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Carbonite Partners with DiversityWorking.com

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 03:16:00 +0000

DiversityWorking.com, a career opportunity resource and job search engine for the cultural diversity marketplace, is pleased to announce the inclusion of Carbonite to its list of member diversity companies.

Carbonite is a global award-winning company providing cloud-based data protection for businesses. Its prestigious awards include, among others: 2017 Gold Stevie Award for Contact Center of the Year; Carbonite Customer Care Leader awarded Gold Stevie for 2017 Customer Service Leader of the Year; and 2015 and 2016 PC Mag Business Choice Award in Cloud Computing Services.

Carbonite was also recognized as among the Best Places To Work in Maine - Customer Care Center, in 2015. All these are proof of Carbonite’s core values of embracing power, simplicity, security and value that guide its work ethics, which in turn help create a productive, fun and rewarding place to work.

An Equal Opportunity Employer that makes its employees’ success a priority, Carbonite – in its search for talented individual to be part of their vibrant team of Carbonistas -- partners with DiversityWorking.com, whose mission is to help companies promote their jobs, build their brand and send targeted and qualified diversity candidates directly to the best jobs possible.

Find out more about Carbonite here.

Interstate Batteries Partners with DiversityWorking.com

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 03:05:00 +0000

DiversityWorking.com, a career opportunity resource and job search engine for the cultural diversity marketplace, is pleased to announce the inclusion of Interstate Batteries to its list of member diversity companies.

Interstate Batteries, based in Dallas, Texas, is the leading provider of starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, as well as motive and household batteries, with over 12,000 types all in all. For 9 years now, it is the choice brand of technicians for replacement car battery.

Interstate Batteries has built a solid reputation for over 65 years for providing products marked with the company’s service, quality and value. At the core of its corporate culture are Interstate’s seven values: Love; Servant’s Heart; Excellence; Courage; Fun; Team; and Integrity.

In addition, an eight value is promoted – and that is the individual person, special and unique as one’s fingerprint -- all of these build and encourage a welcoming, respectful, diverse work environment.

In its mission “to glorify God,” Interstate hires the best talents to be part of their team – but not limiting its search to only Christians, and so it has partnered with DiversityWorking.com, whose mission is to help companies promote their jobs, build their brand and send targeted and qualified diversity candidates directly to the best jobs possible.

Find out more about Interstate Batteries here.

New Diversity Challenges in the Workplace

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Mon, 08 May 2017 05:22:00 +0000

Immigrants in the U.S. are the bedrock of its economy. Diversity has been one of the country’s hallmarks, being a nation of immigrants. This has contributed to the growth and progress of the nation, for as Gary Shapiro wrote for the US News, Immigrating to the U.S. to create a better life is a mindset that encourages our best and brightest, regardless of their backgrounds or birthrights, to rise to the top. The diverse histories immigrants bring with them to our shores contribute new perspectives and great ideas.

However, diversity has also been a perennial issue, specifically in the workplace, despite huge efforts by private, government and business organizations to keep diversity working in the American society.

Discrimination and racism remain persistent problems hounding minority job applicants and employees. The USA Today recently reported that, based on a study made by the Kapor Center for Social Impact and Harris Poll, toxic workplaces — where harassment, stereotyping and bullying occur — are driving away women and people of color, undercutting technology companies' efforts to increase diversity and costing an estimated $16 billion a year.

This report describes the situation in the tech field, but these negative behaviors do occur in other industries, too.

Considering now the anti-immigrant stance of the current government, what new challenges to workplace diversity are there that need attention and resolution?

*The administration’s anti-immigration policy is affecting immigrant workers, many of whom are employed by diversity companies;

*White people feel marginalized too, mostly older, non-college whites supported Trump, for they felt immigrants and minorities were taking jobs away from them;

* Although not exactly a new challenge, but generational diversity in the workplace challenges companies to think of new ways to practice inclusion as part of their diversity efforts

First, specifically, this is how the Trump immigration policy is impacting one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the U.S. As of 2016, there were 21 million Asians in the United States. Their population grew at 3.4 percent between July 2014 and 2015, with migration responsible for the majority of the growth.

For most Asians coming to the U.S., becoming an American citizen is the utmost goal. American citizenship is the pathway to a brighter future, not only for themselves, but also for family and relatives back home. Armed with citizenship, Asian Americans can bring over relatives or get federal government jobs.

Now with the government cracking down on illegal immigrants, more so has American citizenship become like a safe harbor, free from being deported.

But for the undocumented who fear that their great American dream will be taken away from them, the government’s visa crackdown is one nightmare of uncertainty.

So what happens to workplaces when a great number of immigrants for that matter, are deported? What challenges does this situation bring about?

As an example, the restaurant and food services industry stands to lose a lot of immigrant workers, being a sector said to depend much on the labor of undocumented aliens: Eleven percent of all U.S. restaurant and bar employees are undocumented immigrants, according to the Pew Research Center. At current industry employment levels, that translates to roughly 1.3 million people.

It is suggested then that immigrants who work hard, pay their taxes, and abide by the laws should be assisted in legalizing their stay in the country:

“The restaurant industry may be the most ethnically diverse industry there is, in large part because of immigrants who have brought culture, food, and flavor to our communities and neighborhoods. When these immigrants are hard-working, tax-paying, productive, law-abiding individuals, we should help them succeed by providing a path to legalization,” Jot Condi, president and CEO of the California Restaurant Association said in an emailed statement, the San Diego Union Tribune reported.

If most immigrants are to be deported, the restaurant industry will collapse. This was clearly demonstrated by “A Day Without Immigrants” protest last February, when most businesses, not only in the restaurant and food services sector, shut down because their immigrant workers and owners refused to work in protest of the new government’s anti-immigration stance.

Here is an excerpt from How Restaurants Hire Undocumented Workers:

Just one day without immigrants cost the restaurant industry a huge hit to its profits, and some experts predict that without undocumented labor, the price of food will increase up to six percent... or worse, that there won’t be enough food for us all to eat due to labor shortages. “Immigrants feed this country,” says Noelle Lindsay Stewart, a former D.C. line cook and the communications manager for Define American, a media company focused on immigrant rights and identity. “They cultivate our produce; they cook our food. The food industry wouldn’t be possible in the way it is without them.”

Other industries that rely heavily on undocumented workers, based on 2014 data from the Pew Research Center, include:

*Construction, with 1.3 million unauthorized immigrant workers;

*Building services – 300,000;

*Landscaping – 300,000;

*Agriculture, crop production – 275,000

Together with 1.1 million in bars, restaurants and food services, that makes up a total of 7.9 million illegal immigrant workers.

A big challenge for workplaces has always been how to balance between employing immigrants and not running afoul with the law. See this regarding what employers need to know when hiring foreign workers.

In line with this is also the ever-present challenge to heed the call to promote diversity and inclusion.

But the problem now becomes more complicated with Pres. Trump’s sweeping immigration enforcement directives which will allow for far more expulsions, and unleash the full force of the federal government to find, arrest and deport those in the country illegally, regardless of whether they have committed serious crimes.

Most people tend to think of diversity mostly in terms of people of color and women as the oft-marginalized sectors, but as the recent presidential election showed, the white working-class, many of whom are non-college graduates, have also long felt being marginalized. Workplaces in the time of Trump are faced with the burden of ensuring that everyone feels included, regardless of race/ethnicity, skin color, disability, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, religious and political affiliation, and the like.

However, with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission having as acting chair someone reported to have a history of voting against a number of anti-discrimination lawsuits, the future looks uncertain:

*Would the EEOC continue to provide an opportunity for victims of workplace discrimination and harassment seeking redress?

*Would there be a rise in discrimination against the oft-marginalized sectors: women, people of color, LGBTs, disabled, and veterans?

*Would there be freedom to create policies potentially beholden only to the American workers who put Mr. Trump into office, as one opinion article suggests?

Victoria Lipnic, designated by Pres. Trump to be EEOC’s acting chair, voted against a quarter of the 77 lawsuits that came before the commission since 2010. Other cases involved discrimination against African immigrants, a young man with an intellectual disability turned down for a Salvation Army thrift store job and men who have beards for religious reasons. Half of her no votes came in disability cases, a news report by Reveal News shows.

The same news also reported that Ms. Lipnic had said she’d like to see more of the commission’s cases come to a vote before they are brought to court. That means more cases could be killed.

Ms. Lipnic announced in her 1^st speech she hoped that EEOC would increase its focus on age discrimination and equal pay issues and on job creation.

