CDE Talent Acquisition & Workforce Development Flashcards

What is 'intersectionality' and why is it important in workforce development?

Answer: The concept that overlapping identities (e.g., race + gender) create unique experiences of advantage or disadvantage

Intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, recognizes that employees hold multiple identities that interact to shape their unique workplace experiences.

Which onboarding element most significantly improves belonging and retention for new diverse hires?

Answer: Assigning an onboarding buddy and connecting new hires to ERGs within the first week

Early connection to social networks, mentors, and ERGs creates a sense of belonging that significantly reduces early attrition among diverse hires.

How does 'upskilling' contribute to a diversity executive's workforce development strategy?

Answer: It reduces the need to recruit externally, allowing internal diverse talent to advance

Upskilling internal employees, particularly those from underrepresented groups, creates advancement pathways and reduces reliance on external pipelines that may lack diversity.

A company reports 40% diverse hires but only 12% diverse senior leaders. What does this data most likely indicate?

Answer: There are systemic barriers to advancement — a 'broken rung' — that prevent diverse employees from moving into leadership

Large gaps between entry-level diversity and leadership diversity indicate structural barriers in promotion, development, or retention — not a pipeline problem.

What is the 'broken rung' concept as it applies to diversity in corporate pipelines?

Answer: The first promotion from individual contributor to manager where women and minorities are disproportionately passed over

McKinsey's 'broken rung' research identifies the first promotion as the point where women — particularly women of color — fall behind men, creating a lasting leadership gap.

Which assessment tool helps organizations identify whether their performance review process contains bias that affects diverse employees' advancement?

Answer: A calibration audit comparing performance ratings and promotion rates across demographic groups

Auditing performance ratings and promotion decisions by demographic group reveals whether bias is systematically disadvantaging certain employee populations.