Careers in 2020: Devex's top advice on diversity and inclusion in the workplace

BARCELONA — This year, the Black Lives Matter movement revived discussions around the racism that still exists within development policies and practices. Many organizations issued statements in solidarity with BLM, but experts tell Devex that for the most part, practices have been slow to change. This includes hiring practices that continue to make it difficult for professionals from minority backgrounds to break into the sector and, once there, to get into the rooms where decisions are made. The inequalities extend beyond race. From gender to socioeconomic background, how to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace continued to make up a core part of Devex’s coverage of global development careers and recruitment in 2020. As the year comes to an end, these are some of our top pieces: How, and why, one foundation is hiring ex-prisoners In an effort to “walk the walk,” the Ford Foundation runs a hiring program to help ex-prisoners learn marketable skills and reenter the workforce. Now in its fourth year, the program has grown to take on more associates and offers work placements across a number of departments. William Kelley, director of talent acquisition at the organization, shares his advice for running inclusive hiring programs. How to rethink your hiring culture to create more equal opportunities Development and recruitment experts talk about the importance of creating a hiring culture and work environment that allow Black people and other people of color to thrive. They discuss some of the relatively simple changes that employers can make, such as rethinking job requirements or proactively building talent pipelines, to help achieve this. How to mitigate bias in the interview process Bias in hiring can start with the job description and continue through the interview stages, and as a result, organizations often end up hiring people who most resemble their existing team. But by rethinking who sits on the hiring panel, the questions they ask, and the processes they follow, employers can start to root out bias in candidate interviews, recruitment and inclusion experts tell Devex. What feminist leadership could mean for development organizations Despite efforts to get more women into top roles, the development sector continues to be led by men. According to some organizations and experts, a feminist leadership approach could be the key to changing this and creating a more inclusive and accountable sector. However, there are also concerns that this approach does not serve all women equally and too often fails women of color. Could remote internships equalize opportunities? Internships in the humanitarian and development sector have traditionally been based out of organizations’ headquarters in development hubs such as London, Washington, and Geneva, but the recent shift toward remote working could open up opportunities for international students or young professionals unable to relocate. While there are challenges in running remote internships, Devex looks at how this arrangement could benefit aspiring development professionals from diverse backgrounds, as well as employers. Watch: Anti-racism in hiring — putting policies into practice In this online event, experts from the sector discuss why some employers are still lagging behind in tackling racism in hiring and in the workplace. They share ideas for the initial steps employers can take and what donors and people in positions of power could be doing. Many refugees have development experience but employers are failing to realize it Even with the relevant qualifications and experience, refugees can struggle to continue in their global development careers when they resettle in the global north. Devex finds out why.