Indeed, age discrimination is a problem many mature workers experience, so it is only fair and right that this issue be given enough attention. Not only do mature workers find it difficult to get a new job, especially when out of work, but they are also bypassed for promotions. Prejudice and false notions about their skills and capabilities are a common reason for this.

Which brings us to the third challenge in the workplace: that of making generational diversity in the workplace work for everyone involved. And so, according to this article, forward-thinking workplaces are addressing generational differences through training and open forums.[…] In addition, companies are also taking action by making impressive changes to employment policies, performance management programs, recognition programs and benefits. Their focus is not about pleasing any particular generation but enhancing the work environment to improve the probability of attracting and keeping top performers across all generations.

An article by Forbes suggests that diversity and inclusion must be seen as an investment and be placed where it belongs – in the center of all growth strategies.

True. Diversity and inclusion have been shown to drive businesses to economic progress. It is time, indeed, to treat every individual worker as deserving and capable of work, no matter what their backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs and opinions may be. More than just merely complying with the law, and meeting quotas, workplaces should do their utmost to sincerely cultivate and keep a just, safe, equitable work environment, sans harassment, racism, sexism, and other ills.

Will Racism Ever Be Overcome by Unity in Diversity?

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 13:21:00 +0000

One big obstacle to diversity and inclusion is racism. An important question is whether racism will ever be overcome by unity in diversity. How can racism be dismantled?

Racism is a centuries-old social ill that plagues different societies around the world, not only in the United States. Racism may be of different types, but the most common understanding of it is that of a “whites vs. blacks” or fair-skinned vs. dark-skinned/black-toned people” kind of war.

Many still subscribe to the belief the white race is superior over any other race, and that comes at an economic cost. Blacks and other minorities have more difficulty in their job search, so they have a higher unemployment rate than whites

Can people of color be as prejudiced as the whites? People regardless of race can be prejudiced, though not necessarily because they are racist.

Racism and Racial Discrimination

For clarity, racism and racial discrimination are defined as follows:

Racism – any action or attitude, conscious or unconscious, that subordinates an individual or group based on skin colour or race. It can be enacted individually or institutionally.

Racial discrimination - To treat differently a person or group of people based on their racial origins. Power is a necessary precondition, for it depends on the ability to give or withhold social benefits, facilities, services, opportunities etc., from someone who should be entitled to them, and are denied on the basis of race, colour or national origin.

So back to the topic of racism – racial supremacy leads to racial purity. Humanity should not forget the unspeakable atrocity brought about by Nazi racism – the belief propagated by Hitler and his Nazi regime that the Aryan race is the master race, so must remain pure at all cost.

An excerpt from an article by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum shows how such belief is promoted:

When Hitler and the Nazis came to power, these beliefs became the government ideology and were spread in publicly displayed posters, on the radio, in movies, in classrooms, and in newspapers. The Nazis began to put their ideology into practice with the support of German scientists who believed that the human race could be improved by limiting the reproduction of people considered "inferior."

As put forth, the idea of superiority of one race over another is NOT innate in human nature. It is just an unfortunate human reality that there are individuals/groups overcome with delusions of themselves.

And great suffering it brings to human society when this delusion of supremacy takes control of the elite who holds the reins of power and authority over a nation – the right of a self-appointed few to impose their fanatical views on all the rest, to borrow the words of George W. Bush.

This is why the human race has been troubled for centuries with racial bigotry.

Today, belief in racial or ethnic purity, based on religious and cultural beliefs still persists. Racial/ethnic purity is an extremist view, but it contributes a lot to the current wave of hatred, violence, disunity in the world. Modern-day versions of the Nazi's ethnic cleansing under Hitler continues to happen in different parts of the world.

Another factor for racism is believed to be rooted in capitalism and slavery.

Rather, racism originated with capitalism and the slave trade. As the Marxist writer CLR James put it, "The conception of dividing people by race begins with the slave trade. This thing was so shocking, so opposed to all the conceptions of society which religion and philosophers had…that the only justification by which humanity could face it was to divide people into races and decide that the Africans were an inferior race."

Its existence is said to have stemmed from the long and complex history of western Europe and the United States that [...]influenced by science, government and culture—that has shaped our ideas about race.

Looking to history, one can see that aside from science, government and culture, religion also plays a role in the construction of the idea of race and racism.

Here is an excerpt from Racial Equity Tools, a website that is designed to support people and groups working for inclusion, racial equity and social justice:

During the reformation (16th Century [1500s] & 17th Century [1600s]), a key question among Christian religious hierarchy was whether Blacks and “Indians” had souls and/or were human. In this time period, Europeans were exposed more frequently to Africans and the indigenous people of North and South America, and the church vacillated between opinions. The Catholic and the Protestant churches arrived at different answers to the question at different times, which created significant differences between the two systems of slavery. [...]With the increasing importance of slavery, religion was used as a means to justify racist divisions, classifying people of color as ‘pagan and soulless’.

Religious beliefs remain a justification for the p ersistent problem of racism, among others.

However, [...] racism does not require the full and explicit support of the state and the law. Nor does it require an ideology centered on the concept of biological inequality. Discrimination by institutions and individuals against those perceived as racially different can long persist and even flourish under the illusion of non-racism.

Unity in Diversity

The concept of u nity in diversity means 'unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation that shifts focus from unity based on a mere tolerance of physical, cultural, linguistic, social, religious, political, ideological and/or psychological differences towards a more complex unity based on an understanding that difference enriches human interactions.

How to Overcome Racism

Living out the value of unity in diversity is important for diversity working in society. It is one way for people to help destroy racism in our midst.

Institutional racism is certainly hard to dismantle, but ordinary people can start doing better to change the world for the better – and that is making a conscious effort to reduce racial bias in their own spheres of influence.

One insight worth pondering is this excerpt from an article by Nico Koopman, Vice-Rector for Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel at Stellenbosch University in South Africa:

To overcome racial discrimination we need to conscientise one another about the subconscious pictures with which we live. The words we use subconsciously betray our subconscious racial pictures and prejudices. […] Words are creative. They can either create a new reality of justice, or perpetuate old realities of injustice, discrimination and dehumanisation.

*Do not label people

Indeed, labeling people is not a bright idea, for it connotes separation. As the article above shows by an example, calling others on campus who are not white as diversity students and non-whites is to perpetuate racist thinking, and making white as the norm.

Likewise, using black as norm, and calling those who are not black as diversity students promotes racist attitude.

Classifying people according to their race or skin color, inspires segregation, rather than promote unity. All are human; all are of the same human race, regardless whether one's skin is black, white, brown, red, yellow. There is much beauty in diversity – just as seen in Nature itself.

*Understand where people are coming from

Research backs this idea of not labeling people. Vox reported last year that researchers came upon a r adical way to reduce another person's bigotry. Although the study concentrated on anti-transgender attitude, it can also be applied to reducing racial anxiety and prejudices. Researchers found that labeling someone as racist is not good.

Rather, empathy is what helps. And as much as it might seem like a lost cause to understand the perspectives of people who may qualify as racist, understanding where they come from is a needed step to being able to speak to them in a way that will help reduce the racial biases they hold.

*Confront Your Racial Biases and Prejudices

The first step toward overcoming a problem is to face the problem, not denying its existence. Uncomfortable though it can be, acknowledging your biases and prejudices helps overcome these.

*Expand Your Horizon by Meeting People from Other Races and Cultures

Ignorance of others leads to close-mindeness, fear, intolerance and bigotry. So to better appreciate others, learn more about them by making friends. Build bridges of friendship, not walls of hatred and fear. Learn to understand what makes others tick despite their differences from you.

*Put More Love into Action. Help Others.

Sometimes, people become too focused on their own struggles, especially those who have to face discrimination. As a result, they become angrier, distrustful and weaker. Look for ways of how you can contribute to your community, school, workplace. Help others in difficulty no matter what their background is. By doing so, you develop strength of character and greater understanding of others.

Racism can be overcome, yes. It make take time. But it can be done. Unity in diversity is what the world needs, especially in post-election America where the wounds of political division are needing to be healed.

How Trump Policies Impact Hispanic American Jobs, Diversity

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 12:44:00 +0000

President Trump's policies must have the most chilling effect on the Hispanic/Latino American community, of all the different demographic groups in the United States. Trump's immigration plan are instilling fear in many Hispanic/Latino citizens, green card holders as well as undocumented immigrants, as they face the uncertainty of the future, including the possibilty of family separation, and continued pressure in their job search.

Due to the president's hard stance on immigrants and the border issue, many have come to fear the negative impact this will have on efforts to keep diversity working in American society.

