DEI Conference
Immigration as a Barrier to Employment- Raising Every Voice
Session Description:
We face many challenges in hiring and recruiting. We have exceptional candidates to choose from, however immigration is a barrier. Collectively we can and must take action to truly become an Employer of Choice including for those with immigration status. The recruitment process is prone to bias and fallacy, as well as racial and gender biases. This session will discuss what practices are needed to remove or reduce immigration as a barrier to employment. We will review the ways organizations can hear directly the voice of every team member and how to raise that voice. We will discuss the development of recruitment materials, the process of holistic review of immigration H.R. policy, and how to structure a raise every voice tour that increases Shared Power. With the goal of mitigating bias and comparing candidates as equitably as possible.
Objectives and Key Takeaways:
Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the complexity and cost of immigration as it relates to recruiting and the employee expierence.
- Workforce & Service Interuptions
- Types of Visas & Work Permit
- Intersectionality of Immigration (lived experiences)
- Tools & Strategies for barrier reduction
- Hearing & raising the voice of all staff
Audience:
Audience Knowledge and Experience:
Ways to watch:
Live stream via Zoom Webinar on June 6, 2024
Recording available for replay July 1 through August 31
Additional Matterials
Guest Speakers
Teddy Dianah Kemirembe
Born and raised in Uganda, Teddy comes from a walk of humble beginning. Teddy’s story is long but in short here is the version: Teddy has a master's in social work (MSW) from Columbia University School of Social Work with a passion in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hence has attained Certificate of Diversity Profession (CDP) Teddy has over twenty years in Social Work, working primarily with children and families and has tremendous experience in child welfare, working with children affected by developmental disabilities, and over 7 years working in emergency room as social worker assisting patients with mental health and homelessness.
Sarah McLeod
My name is Sarah MacLeod, I work for the Department of Social and Health Services - Developmental Disabilities Administration in the beautiful State of Washington. My passion is for supporting job seekers with opportunities with the DSHS is not only important for job seekers but also the clients that DDA serves every day. I look forward to continuing our mission of the DSHS by Transforming Lives to recruit top talent to state service through outreach and educational activities. My goal is to retain employees by providing them with support structure, education, and career progression assistance.
Seth Pilkey
Over the last 15 years Seth has worked at the intersections of advocacy, relationship building, and social impact. Seth has worked with non-profit & government leaders and supported coached and mentored amazing individuals to live their fullest lives with an abundance of choice. He enjoys helping others navigate personal and organizational change, from line staff to leadership, initially as a Staff Development Partner at a large care and training facility. Seth currently serves our Developmental Disabilities Administration as a Management Analyst to executive leadership in the areas of hiring, retention and workforce development.
