Seeking Summer Internships – Does This Organization REALLY Value Diversity?

Girls are asking:

Diversity in the workplace matters to me – how do I communicate that? Am I allowed to ask about inclusion in an interview? What do I actually say? How can I tell if a firm really values diversity? What does corporate culture even mean?

Landing an internship is hard, period. Recognizing which companies truly value diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and are not just checking the corporate culture box can be even harder. For next gen applicants taking their first steps into the workforce this summer, knowing how to ask about diversity - and deciphering what corporate answers mean - can be daunting.

So we asked some LinkedIn experts for help.

Here are five suggestions from DEI leaders for summer interns with of-the-moment questions about inclusion:

1. WHAT TO ASK?

Stacey Gordon, CEO of Rework Work, author of UNBIAS and a 2022 LinkedIn Top Voice in Gender Equity, offered this wisdom to girls who asked in THE EPIC MENTOR GUIDE:

“Ask the following questions: How have you addressed pay equity within your company? What employee resource groups does your company have and what is the purpose of allowing them to exist? To help fast-track my introduction to the company culture, what action would you recommend I take upon starting in my role?”

Importantly, Gordon’s newly-launched course Addressing Unconscious Bias as a Leader just hit 1M learners in record time, underscoring the need for open and frank DEI conversations at every organizational level.

2. WHAT TO LOOK FOR?

“Many companies have developed a predictable formula for diversity, equity, and inclusion,” explains Daisy Auger-Domínguez, Chief People Officer at VICE Media and author of INCLUSION REVOLUTION,?“[so] at a minimum, you should look for a DEI lead; diversity recruitment, internship, training, and community programs; employee resource groups; and DEI transparency reports. That’s good,” she states, “but it’s not enough.”

“You should also ask about the experience of underrepresented employees—beyond representation, which is important, ask about attrition and advancement rates for those employees. Look for signs of a company that is committed not just to bringing you in the door but also ensuring that you succeed.”

3. WHAT TO DO?

“A simple thing anyone can do to support and promote DEI principles into the corporate cultures where they work,” notes Sandhya Jain Patel, Co-founder and Cultural Producer at SRC Partners, “is to include their pronouns after their name in their signature. This is a powerful way to normalize the conversation around gender identity, demonstrate that they value inclusivity, and help your colleagues refrain from making assumptions about other people’s gender.”

4. WHAT TO SEEK OUT?

“Seek out and create gender-equal workplaces,” instructs Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director at UN Women, “…those that are eliminating gender pay gaps, ensuring gender equality in leadership, supporting women-owned businesses, and speaking out about the need for change.”

5. WHAT TO REMEMBER?

“Remember that your voice matters,” urges DEI thought leader and co-host of Brown Table Talk podcast Mita Mallick. “My voice has become my superpower. Speak up for yourself, and speak for those who aren’t ready to use their voices yet. It takes one person to speak up and start asking the tough questions, to begin to see a tidal wave of change happening across all our organizations.”?

One person.?

Tough questions.

Tidal waves of change.

Whether you are a summer intern or a seasoned executive - knowing how to speak about diversity and ask about inclusion, matters. Companies see the impact of how much diversity of background and thought improves their bottom line.

It’s time to tell the interns.

Here’s to an epic summer filled with insightful questions and empowering answers. Keep following être across all of our channels, and keep sharing this newsletter with every new graduate and eager intern you know.

Their questions are blazing a path…and your answers are lighting the way.

Looking forward,

Illana

êXTRA: Three free, virtual and best-in-class summits not to miss right now: Ellevate Network’s Mobilize Women Summit, Tory Burch’s Embrace Ambition Summit and The Female Quotient’s Equality Lounge - Women In Cyber conversation. Summer is in session!