Research shows that it is affecting their faith life as well. America’s Hispanic churches feel the impact of President Donald Trump’s immigration initiatives in their pews each week. […] Trump’s immigration plan does away with earlier exemptions for residents here illegally, putting more undocumented workers up for arrest, detention, and deportation, the Department of Homeland Security announced last month, according to a report by Christianity Today.

Natalia Aristizabal, working with Make the Road, a non-profit organisation in New York dealing with Latino and working-class communities, said in an interview with Aljazeera, u ndocumented immigrants are "yearning to fight back. "Our basic model right now is that we're here to stay and we're not going to go out without a fight." Arizitzabal noted that resistance is strongest among so-called Dreamers; unauthorised youth who were brought to the US as children, some of whom were granted temporary relief from deportation under President Barack Obama. "Those are the folks I hear even more of a defiant tone of I'm not going anywhere," she said.

In the employment field, illegal immigrants A P ew Research Center analysis of occupational profiles as of 2012 revealed that the U.S. unauthorized immigrant workforce now holds fewer blue-collar jobs and more white-collar ones than it did before the 2007-2009 recession, but a solid majority still works in low-skilled service, construction and production occupations.

A c omparison between unauthorized immigrants and US-born workers, also by Pew Research, found disparities: In 2012, fully a third of U.S. unauthorized immigrants in the workforce (33%) held service jobs such as janitor, child care worker or cook, nearly double the share of U.S.-born workers (17%) in those types of occupations. An additional 15% hold construction or extraction jobs (mainly construction), triple the share of U.S.-born workers who hold that type of employment. Overall, 11%, compared with 6% of U.S.-born workers, are employed in production jobs, which include manufacturing, food processing and textile workers, among others.

To see how significant immigrants, specifically from Latin America, impact the country's economy, here are some f igures gathered by the Migration Policy Institute:

* In 2015, approximately 27% of immigrants in the US were from Mexico, which made them the largest foreign-born group in the country.

* In 2015, 19.5 million people or 45 % of immigrants said they were of Hispanic or Latino origins.

* While majority of U.S. Hispanics are native born, 35 % of the 56.6 million people in 2015 who self-identified as Hispanic or Latino were immigrants.

* Most Mexican immigrants are in the West and Southwest, and more than half are in California or Texas.

* In 2015, about 69% of the 11.2 million immigrants from Mexico 16 years and older were in the civilian work force.

* From 2010-14, most unauthorized immigrants in the US came from Mexico and Central America, with an estimate number (by MPI) of7.9 million people, or 71% of the overall unauthorized population.

More facts on immigrants from Mexico, from a Pew Research survey:

* There has been a drop by 1 million in the number of illegal immigrants from Mexico since 2007, but even with the decline, Mexicans still make up about half of the nation’s 11.1 million unauthorized immigrants (52% in 2014).

* Mexican illegal immigrants are more likely to become long-term residents – but with the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal staying aliens, this would no longer be the case.

* At least 75% of the total unauthorized immigrant population in 3 states are from Mexico:

New Mexico - 91%

Idaho - 87%

Arizona - 81%

With their sheer size, there will be a big dent in occupations normally held by unauthorized Hispanic/Latino immigrants, if they are to be deported.

Adverse Effect of Immigrant Deportation

According to one expert's view (Kent Smetters, Wharton professor of business economics and public policy), deportation of illegal immigrants will not result to more job opportunities for native-born workers.

Trump’s plan assumes that if these workers were deported, native-born workers would take over these jobs. “That’s just simply not empirically true,” Smetters says. “When you export undocumented workers, those [typically low-skilled] jobs really aren’t replaced by native born workers” but by automation. Moreover, the presence of undocumented workers raises the wages of those who can legally work in the U.S. - Read more at:

Other analysts are of the same view that mass deportation of illegal immigrants will hurt the economy even more.

* It would immediately reduce the nation's GDP by 1.4 percent, and ultimately by 2.6 percent, and reduce cumulative GDP over 10 years by $4.7 trillion, according to the Center for American Progress.

* The agriculture and construction industries would suffer in case of widespread deportation.

* Deportation would cost the federal government between $103.9 billion and $303.7 billion.

On the other hand, some do believe allowing illegal immigrants to stay is an economic burden,

in ways such as lowering wages, putting financial strain on the federal, state and local levels of government, and burdening law enforcement and local school districts, among others.

Why Immigrants come to the U.S.

The great American Dream is often invoked by people coming to the United States seeking greener pastures. But also, many immigrants from Mexico and Latin America only want to escape the dire conditions in their home countries: poverty, drugs, and political instability. They see the United States as a promised land with plenty of job opportunities.

On the average, Hispanics/Latinos, together with blacks, have higher unemployment rate than whites and Asians. For example, the average unemployment rates from January 2000 to December 2016 for blacks and Hispanics were substantially greater than those for either non-Hispanic whites or Asians.

Even with the same level of educational attainment with whites and Asians, Hispanics and Latinos still have far greater unemployment rate.

The BLS report on the employment situation for Hispanic/Latin Americans, for the month of February 2017 shows minimal decrease of .3% in the unemployment rate, from 5.9% in January to 5.6%. Problems such as limited job opportunities and long term unemployment still face Hispanics/Latinos..

Here is an overview of their employment situation, in statistics, in January 2017:

* 5.9% unemployment rate, remaining above the national unemployment rate of 4.8%

* 66.1 Hispanic participation rate, compared with the 62.9% national participation rate

* 1 out of 5 Hispanics were looking for work for more than 27 weeks

* 7.81% Hispanic millenial unemployment rate

* 1.10 million Hispanics were forced into part-time jobs

According to this report, one of the long-term problems in the economy has been a lack of entry-level opportunities, as government regulations and mandates make it costlier and more difficult for small businesses to hire new staff. These opportunities are often critical for Latinos, and for workers who need to acquire and develop new skills.

Immigrants contribute a lot to the country's progress, including the illegal ones. The Center for American Progress, in a report made last year, noted the positive effect of immigrants on the business community and the country's economy.

Although immigrants’ economic contributions are significant, they could be even greater. If Congress enacts a legislative reform that includes a pathway to citizenship, then more unauthorized immigrants could participate in the formal economy. - Read more at:

Integrating undocumented immigrants via a comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to full and equal citizenship was a measure supported by then presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

If the present administration pushes harder on its hard stance on illegal immigrants, then there's more to lose. As noted by an article (last year) by The Nation, undocumented immigrants contribute more than $11 billion to the economy each year, and it is more beneficial to grant them a means to become permanent residents.

Though they would pay more taxes, it’s estimated that many of the undocumented would willingly get “on the books” if it meant shielding their families from deportation; there’s an immeasurable benefit to keeping families intact instead of tearing them apart through deportation and detention.

More importantly, immigrants contribute much to the diversity of the country; there is strength in diversity. As Hispanic/Latino immigrants form a large part of the US population, they have economic and political power.

It is hoped the Trump administration policies focus more on how to keep leveraging the gains already being realized from this important segment of the American society.

Brooks Running Opening for Email Marketing Specialist, Seattle, WA

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:59:00 +0000

Brooks Running, maker of superior running shoes, apparel and accessories for men and women, and among DiversityWorking.com's prestigious diversity company members, has an opening for an Email Marketing Specialist, Seattle, WA.

Job Overview: The Email Marketing Specialist will manage the day to day activities to keep Brooks email marketing efforts running successfully and ensure all emails are engaging, relevant, on brand, and timely. This is a salaried position.

Job Responsibilities (among others)

Manage the day to day activities to sustain current email programs and launch new efforts for Brooks Running
Build and deploy all emails in Bronto ESP
Maintain, edit and customize content and images for triggered, transactional, and editorial calendar emails to ensure relevant and up to date
Collaborate with Brooks’ creative teams and product marketing groups to secure assets for digital marketing campaigns to hit deadlines

Job Qualifications/Requirements (among others)

Bachelor’s degree required
2 - 3 years of related experience in email marketing and Ecommerce
Familiarity with Bronto or other ESP required
Strong understanding of email marketing best practice preferred.

Excellent compensation, benefits and perks await the successful candidate.

For more details about this job and to apply for it, click on this link.

Ongoing Posting for Retail Sales Associate I, Trailhead, Seattle, WA at Brooks Running

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:09:00 +0000

Brooks Running, maker of superior running shoes, apparel and accessories for men and women, and among DiversityWorking.com's prestigious diversity company members, has an ongoing posting for Retail Sales Associate I, Trailhead,Seattle, WA. This is an hourly-paid, part-time job.

