April 7, 2023
Recruiting for Diversity & Inclusion
As part of Bio-Rad's commitment to building a more inclusive and diverse work culture, we have established a D&I Recruitment and Retention Task Force to help us actively recruit diverse candidates and create more opportunities for underrepresented groups. By 2030, we are working to increase women in leadership roles to 45% (we are now at about 33%) and ensure that underrepresented employees represent 60% of our U.S. workforce (currently at 55%).
Members of the Task Force say that this effort starts with fostering a culture of belonging. “We’re really working to create an environment where our employees feel like they’re seen, they’re heard, and their perspective is valued,” says Alexandra Sullivan, a Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at Bio-Rad. “Then externally we are casting a wider net in terms of career fairs and recruitment events that we attend so we can reach more diverse folks and be more inclusive.”
"Through things like our Employee Resource Groups, we're creating a safe space for employees to feel like they can authentically share who they are."
Alexandra Sullivan, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at Bio-Rad
A major focus area for the Task Force is evolving, and in some instances starting, relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and leveraging scientific talent that is coming from those schools. Jac’Quie Davis, a Project Manager for Bio-Rad, came to the Task Force in November 2021 with a proposal to develop stronger relationships with HBCUs.
“I’m a graduate of Tuskegee University, and I found that in my 23 years here at Bio-Rad, I didn’t know very many HBCU graduates,” Jac’Quie says. “I did a lot of work to contact specific HBCUs, develop the contact information, and summarize the majors and segments of business that I thought would be beneficial to Bio-Rad. I documented all the information, put it into a presentation, and then reviewed it with the team.”
Kashef Qaadri, a Director of Marketing for Bio-Rad, says that reaching HBCUs was what initially drew him to the Task Force, as well. “The motivation was to focus on my alma mater, Howard University, to try and get some more representation in that regard and then hopefully replicate that across other HBCUs,” he says. “Now, I am working towards trying to connect Bio-Rad with other STEM groups that are focused on Asian Americans, for instance, or Indian Americans, or Hispanics, or African Americans.”
”As we nurture and celebrate our cultural diversity, it leads to more productivity, different viewpoints, and a more holistic evaluation of different situations or ways of dealing with situations. It also creates a more collaborative environment, which is a great thing."
Kashef Qaadri, Director of Marketing for Bio-Rad
While acknowledging that recruiting for diversity is important to Bio-Rad's success, those on the Task Force agree that nurturing a culture of diversity, inclusion, and equity at Bio-Rad is perhaps even more important. “As a business, we thrive because we’re looking at things from different perspectives, and having different viewpoints in the discussion is always a good thing,” Kashef says. “So as a business, I fundamentally believe that diversity makes us a much stronger company.”
To learn more about Bio-Rad's Diversity & Inclusion Program, click here.
- Diversity
- Sustainability
