Building a diverse workforce starts with mentorship and sponsorship

Article

Building a diverse workforce starts with mentorship and sponsorship

I started my career in corporate America more than 25 years ago. While I’d like to believe that my drive and intelligence alone helped me succeed, I know that my mentors and sponsors helped get my foot in the door and played a huge role in my success throughout my career. While I’ve been fortunate to have that guidance, I know that many fellow Black and Latinx employees in the industry—entry level and beyond—haven’t had the same experience.

People of color are constantly battling systemic obstacles on their journey to and within the workplace. Fewer Black and Latinx students are employed within a year of graduating than their white peers (75% vs 83%). Unemployment rates among Black and Latinx workers are high in this current landscape— 9.2% and 7.4% respectively in the June jobs report, versus 5.2% for white workers.

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