Job Overview: The Retail Sales Associate 1, Trailhead, (part-time) is responsible for providing the “Run Happy” shopping experience to Brooks consumers, offers expert guidance on fit and product selection.

Job Responsibilities (among others)

Provide consumers with premium, Run-Happy service and in-depth product information
Be a storyteller, and a fantastic listener who gets to the core of customers’ needs and makes them feel at home, regardless of their athletic ability
Guide consumers in the selection and purchase of Brooks and Moving Comfort gear
Develop a keen ability to understand and empathize with runners and those aspiring to be active

Job Qualifications/Requirements (among others)

2+ years of retail experience. Strong sales and service experience is a big plus
Availability to work up to 24 hours per week (two to three shifts), including evenings and weekends
Moderate computer proficiency and ability to quickly learn new computer/Point Of Sale (POS) programs
Accurate cash-handling and inventory counting abilities. Basic retail math a plus.

For more details about this job and to apply for it, click on this link.

Brooks Running Opening for Global Integrated Marketing Manager, Seattle, WA

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:05:00 +0000

Job Overview: The Global Integrated Marketing Manager is responsible for helping develop, implement and measure strategic integrated marketing campaigns based on the priority stories of the business each season. This is a salaried position.

Job Responsibilities (among others)

Drive development of seasonal campaigns that evangelize the key seasonal integrated marketing stories
Manage elements of integrated campaign development, implementation and measurement to ensure greatest impact
Work with members of the global marketing team, product teams, regional marketing, and sales to form cohesive marketing communications campaigns

Job Qualifications/Requirements (among others)

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing or communications
Minimum 3-5 years’ relevant experience in brand marketing or similar field
Proven superior project management experience and ability to work with minimal supervision and manage shifting priorities
Excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company.

Excellent compensation, benefits and perks await the successful candidate.

For more details about this job and to apply for it, click on this link.

DiversityWorking.com Announces Brooks Running Its New Diversity Company Member

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 05:37:00 +0000

DiversityWorking.com, a career opportunity resource and job search engine for the cultural diversity marketplace, announces the inclusion of Brooks Running to its prestigious roster of diversity company-members.

Brooks Running, with headquarters in Seattle, WA, makes high quality, top performing men's and women's running shoes, apparel and accessories. The company believes running makes good things happen, so it is its mission to inspire people to run and be active.

Because of its work culture and environment that nurture the long-term well-being of people and the planet, Brooks Running has been recognized as one of the best places to work, and as a green company.

In 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, Outside Magazine recognized the company as one of the best places to work because of the excellent benefits and perks for its employees.

In 2012, 2013, and 2014, Seattle Business awarded Brooks Running with the "Washington Green 50" company recogntion, and as a leader in the Consumer/Retail category. Seattle Met named Brooks Running also as one of the best places to work in Seattle in 2013.

A strong believer in diversity and fair labor, Brooks Running, has partnered with DiversityWorking.com, whose mission is to help companies promote their jobs, build their brand and send targeted and qualified diversity candidates directly to the best jobs possible. Products and services include a resume database, job search engine, and targeted corporate diversity branding opportunities.

To find out more about Brooks Running and its job opportunities, competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, please click here.

The Transforming Power of Women for Diversity Working

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 18:34:00 +0000

The 2017 International Women's Day has just been observed the world over with various events marking the day. Activities, such as protests, strikes, calls to action, serve to underscore the continuing struggle for gender equality, an end to violence against women, and respect for women's human rights.

A one-day strike was held in the United States, the “Day Without a Woman” organized in the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women's March, to dramatize the value of women; hence, the call to refrain from work and shopping to demonstrate their economic strength and political clout.

It's a day of rejoicing, too, for International Women's Day is meant to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Indeed, despite all their great accomplishments and contributions to make the world a better place, women still have to struggle with disparity and injustice: receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment and job insecurity"

Thus, it is not only fitting, but more so, essential that women get together to demonstrate their transforming power for diversity to be working well in society. As “A Day Without a Woman” has shown, everything would grind almost to a halt if there were no women. Women are part of the equation.

From time past until today, the world is replete with amazing stories of the power of women, of how they can transform society for the better.. Here are 5 present-day women, among countless of them all over, who are doing so.

Yet because of traditional roles and stereotypes women are mostly relegated to the home, or to caretaker occupations.

This traditional role of fostering and nurturing others ensued from various sources, but the results are a decrease in the value of work done by women and a decreased ability to work outside the home. This is paired with the societal expectation of the woman to take care of the home and family, and with that the lack of male support in the caretaking of the home. This all leads to the expectation that women have responsibilities in the home and often plays a part in occupational sexism.

Here are some hard facts on how women fare, from UNESCO:

* By 2016, fewer than half of the countries in the world had achieved the goal of gender parity in both primary and secondary education (UNESCO);

* 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence in their lives (UN, 2015);

* Nearly two thirds of illiterate people are women, a proportion that has remained unchanged for two decades (UN, 2015);

* Women make up only 23.3% of Parliamentarians worldwide (IPU, 2017);

* Women account for two thirds of the world's poorest citizens (UNESCO, 2014);

* Women are underrepresented in scientific and technological disciplines. Only 29% of the world’s researchers are women (UNESCO, 2014)

As already noted above, it is often expected in many countries that women take on the domestic responsibilities and chores, and while many women do so, especially in more traditional cultures, these responsibilities and chores are unpaid work.

However, as the UN noted:

What is the real value of unpaid work? Around the world, women do the vast majority of the unpaid work, including child care, cooking, cleaning and farming. This unpaid work is essential for households and economies to function, but it is also valued less than paid work. UN Women expert Shahra Razavi reveals the real value of unpaid care, and how we can reduce the burden on women by tackling entrenched stereotypes. - See more at:

In Western cultures, this traditional arrangement wherein the husband is the breadwinner and the wife takes charge of the household is changing is no longer the norm, as more and more women are opting to get a job and pursue their own careers. Yet career women still carry the main burden of managing the household, not to mention child rearing.

Many women quit their jobs or careers in favor of taking care of their growing families. This is one factor others say women are often bypassed for promotions, or are not paid equally as their male peers.

These are just some of the travails confronting women today, and many stem from embedded sexism. Despite the strides and achievements women have reached, society and culture still expect men to enjoy more freedom at home and outside. Many conjugal disputes arise from unfair division of labor at home.

Thus, inequality starts in the home, but there is a need to change this narrative, and transform people's mindset. And change should also start right at home. Girls should be taught that they too can pursue their life's purpose.

"We need to send a message to every girl that she is valuable, powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity to pursue and achieve her own dreams," as Hillary Clinton said.

The sad reality in many places is that boys are brought up to believe they are the stronger sex; hence the male dominance and feelings of superiority that still prevail.

Importance of Gender Equality

Gender equality benefits the economy. Here's what a MckKinsey article said about this advantage:

In a new report, The power of parity: Advancing women’s equality in the United States, the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) finds that every US state and city can add at least 5 percent to their GDP in that period by advancing the economic potential of women. Half of US states have the potential to add more than 10 percent, and the country’s 50 largest cities can increase GDP by 6 to 13 percent.

Another report said:

If women’s participation in the workforce increased, it would transform the global economy for the better. One study projects that if the female employment in the U.S. matched the male rates, our overall GDP would rise by 5 percent. In Japan, the GDP would jump by 9 percent. Addressing the education gap would be a good way to start to achieve these figures. The Council on Foreign Relations estimates that each country’s GDP grows by 3 percent for every additional 10 percent of girls going to school.

One feminist wrote that empowering women is just the right thing to do, and it is probably among the most efficient things any country can do to develop society.

Indeed. Women have the power to transform the world. They have tremendous capacity to make the world better. Without women, economies will not grow as much, for gender diversity drives economic success, among others. But mindsets need to transform as well, as the struggle for gender equality goes on.

Tech Jobs, Diversity and Travel Ban: What Happens Now?

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:28:00 +0000

Diversity has been for long a challenge in the tech industry; many tech companies often get the flak for not doing enough, critics say, to improve the diversity of their workforces. But when the threat to diversity becomes real, too big to ignore, the industry can be counted to stand up and let their voice be heard.

