IDEA Champions Program
At The Hoffman Family Undergraduate Center for Career Development, we are committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive future by empowering the students we serve to thrive in a global, inclusive, and multicultural workplace and make an impact on the world around us. To help achieve this goal, we have launched the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Employer Champion Program as an extension of the Hoffman Family Undergraduate Center for Career Development Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement.
The IDEA Employer Champion Program recognizes employer partners who share our commitment to social justice and equity by fostering inclusive and welcoming workplace culture. Through this program, we celebrate employers who have already made progress in this area and provide resources to help them create more equitable workplaces. The program identifies employers within two categories: Champion and Rising Champion that include special benefits outlined below. With these designations, students will be able to easily search, identify, and connect with organizations committed to making progress on these values. We hope that by recognizing and partnering with these employers, we can encourage others to take similar steps.
Ultimately, this program will help our students pursue the career opportunities they desire while promoting a more just and equitable society.
Recognition Categories
Employers will be identified within two categories and recognized with the following benefits:
| Campus Visibility & Student Access | IDEA Employer Champion | Rising Champion |
|---|---|---|
| Formal Post/Story on Undergrad CCD social media account | Yes | |
| Logo embedded on breaking Barriers section of The Weekly & other promotional materials | Yes | |
| Designation at Career Fair | Yes | |
| Labeled in Handshake with Invest in Diversity Employer Collection | Yes | Yes |
| Feature Story in Breaking Barriers section of the Weekly | Yes | Yes |
| Access to IDEA Program Attendee Contact Information | Yes | Yes |
| Host a Breaking Barriers Workshop | Yes | Yes |
| Targeted Email Blast to Students | Yes | Yes |
| Employer Highlight on IDEA student resources page | Yes | Yes |
Criteria for Submission
The IDEA Employer Champion Program is designed to recognize and support business partners committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace culture. To be identified through the program, employers must meet at least four of the following criteria. Employers approved for accomplishing all 7 criteria will be designated as an IDEA Employer Champion. Employers approved for accomplishing at least 4 criteria will be designated as a Rising Champion.
- Company publishes a mission statement, vision, and values statement centered around equitable access and inclusivity.
- Company provides and requires professional development, training, and education on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging topics.
- Company conducts diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programming, such as affinity groups, employee resource groups, mentoring, and internal sponsorship.
- Company has a diversity, retention, and recruitment strategy in place.
- Company holds employees accountable for actively participating in an inclusive culture of belonging and has a bias reporting and response process in place, should an incident occur.
- Company monitors equitable compensation across their organization.
- Company proves a track record of at least two accomplishments in the following areas:
- A data-driven approach to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives with readily available or easily accessible data on diversity retention and diversity in leadership, measurable goals for management and executive leadership is held accountable for meeting these goals.
- Operational strategy and decision-making are transparent and measured against objectives promoting sustainability and social equity.
- Equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging efforts integrate and add value to the local community. Value is created by donating time, resources, or money to underrepresented community populations or local socially equitable policies.
Application Process
Applications for our program are accepted on a rolling basis, so there is no specific deadline to submit. The application form will require you to provide detailed responses and supporting documentation for the criteria mentioned above. We highly recommend having your organization’s human resources or DEI officer complete the form to ensure accurate and comprehensive information.
Approval Process
Applications are reviewed weekly. Please note that it may take up to four weeks to receive our response. Also, we review recognized employers and levels biennially, and more documentation may be requested by the IDEA team to renew your status. We are committed to providing prompt and transparent communication throughout the application and review process.