Companies recruiting diversity
December 1, 2011
Graduating from college greatly improves your earning potential, regardless of when you do it.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2010 individuals with a bachelor's degree made an average of $1,038 per week, compared to $767 per week for those with an associate's degree, $712 per week for those with some college (but no degree) and $626 per week for those with a high school diploma.
Now, a new survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reveals that finding a job may be a little easier for minority groups like women, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Asian-Americans who are graduating from college.
NACE's 2011 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey found that 70 percent of employers surveyed report that their organizations have formal efforts to hire diverse candidates.
While all minority groups benefit when companies put these formal diversity campaigns into place, the survey found that African-Americans are especially likely to fare well.
NACE reports that African-Americans accounted for about 8 percent of all bachelor's degree graduates in 2011. When companies had formal diversity recruiting efforts in place, 10.5 percent of all class of 2011 hires were African-American. However, in companies without a focus on diversity, just 4.5 percent of new recruits were African-American.
More women (37 percent versus 32.8 percent), Hispanic-Americans (8.3 percent versus 4.6 percent) and Asian-Americans (13.2 percent versus 11 percent) were also recruited when companies launched concentrated efforts to create a more diverse workforce.
The study also found that larger organizations were more likely than smaller companies to have a formal effort to recruit and hire diverse candidates.
The results of the NACE study are good news for mothers who are in college and look forward to pursuing their careers upon graduation. Similar to how grants for parents, scholarships for mothers and other financial aid help to relieve financial stress, this study may help ease anxiety about finding a job.
Regardless of gender or ethnicity, preparing to enter the workforce after graduation is a priority for many students in their final year of college. Speaking with a career counselor at your school, attending career center events and networking with past graduates can help make the transition from student parent to working parent easier.