More than 100 companies, including most of high-tech's biggest names, joined a legal brief opposing President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban, arguing that it would give companies strong incentives to move jobs outside the United States. - Read more at:

Several factors are propelling Silicon Valley to the front lines of opposition to Mr. Trump. Some have been widely noted: The companies are often founded by and run by immigrants, which made the executive order on immigration offensive and a threat to their way of doing business. Tech companies frequently stress the importance of talent from other countries to their businesses. - Read more:

The brief, made available in full by The Washington Post, argues that the order not only “inflicts significant harm on American business, innovation,” but that “through its arbitrary and discretionary restrictions on entry, the Order makes it far more difficult and expensive for U.S. companies to recruit, hire, and retain the world’s best employees...” - Read more at:

In a swift stroke of fate, the executive order has impacted many lives, families separated, and employment status of foreign-born workers in America's tech corporations hang in the balance.

What would happen to US tech jobs, which are projected to grow? According to the BLS, for example, employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations.

Others' Gain

On the other side of the American border up North, Canadians see this as an opportunity to attract displaced workers and startup companies.

Buoyed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's message his Twitter account, “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength,” - hopes are raised.

Canada's tech leaders also voiced their opposition, underscoring the importance of diversity.

“This is pretty disgusting,” Wealthsimple’s Mr. Katchen said of the fallout from the U.S. executive order in an interview. “We feel strongly that it’s very non-Canadian, and we feel the need to come together to make a statement that diversity is core to what we do in the startup world.”

What the US may potentially lose in terms of talents could be Canada's gain. A door has opened for its highly competitive tech sector, which as reported last year, would boom with at least 218,000 tech job, but it lacks the people to fill these.

Now, Canadian tech executives are moving to see how to leverage Trump's travel/immigration orders in their efforts to attract overseas skilled workers.

“I think it’s really sad and horrible from a political landscape perspective, but very selfishly it’s an incredible opportunity” said Dennis Pilarinos, a former Microsoft executive whose 22-person software startup in Vancouver, Buddybuild, is in hiring mode. “It’s a chance to welcome incredibly talented engineers who might not have otherwise considered roles in Canada.”

Likewise, Silicon Valley's startup companies are considering moving their foreign-born workers to Canada, in the event a new executive order - aimed at overhauling, among other things, the H-1B work-visa program that U.S.-based tech companies have long relied on to bring top foreign engineering talent into their ranks – gets signed.

A Divided Nation

With the travel/immigration ban, the deeper the political divide has become. Already last month, many felt the country was more divided than ever, findings by the Pew Research shows.

The latest national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted Jan. 4-9 among 1,502 adults, finds little optimism that the country’s political divisions will subside any time soon: 40% expect the country to be about as politically divided in five years as it is today, while 31% think it will be even more divided; just 24% expect divisions to lessen.

Other survey groups reported similar findings last year. One was that of a Gallup survey, which found that a new high of 77% of Americans perceived the nation as divided on the most important values; only 21% perceived the nation to be united and in agreement on the most important values.

The same survey also found that 45% of Americans believed Donald Trump would do more to unite the US, while 49 % of Americans believed he would do more to divide the country.

That perception of him was highlighted by Time Magazine when it featured the president as its Person of the Year 2016 on its cover, referring to him as “President of the Divided States of America.”

Where to now?

For now, even as the White House faces a setback - a federal appeals court refused Thursday to reinstate President Donald Trump's ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations, the future looks uncertain, specifically for diversity IT jobs.

One thing is clear though. Many Americans still care and are not about to give up on diversity yet; not now, nor at any time in the future.

This is indeed a critical period for the nation; and a crucible of leadership for President Donald Trump.

William Sloanne Coffin, Jr., an American Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist, once said:

“Diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.”

Sun National Bank: Moving Up Careers and Diversity

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 10:18:00 +0000

Sun National Bank is a trusted name in the banking industry – not only for investors, depositors, borrowers and other clients – but also for those looking for a place to grow their career.

The mission of Sun National Bank is to: “Foster valuable relationships by providing the expert guidance, straightforward solutions, and responsive service that our customers deserve.”

And the values of Performance; Teamwork; Commitment; Integrity; Accountability; and Leadership – all these characterize the culture of Sun National Bank.

In addition to these, Sun National Bank values diversity, embraces it – as such, both customers and employees alike are valued for their uniqueness. Thus, when one chooses to work at Sun National Bank, he/she finds that it is not any other workplace, but a room to grow one's potential, an opportunity to grow one's career.

Diversity is central to the values Sun National Bank strives to live out in its daily interaction with customers, its people and the communties it serves. In line with this, it strives to create a diverse workforce, which it achieves through its recruitment, promotion, and retention efforts.

Part of these efforts is providing career development opportunity for employees, such as its comprehensive training programs, where employees can learn new skills and achieve greater challenges. There is also its so-called Ambassador program, by which employees can become a recognized mentor and coach within the organization.

As it is diversity-committed, Sun National Bank is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Vet/Disability Employer.

Do you want to be part of this dynamic, innovative and progressive organization? Come and visit Sun National Bank, and see its career opportunities, benefits and compensation programs, by clicking on this link.

The Children's Village: A Haven for the Vulnerable, and Diversity

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 03:48:00 +0000

The Children's Village, which was founded in 1851, is an institution like no other, for it serves as home to troubled, homeless children, as well as to the dedicated staff, counselors, and mentors that care for them.

Three core beliefs serve as inspiration for The Children's Village's mission of serving vulnerable children and the youth. Foremost is the belief that children and youth need connections to adults, preferably family members who believe in them and will remain connected throughout their lives.

It believes that to function independently in society, one must acquire education, appropriate social behavior, and job skills. And it also believes that with support and tools, most are able to succeed in life, for each one has their strengths; each one has the desire to create a happy, fulfilling life.

The Children's Village values:

Education as a pathway to opportunities;
A commitment to excellence as a personal and organizational responsibility;
Positive relationships and recognize the importance they play in inspiring and supporting personal success;
Diversity and celebrate its power to enrich everyone

At CV, working with the children and the youths, and their families, is not really work, but a vocation; a calling to serve. It is not just a workplace for those serving at The Children's Village, but they find a place to grow, to contribute and to find satisfaction through your efforts.

They also feel acceptance and recognition for their unique contributions, as CV is a firm advocate of diversity, does not discriminate against any employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, creed, age, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, marital status or veteran status.

The Children's Village needs people who are:

Engaging
Committed
Hard working
Discipline
Optimistic
Trustworthy, and
Fun

Interested to be part of their committed team? Are you called to serve? Please visit The Children's Village now, and check its job openings, competitive salaries, attractive benefits at this link.

C & S Companies: The Place to Grow Diversity & a Career

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 03:20:00 +0000

C & S Companies was founded in 1968 in Syracuse, New York by two professional engineers, with the goal of providing engineering services in a more personalized, high-quality manner, with concentration in civil engineering (sewage and drainage) for local municipalities.

With much dedication, expertise, and the flexibility to meet the evolving needs of their clients, the firm has grown, undergone many changes, and diversified its services. Today, it has established its strong reputation as provider of client-focused engineering, architecture, planning, environmental, and construction services, all over the country. Its clients are diverse, coming from local, state, and federal governments; industry and manufacturing; and private businesses.

Its teams of experts showcase diversity – being from a wide range of specialized and unique disciplines.

Attesting to its legacy of success are the many awards and recognition it has received in the past few years, some of which are:

#149 Ranking in the 2016 Engineering-News Record list of the Top 500 Design Firms
2016 Phil Brito Project of the Year Award from the New York Aviation Management Association for the Genesee County Airport Terminal Building and Maintenance Hangar
2016 Michigan Department of Transportation Office of Aeronautics Robert G. Peckham Consultant of the Year
2015 Upstate New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects Merit Award for Bergholtz Creek Stream Enhancement.
2015 Transportation Planning Excellence Award Honorable Mention for the Livingston County Transportation Connectivity Plan
#146 Ranking in the 2014 Engineering-News Record list of Top 500 Design Firms
2014 Historic Restoration/Preservation Project of the Year award from the Western New York Chapter of the American Public Works Association for the Buffalo Canalside redevelopment.

All these accolades (and more) are the fruits of the corporate values C & S Companies and its people (nearly 500 employees) live by. These core values are summed in four distinct points:

Authenticity
Team Spirit
Integrity
All-In

Its core purpose as an organization is “to improve communities while providing opportunities and growth for our team.”

Indeed, C & S Companies values its people, invest in them in terms of continuous professional training as well as giving them the best employee benefits, for it believes the best people and best teams deliver the best projects. All these are meant to create a positive work environment where diversity thrives, a value C & S Companies is committed to.

As such, it earned another feather to its cap - the Best Large Company to Work For in New York State, in 2011, truly the place to grow one's career for anyone ready for the challenges of a lifetime of opportunities.

