Creating networks within industry groups, in our view at DiverseUSA, is the most effective way to operationalize and sustain a mission focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the workforce. Our colleagues in the Private Sector are naturally drawn to an “industry” perspective because products, services, customers, and workers are industry-based. Industries search for similar talent, and they experience industry-driven challenges in product innovation and development, workforce recruitment, personnel management, and employee retention.

In contrast, Federal agencies typically perform their functions in a silo. Employees in one Federal agency are not necessarily portable to another agency, even though they possess clearly portable knowledge, skills, and abilities.

For example, the FBI’s industry is well known to be law enforcement, yet law enforcement jobs are available in most Federal agencies. According to federaljobs.net, the largest numbers of federal law enforcement jobs are with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the Treasury Department, and the Department of Defense. Yet, how many potential law enforcement job candidates, particularly from underserved communities without family members, friends, or mentors knowledgeable about federal agencies and career opportunities, know that other law enforcement jobs may be available in the Central Intelligence Agency, Internal Revenue Service, in cybersecurity, federal police, federal security, the National Park Service as park rangers, or in federal prisons as correctional officers. When viewed from an “industry” lens, tackling DEIA challenges within industries is mutually beneficial and hence more sustainable.

DiverseUSA seeks to build collaborations among and within industries across the government, by hosting “industry-specific” interagency DEIA networking groups for diversity practitioners and managers. Connect with us and identify your particular industry, to be part of DiverseUSA’s cutting-edge collective.