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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Questions for Discussion." National Academy of Engineering. 2014. Advancing Diversity in the US Industrial Science and Engineering Workforce: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13512.
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Appendix B

Questions for Discussion

Business Imperatives and Best Practices: Lessons on Recruiting, Retaining, and Advancing Underrepresented Populations in the S&E Industrial Workforce

Section I Getting started (taking on the challenge)

A. Why begin?

What led your company to address the challenge? What change, internal or external, was the impetus for getting started?

B. Hard choices:

What trade-offs did you have to make in order to address the challenge? What did you have to stop doing, or do less of, in order to undertake this effort?

C. Initial approach:

What was/were your initial program, initiatives, policies, etc.? For example, did you use affinity groups, company-wide goals, manager training, regional or global programs, pipeline (“K-to-Workplace”) programs, quotas, other? Was your approach different for women and underrepresented minorities?

Section II Under way (on the journey)

A. Revectoring:

Over time, what did you add to or drop from the scope of your program, and why? How, if at all, did you need to change your implementation plan from its original form?

B. Today’s program:

What is your current approach/program?

Section III Lessons from the journey (what you wish you had known when you started!)

A. Successes:

What worked better than expected? What have you found to be the most critical ingredients for success, the most important “best practices,” etc.?

B. Barriers overcome:

What unexpected roadblocks did your program(s) have to overcome along the way?

C. Failures:

For any part of your program(s) that did not succeed, what caused the failure? What can others learn to increase their own likelihood of success?

Section IV Results (are you getting anywhere?)

A. Metrics:

How do you measure progress relative to your program goals?

B. Outcomes:

Are you achieving your desired outcomes in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and underrepresented minorities?

C. Continuous improvement:

Do you modify your program structure, content or schedule based on performance results?

Section V Remaining challenges (what’s still hard?)

A. What’s hard?

What barriers remain – persistent, resistant, and stubborn?

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Questions for Discussion." National Academy of Engineering. 2014. Advancing Diversity in the US Industrial Science and Engineering Workforce: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13512.
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B. Seeking ideas?

What inputs would be helpful to get from your industry peers?

Section VI Beyond your control

A. Policies:

What government policies, US or foreign, could aid or impede your ability to build a diverse workforce?

B. Trends:

What new trends are most concerning?

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Questions for Discussion." National Academy of Engineering. 2014. Advancing Diversity in the US Industrial Science and Engineering Workforce: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13512.
×
Page 28
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Questions for Discussion." National Academy of Engineering. 2014. Advancing Diversity in the US Industrial Science and Engineering Workforce: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13512.
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Page 29
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Thousands of gifted individuals, including women and underrepresented minorities, remain a disproportionally small fraction of those in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. Industry, as the largest employer category of those with STEM backgrounds, stands to benefit considerably from greater inclusion of women and underrepresented minorities in the workforce. However, nothing short of a game-changing environment must be created to harness the talent of those not fully represented in the STEM workforce.

Advancing Diversity in the US Industrial Science and Engineering Workforce is the summary of a workshop held in May, 2012 by the National Academy of Engineering, focusing on the needs and challenges facing industry in particular, and it is intended to facilitate further discussion and actions to address these complex issues. The workshop provided a forum for leaders from industry, academia, and professional associations to share best practices and innovative approaches to recruiting, retaining, and advancing women and underrepresented minorities in the scientific and engineering workforce throughout the nation's industries.

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