To know more of C & S Companies job openings, career opportunities, and its exciting compensation & benefits packages, please click on this link.

DiversityWorking.com Announces Sun National Bank its New Diversity Company Member

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000

DiversityWorking.com, a career opportunity resource and job search engine for the cultural diversity marketplace, announces the inclusion of Sun National Bank to its prestigious roster of diversity company-members.

The Sun National Bank is a a New Jersey-based bank that does business in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania and serves customers through more than 30 locations. It is the primary subsidiary of

Sun Bancorp, Inc., a $2.19 billion asset bank holding company with corporate offices in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

The Sun National Bank serves the banking needs of its clients – business owners, corporate decision makers, and consumers – from retail banking to business, commercial and institutional banking. Its main focus is business lending, including both small business loans and large commercial loans.

As an Equal Opportunity employer dedicated to cultivating an exceptional work environment where one's opinion counts, the Sun National Bank values diversity, continuous learning, employee commitment and community involvement.

The Sun National Bank offers plenty of opportunities to grow a career, or start a new one. In its search for the best people who share its values, the Sun National Bank has partnered with DiversityWorking.com, whose mission is to help companies promote their jobs, build their brand and send targeted and qualified diversity candidates directly to the best jobs possible. Products and services include a resume database, job search engine, and targeted corporate diversity branding opportunities.

To find out more about the Sun National Bank, its career opportunities, competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, please click here.

DiversityWorking.com Has New Diversity Company Member: The Children's Village

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 09:02:00 +0000

DiversityWorking.com, a career opportunity resource and job search engine for the cultural diversity marketplace, announces the inclusion of The Children's Village to its prestigious roster of diversity company-members.

The Children's Village is a charity founded in 1851 that serves approximately 10,000 children and families in the New York metropolitan area each year. As part of its mission, The Children's Village offers a safe haven for vulnerable children and their families, in order for them to become educationally proficient, economically productive, and socially responsible members of their communities.

Part of its program, The Children's Village staff encourages parents to stay connected with their children, be there for them, and make a great difference in their children's lives through classes, workshops, and support groups. In the fiscal year 2016, 9,755 children and families were served by The Children's Village.

For its dedicated service and as a great place to work, The Children's Village has received numerous awards and accreditation, among which are:

Gold Prize Winner of the New York Community Trust-New York Magazine Nonprofit Excellence Award
National Angels in Adoption Award recommended by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
The Child Welfare League of America and the Walker Trieschman Center David Liederman Award
Council on Accreditation’s Innovative Practices Award for new and forward looking practices that have raised the quality of services provided to vulnerable children and families

Accredited by the Council on Accreditation

At The Children's Village, staff finds not only a place for work, but a place to grow as a person, and be able to contribute, and find satisfaction in one's efforts to be an influence in the lives of others.

An Equal Opportunity Employer, The Children's Village – in its search for diverse individuals who care deeply about children and families – has partnered with DiversityWorking.com, whose mission is to help companies promote their jobs, build their brand and send targeted and qualified diversity candidates directly to the best jobs possible. Products and services include a resume database, job search engine, and targeted corporate diversity branding opportunities.

To find out more about The Children's Village and its job opportunities, competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, please click here.

DiversityWorking.com Announces C & S Companies Its New Diversity Company Member

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 06:56:00 +0000

DiversityWorking.com, a career opportunity resource and job search engine for the cultural diversity marketplace, is pleased to announce the inclusion of C & S Companies to its prestigious roster of diversity company-members.

C & S Companies is one of the country's most diverse medium-sized consulting firms. Known nationwide for client-focused engineering, architecture, planning, environmental, and construction services, C & S Companies provides incredible level of expertise through its in-house professionals.

It primarily serves local, state, and federal governments; industry and manufacturing; and private businesses.

The company likewise focuses on being the place where the best people choose to work, in as much as it believes that with the best staff, C & S can continue to deliver only the best for its clients all over the country.

Thus, C & S has solidified its name because of the high-quality projects it delivers through its diverse teams of experts, who help C & S attain the level of success and trust it enjoys today.

An Affirmative/Equal Opportunity, Diversity-committed Employer, C & S Companies opens its doors of opportunities to highly qualified talents regardless of their background, race, color, disability, religious belief, national origin, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, age or gender, or any other protected category.

Thus, C & S Companies, in its search for diverse, dedicated, capable individuals, has partnered with DiversityWorking.com, whose mission is to help companies promote their jobs, build their brand and send targeted and qualified diversity candidates directly to the best jobs possible. Products and services include a resume database, job search engine, and targeted corporate diversity branding opportunities.

To find out more about C & S Companies and its exciting career opportunities, competitive salaries and benefits, please click here.

Will Diversity & Other American Values Thrive in a Trump Presidency?

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 03:41:00 +0000

The country has sworn in a new president; President Trump is barely two weeks into his office, yet it seems a different United States of America is growing before the eyes of the world. Is this the start of a new era in American history, where long-cherished American cultural values, such as freedom, equality, democracy, solidarity and diversity, are endangered? Or will these values continue to thrive in a Trump presidency?

Questions such as these are raised as a result of a string of executive orders that the new president has signed, which have been causing much alarm and concern – here and overseas - about the eroding of these basic American values. Where is America heading into the future with President Donald J. Trump at the helm?

Executive Orders

On his very first day of office, a few hours after his inauguration, President Trump lost no time in fulfilling one his strong campaign promises: the repeal of the Obamacare.

Many believe this will negatively impact poor Americans and other marginalized sectors – a repeal could lead to increases in the number of newly uninsured Americans, the number of people facing difficulties from pre-existing conditions, the size of the federal deficit, and how much money people will have to pay for their health care.

With the Obamacare, senior citizens pay less for Medicare coverage and for their prescription drugs.

Other executive orders of the president, which so far are causing fear, confusion and uproar, include among others:

* Authorizing the construction of a wall along the U.S-Mexico border;

* Reinstatement of the American policy called the “Mexico City Policy” which blocks US federal funding for non-governmental organisations that provide abortion counselling or referrals, advocate to decriminalise abortion or expand abortion services. (Wikipedia)

* Banning refugees and travelers from seven pre-dominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The immigration ban was ordered suspended by a NY federal court. The court’s decision, which will affect people who have been detained in airports, came after the ACLU and other activist groups filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of two Iraqis who were held at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as a result of the order.

But confusion had taken over other airports in the country. Protesters, lawyers and lawmakers rushed to major U.S. airports on Saturday as word spread that refugees, legal permanent residents and other travelers were being blocked from entering the United States due to a new executive order from President Donald Trump.

The tech industry – among other sectors - strikes back, too. Caught by surprise by the immigration ban, [...]tech industry executives began publishing notices criticizing the new regulation and warning employees of its potential broad and dramatic impacts.

From Apple, Google and Facebook to Microsoft, Airbnb and Box, the message was pretty much the same: Limiting immigration hurts employees and innovation.

Tech company leaders say that the president's travel ban will impact their employees, and that it violates personal and company principles, the WSJ reported.

Indeed, lack of diversity still characterizes many tech workplaces, yet many strive to overcome discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, and religion; many tech companies strive to become more inclusive.

In the wake of these executive orders, a move to have California secede from the USA has been set into motion. Backers of the movement have submitted their proposal to the Secretary of State and can already begin collecting signatures.

This was announced by Secretary of State Alex Padilla, as the group pushing the proposal, Yes California Independence Campaign, has been cleared to start collecting about 600,000 voter signatures, the number needed to place the plan on the ballot. According to the group's website, "In our view, the United States of America represents so many things that conflict with Californian values, and our continued statehood means California will continue subsidizing the other states to our own detriment, and to the detriment of our children."

Although there have been previous attempts to push for the secession of California from the rest of the nation, but which have failed, the current “Calexit” proposal is reported to be supported by 1 in 3 Californians, according to a recent poll.

American core values

Among the basic core American values that define who Americans are as a people is equality of opportunity for all, including Americans of foreign descent, as well as foreigners who come to America to seek greener pasture.

Several laws have been enacted to promote this and to protect anyone from discrimination, such as the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and the other laws enforced by the EEOC.

It is ironic that a nation that arose from the union of the different colonies of early settlers from Europe – most of whom were just simple folks in search of better opportunities in a new frontier, where they hoped to live with faith and in freedom – stands today on the brink of disunity and isolation.

America was, and until today, a land of immigrants. To the world, America symbolizes great opportunities; a welcoming nation. Therefore, immigrants from different parts of the world continue to come here and seek a better life – not only for themselves, but for their families as well.

