• A desperate need for executive leaders to institute frames of accountability around equitable interview/ hiring practices for Hiring Managers overall. This will not be a successful effort when only driven by HR more specifically recruiters within the company. • There is a shared culture of performative Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging. While the DEI&B company lead often invites discussions around employee experience and feedback on what the company can do to improve, there is no true follow-up or systems of accountability in place to make the marketed culture of inclusivity a true-life experience for all employees. This is largely due to there being one DEI & B leader with zero decision-making power and a responsibility to uphold the traditional/conservative values of executive-level company decision-makers. • There is an encouraged culture of code-switching and tone policing directed almost exclusively toward employees of color, more specifically Black employees. *Diverse candidates are championed for senior and executive level positions by recruiters but consistently dismissed by executive level decision makers. • No diversity in senior HR positions (HRBP positions for example). This leaves out necessary perspectives and experience in ensuring diverse teams are equitably led as well as ensuring employees of all backgrounds feel some form of psychological safety and belonging at work. • There is an unfortunate amplified stereotype of "model minorities" which affords leadership positions almost exclusively for White, Indian, and Asian identified employees allowing only the space for gender diversity within that group. • Information around sponsorship allowance and budget is not shared equally amongst the recruitment team. This allows some recruiters the allowance to source and connect with candidates who need sponsorship while others are told there is no budget for sponsorship at all. This creates huge inequities in the hiring process on multiple levels. This also goes for Hiring Managers, some are privately allowed to bring on full-time sponsored candidates as well as full-time candidates in locations that are listed as unapproved for hiring. • There is a lack of alignment on compensation, sign on bonus', and annual salary increases. Also adding to inequities for new and existing employees. While HRBP's are usually the deciding factors on this within the approved role ranges as they are certified and trained to do so, the final say on this is ultimately left up to the hiring manager who does not have adequate training or insight into making these decisions. Feedback of this nature is often passed off as an isolated experience or one-off point of view followed by the company's continued celebration of their small strides equity-wise. However, this is a larger issue internally that in early 2023 resulted in an investigation initiated by an employee in hr and led by an HRBP. The employee cited psychologically unsafe working conditions, unfounded threats of termination, gaslighting, racial discrimination, and favoritism. Company-wide layoffs were announced immediately after the conclusion of the investigation however, the only team members let go in the layoffs on the hr side were solely black employees both contract and full-time. Ironically enough, the same Black employees that voiced concerns of inequity and gaslighting throughout the investigation.
