Female recruiters talking to a female job candidate

Assessing DEI Commitments

Carefully assess an organization’s values and commitment to the importance of DEI.

How to Prioritize Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

As a student engaged in racial justice and social impact, instill practices of evaluating workplace culture as a top priority during the job and internship search.

Keep Reading to Learn:

Resourceful tools for online research
Questions to guide your search and evaluation of prospective employers

Research Online

You can learn a lot about an organization from its website, LinkedIn page and recent news articles. You can also review information from the Corporate Equity Tracker.

Engage as a Critical Thinker

Ask Yourself the Following Questions

Does the organization have a dedicated webpage for DEI initiatives, with clear action items and goals outlined? Is their EEO statement clear on all job/internship postings?

How easy are these statements and webpages to find? Are they open and clearly public?

Can I find diverse individuals listed in their staff directory or on LinkedIn? Are any in leadership positions?

Ask Questions During an Interview or Informational Interview

The interview is a great opportunity to ask more in-depth DEI-related questions. If the organization has made a true commitment to DEI, the interviewer should be able to answer some of the following questions:

How does your organization define diversity? What lenses of diversity has your organization made a direct commitment toward?
Has your organization made any formal commitments in support of racial equity?
How does your organization center diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging?
Does your organization offer any formal employee training around biases, anti-racism or general DEI?
How has your organization prioritized executive accountability toward DEI advancement?
Does your organization have any affinity groups or committees to support diverse populations? If so, how do these groups contribute to the culture of the organization?

Information source from the National Association of Colleges and Employers

Next Steps

Dig in! Begin your research
Connect with the Career Development Center or trusted mentors to talk about your values and workplace alignment.
Compile a list of questions for informational interviews, networking and interviews