The U.S. immigrant population stood at more than 42.4 million, or 13.3 percent, of the total U.S. population of 318.9 million in 2014, according to ACS [American Community Survey] data. Between 2013 and 2014, the foreign-born population increased by 1 million, or 2.5 percent, according to statistics.

Thus, the immigration ban and the order to build a wall along the borders, strike a painful chord in the hearts of many, as well as go against another deeply ingrained American core value, that of championing the rights of the oppressed.

Among the voices of dissent is that of Chuck Schumer, Democratic leader in the Senate, who was quoted as saying: “Tears are running down the cheeks of the Statue of Liberty tonight as a grand tradition of America, welcoming immigrants, that has existed since America was founded, has been stomped upon. “Taking in immigrants and refugees is not only humanitarian but has also boosted our economy and created jobs decade after decade. This is one of the most backward and nasty executive orders that the president has issued.”

In other words, the diversity that makes up the American nation drives it toward progress.

But diversity, as it is, still faces a lot of challenges – especially in relation to its twin value of inclusion.

Hence, the building of walls, or the repeal of an affordable healthcare that the poor and marginalized sectors can have access to, and most of all, refusing entry to immigrants and refugees – will most likely pose greater challenges.

Other sectors, aside from the tech industry, are going to be adversely impacted, too, by the travel restrictions: healthcare, education, professional services, tourism, and the science & research community – just to name a few. And families.

Many employees of diversity companies, job seekers, students, non-US citizens and green holders alike, will be affected by this ban.

With that said, it would help to look at the controversial orders of President Trump, as well as all the protest actions and criticism, through the prism of hope, and to focus on the positive aspects.

For example, here's an excerpt from President Trump's immigration ban. It might be good to take these words at face value:

"In order to protect Americans, the United States must ensure that those admitted to this country do not bear hostile attitudes toward it and its founding principles," Trump states in the opening section of the executive order.

"The United States cannot, and should not, admit those who do not support the Constitution, or those who would place violent ideologies over American law. In addition, the United States should not admit those who engage in acts of bigotry or hatred...or those who would oppress Americans of any race, gender, or sexual orientation."

It will be good to give room for the newly-installed president to grow into his new role with dignity, respect and statesmanship, as suggested by DiversityWorking.com in a previous article, Trump Win: Victory or Defeat for Diversity, and Americans can help him achieve that by giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Our social lives are abundant with these kind of self-fulfilling beliefs – both positive and negative. This is why giving people the benefit of the doubt is an effective way to reverse the self-perpetuating cycle of cynicism. - See more here:

Considering the president's political inexperience and privileged background, he may still be bungling his way around. So it is upon the citizenry to show him the way, and to appeal to his good side.

There are, of course, valid reasons for all the concerns regarding the President's orders. It is also the moral responsibility of the people to stand up against any injustice. People need to be vigilant.

But the times call for rising above partisanship, disagreements over his policies, and negative perception, difficult though it may be. And the best way could be giving the new president some leeway, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

This approach might work, or not at all. But at the very least, the American people can help ensure that their basic, cherished values remain intact. The people can signal that message to the president, by their openness, understanding and positive persuasion.

The ongoing protests actions, marches in support of refugees, chorus of condemnation are signs that Americans will never ever allow their core values and principles be tramped.

Solidarity. Support. These are American values that shine through amid all these crises.

Just look at how the immigration lawyers rushed to airports to offer their legal help pro bono to affected travelers.

Yes, in these troubled times, compassion is most needed. Love trumps hate. Diversity will live on.

Something to ponder: “Never underestimate the amazing power of love to change hearts and mindsets. Love can even give fresh inspiration to tackle what seems to be impossible.” - Maria Fontaine

The Top High-Paying Diversity Jobs in 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 08:32:00 +0000

What are the diversity jobs that rank highest in terms of pay for 2017? Jobs in the healthcare sector are projected to be the most in-demand jobs for the coming years. But do they pay well too?

A look at the US News Best Jobs Rankings, the 3 top best paying jobs for 2017, are:

Anesthesiologist

Surgeon

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

The rest of its list of the 25 Best Paying Jobs for 2017 shows 14 more in healthcare, 6 jobs in business, 2 jobs in sales & marketing, and 1 each in engineering, tech and social services.

Each of these three best-paying jobs, plus the rest in the list, has an average salary of more than $100,000 per year.

See also:

The US News partly based its rankings of the best jobs according to the highest projected number of openings from 2014 to 2024, as categorized by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read here more on the US News methodology of ranking the best jobs.

The healthcare and social assistance sector is seen by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as one of the industries with the fastest growing wage and salary employment between 2014-2024.

The 20 occupations with the highest median annual pay as of the December 2015 list published by the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Occupational Outlook Handbook shows the top 9 jobs are in the healthcare sector. The first 8 had a median pay of equal to or greater than $187,200 per year.

These jobs include:

* Surgeons

* Psychologists

* Physicians & surgeons, all others

* Orthodontists

* Oral & maxillofacial surgeons

* Obstetricians and gynecologists

* Internists, general

* Anesthesiologists

The list continues:

* Family and general practitioners - $184,390/year.

* Chief executives – $175,110/year

* Dentists, all other specialists – $171,000/year

* Practitioners, general – $170,300/year

* Nurse anesthetists – $157,140/year

* Dentists, general – 152,700/year

* Architectural and engineering managers – $132,800/year

* Computer and information systems managers – $131,600/year

* Petroleum engineers – $129,990/year

* Marketing managers – $128,750/year

* Judges, magistrate judges and magistrates – $126,930/year

* Air traffic controllers – $122,950/year

Most of the above-mentioned occupations belong to what the BLS categorizes as Professional and Technical occupations. They require specified skills and knowledge, a college degree or higher, as well as advanced training and experience. Even at the entry level, a college degree is often required.

A Forbes article, however, citing LinkedIn Salary, gives a more updated median pay, and likewise, most high-paying jobs in their list belong to the healthcare industry.

In putting together its list, LinkedIn looked to the salary data that verified LinkedIn members provided. Each job title considered for the roster had to have at least 50 salary reports from those members. […] All in all, a dozen of the 20 jobs on the list fall into the medical or healthcare realm. Near the top of the list – at number 3 – was the position of anesthesiologist. Workers in that role, according to the numbers, earn a median annual salary of $350,000. That’s more than the median salary for a surgeon, which brings a $338,000 paycheck and placed fourth.

How about non-degree occupations, what are the highest paying jobs? Based on the US News Best Jobs for 2017 that do not require a college degree, many of these jobs are still in healthcare.

#1. Occupational Therapy Assistant: median salary is $57,870; expected job openings: 14,100

#2. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer: median salary is $68,970; expected job openings: 16,000

#3. Web Developer: median salary is $64,970; expected job openings: 39,500

#15. Home Health Aide: median salary is $21,920; expected job openings: 348,400

#16. Wind Turbine Technician: median salary is $51,050; expected job openings: 4,800

#23. Personal Care Aide: median salary is $20,980; expected job openings: 458,100

#24. Veterinary Technician: median salary is $31,800; expected job openings: 17,900

#25. Maintenance & Repair: median salary is $36,630; expected job openings: 83,000

For those seeking a job, and/or deciding on a career, or making a career move, the above information can be of much help. What is clear is that there are great career opportunities for both degree and non-degree holders. It is a matter of perseverance in one's job search, as well as the willingness, dedication to continually upgrade one's skills and knowledge.

Today, with the advances in science and technology disrupting many industries, continuous education can put one in good stead in making oneself hireable, and retainable. In other words, having an edge in the workplace.

For those seeking for healthcare jobs, and work for diversity-committed employers, visit DiversityWorking.com, whose mission is to help companies promote their jobs, build their brand and send targeted and qualified diversity candidates directly to the best jobs possible.

How Manufacturing Jobs Will Fare in 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 13:55:00 +0000

The Current Employment Statistics survey for the month of December 2016, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows that the manufacturing industry added 17,000 jobs; durable goods manufacturing added 15,000 jobs. In general, however, since reaching a rise in employment in January, the industry has lost 63,000 manufacturing jobs.

In fact, for the past years, the manufacturing sector has been losing jobs to offshore companies where the cost of labor is said to be cheaper than in the US; thus, bringing back those jobs to the US was one of President-elect Donald Trump's fervent campaign promises. Both he and presidential contender Sen. Bernie Sanders blamed free trade for the continuing manufacturing job loss.

