials in your job postings, applications, and interview processes can help prevent screening out Opportunity Talent who may be right for the job.
Retention & Advancement
Family-Sustaining Wages and Benefits for All Employees
Ensuring all workers have access to a living wage and benefits – from healthcare coverage to transportation assistance – is critical to becoming a strong Opportunity Employer. It is also a powerful way to improve retention and employee satisfaction, especially among frontline employees, at your company.
Systems That Support On-The-Job Success and Ongoing Professional Development
The support an entry-level or frontline employee receives can make or break a work experience. Building systems for effective onboarding and development can help employees reach their full potential and create pipelines for other roles at your company.