But early last year, CNN said in a report the 5 million jobs have lost by manufacturing since 2000 were being replaced by jobs in the health care, construction and retail industries. The report also mentions that free trade alone is not the culprit – though it has helped speed up the decline in numbers – but rather technology. Robots and machines are also replacing workers. The tech trend would have happened regardless of trade.

Another report shares the same observation. It also mentions about trade as being partly to be blame, but it's technology that is most responsible now for the decrease in manufacturing jobs. It even says that they aren’t coming back, at least not most of them. […] Because in recent years, factories have been coming back, but the jobs haven’t. Because of rising wages in China, the need for shorter supply chains and other factors, a small but growing group of companies are shifting production back to the U.S. But the factories they build here are heavily automated, employing a small fraction of the workers they would have a generation ago.

Thus, the same report says that with that, comes a “manufacturing renaissance” with an increase in production output, but not in jobs. A report by the NAM(National Association of Manufacturers) shows that in 2015, manufacturers contributed $2.17 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2015. This figure has risen since the second quarter of 2009, when manufacturers contributed $1.70 trillion.

The Economist in a recent article likewise reiterated what both CNN and FiveThirtyEight said, manufacturing jobs are being lost to automation, not only to China and Mexico. And the idea of slapping on tariffs to punish manufacturers who export jobs makes little sense in a world of global value chains; every dollar of Mexican goods exported to America contains 40 cents of American goods embedded within it.

The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts little or no change in the number of jobs for assemblers and fabricators, most of whom work in manufacturing plants, between 2014-20124, with a job outlook of -1% (Little or no change). In 2014, the number of jobs for assemblers and fabricators was 1,834,000.

So in 2017, the declining trend in the number of manufacturing jobs may continue.

According to the BLS OOH, those with technical vocational training and certification are expected to have the best opportunities to be hired especially in growing, high-technology industries, such as aerospace and electro-medical devices.

The point is that many blue-collar workers in manufacturing are getting better paid than their counterparts in other sectors, even with less education. In terms of pay, the BLS OOH says the median annual wage for assemblers and fabricators in May 2015 was $30,080, or $14.46 per hour. The typical entry-level education required is a high school diploma or equivalent, although for more advanced assembly work, experience and additional training is needed.

For those employed in higher positions in manufacturing, such as industrial production managers, the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Occupational Outlook Handbook also shows a declining job outlook of -4% between 2014-2024. In 2014, the number of jobs for industrial production managers was 173,400. The median pay for this job in 2015 was $93,940 per year, or $45.17 per hour. The entry-level education required is a bachelor's degree.

The National Association of Manufacturers reported that in 2015, (in one of the above-mentioned sources) the average manufacturing worker in the United States earned $81,289 annually, including pay and benefits. The average worker in all nonfarm industries earned $63,830.

With the changing times though, with technology getting the upper hand, there is a need for those who would like to get ahead in the manufacturing field, technological know-how is needed today as many equipments are high-tech, for one thing. STEM jobs are going to be in demand in 2017, and many jobs in the past are giving way to more advanced ones requiring a background or knowledge of STEM.

Today, there are more jobs that do require college degrees, in keeping with the technological advances of the times. Hence, to become more productive, manufacturing is turning to technology.

Yet many workers in manufacturing have not reached college.

Rather than resigning themselves to or risking losing their jobs to automation, workers and job seekers alike would do well to upgrade their skills and knowledge, especially to acquire STEM skills. If they can afford it, they should go back to school to get a higher degree, or even to just earn a certificate in any STEM course.

To check for manufacturing jobs in companies committed to diversity and inclusion, visit DiversityWorking.com.

Keenan Job Opening for Claims Assistant, Riverside, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 05:48:00 +0000

Keenan & Associates, the largest privately held insurance brokerage/consulting firm in California, and a recently-joined prestigious diversity company member of DiversityWorking.com, is looking for a highly qualified dedicated individual to fill in the position of Claims Assistant, Riverside, CA.

Job Description of Duties & Responsibilities (among others)

A full-time position
Will be responsible for assisting Examiners in every aspect of claims administration.
Responsible for the essential duties which include, but are not limited to the following:
- Data entry on all new claims.
- Indemnity payments and cycles.
- Request wage statement and wage statement calculations.
- 3-point contact in conjunction with nurse on indemnity files.
- QME (Qualified medical evaluator) process up to receipt of report.

Job Skills and Knowledge (among others)

Prefer prior WC Claims Assistant experience of at least one year.
Experience with computer terminals.
Ability to communicate effectively, in writing and verbally, within all aspects of job requirements.

Keenan & Associates provides a competitive compensation package. For more details about this career opportunity and to apply for it, click on this link.

Keenan Searching for a Senior Claims Examiner, Riverside, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 05:20:00 +0000

Keenan & Associates, the largest privately held insurance brokerage/consulting firm in California, and a recently-joined prestigious diversity company member of DiversityWorking.com, is in search of a highly qualified dedicated individual for the position of Senior Claims Examiner, Riverside, CA.

Job Description of Duties & Responsibilities (among others)

A full-time position
Will be responsible for administration and management of work comp claims.
Will be tasked with handling complex legal issues, litigation prevention and control, negotiation of settlements, lien resolutions and cost containment.
Incept all new Indemnity claims for the designated client, including initial contacts, investigation and compensability determination.
Set all appropriate reserves.

Job Skills and Knowledge (among others)

Candidates should have 4+ years of California claims examiner experience and a Self-Insurance Certificate, or the ability to pass Self-Insurance Test.
Effective in oral and written communication.

Keenan & Associates provides a competitive compensation package. For more details about this career opportunity and to apply for it, click on this link.

For Hiring, Marketing Manager, Pharmacy Division, Torrance, CA, at Keenan & Associates

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 03:59:00 +0000

Keenan & Associates, the largest privately held insurance brokerage/consulting firm in California, and a recently-joined prestigious diversity company member of DiversityWorking.com, has a job opening for a Marketing Manager, Pharmacy Division, Torrance, CA.

Job Description of Duties & Responsibilities (among others)

A full-time position
Will be responsible for developing sales and marketing materials for all Pharmacy Division products and services.
The Marketing Manager will also be responsible for responding to Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for all Pharmacy Division products and services, working with the necessary vendors and internal subject matter experts
Analyze and audit current marketing tools (print and digital) to measure effectiveness, identify areas of improvement and define new areas to explore
Leverage content and repurpose across multiple private-label offerings to ensure consistent messaging

Job Skills and Knowledge (among others)

Must be a high-energy, creative and resourceful self-starter who demonstrates leadership skills and instincts.
5+ years relevant experience in the healthcare industry; PBM industry experience preferred
General knowledge of the healthcare industry required

Keenan & Associates provides a competitive compensation package. For more details about this job and to apply for it, click on this link.

For Hiring Account Manager, Healthcare, Torrance, CA at Keenan & Associates

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 03:28:00 +0000

The position for Account Manager,Healthcare,Torrance,CA is now open for hiring at Keenan & Associates, the largest privately held insurance brokerage/consulting firm in California, and a recently-joined prestigious diversity company member of DiversityWorking.com.

Job Description of Duties & Responsibilities (among others)

A full-time position
Responsible for conflict resolution and compliance on client deliverables.
Responsible for retention of business and increasing revenue on assigned accounts.
Expand existing relationships and provide consulting assistance on a wide range of benefit programs, offering recommendations and advice based on client needs, goals and objectives.
Provide client with daily service support, problem solving and trouble-shooting.

Job Skills and Knowledge (among others)

Two-year Associate’s degree in business or related field required.
Four-year Bachelor’s degree in business or related field preferred.
Consideration may be given to candidates without college credits who have over 5 years related experience.

Keenan & Associates provides a competitive compensation package. For more details about this job and to apply for it, click on this link.

Position for Receptionist, Torrance, CA, Open for Hiring at Keenan & Associates

noreply@blogger.com (Your Diversity Career Consultant) — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 07:17:00 +0000

The position for Receptionist, Torrance, CA, is open for hiring at Keenan & Associates, the largest privately held insurance brokerage/consulting firm in California, and a recently-joined prestigious diversity company member of DiversityWorking.com.

Job Description of Duties & Responsibilities (among others)

A full-time position
Answer calls in a timely manner.
Route messages to appropriate person in a timely manner.
Be familiar and keep current on changes with employees, departments and extension numbers.
Professionally greet all visitors and applicants.

Job Skills and Knowledge (among others)

At least one year of heavy phones reception or call center.
Proficient in Microsoft Office programs.
Possess excellent people skills

Keenan & Associates provides a competitive compensation package. For more details about this job and to apply for it, click on this link.