DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING


Why Diversity Matters and How Senior Living Can Flourish as a Result


By Patrick Connole K


acheyta McClellan has spent more than 15 years in higher education focused on diversity and inclusion


as well as career development, after grad- uating with undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Southern Indiana. In his current role as director of diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NCAE), McClellan seeks to advance the association and profession through a DEIB lens. In addition to evaluating internal prac-


tices and analyzing all aspects of the as- sociation, he also works with professionals throughout the nation to identify, investi- gate, and promote actions that move indi- viduals and employers to be more inclusive. How senior living communities can ben-


efit from DEIB, and what the movement can mean to employers, employees, and the general good are part of a discussion Senior Living Executive (SLE) has recently with McClellan.


NACE and What it Does When asked what NACE does, he said the organization is the professional association for those who work with and recruit col- lege-educated students. “We have between 15,000 and 16,000 members. Most of our members work on college campuses with career services responsibilities or in industry with talent recruitment responsibilities. We also have members who provide a service or product that both employers and colleges can benefit from,” McClellan said. NACE provides tools, education, and


programming to help those in the profes- sions carry out their day-to-day charges where they work. “We also provide opportunities for our


48 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2023


members to network and connect with oth- ers in the profession,” he explains. NACE hosts an annual conference that is the pre- mier career services event of the year, and its research may be among the top reasons NACE members remain engaged. “Our research team publishes an annual


salary survey, student survey, and more. I’m also thrilled that our research team has recently published a number of Research Briefs that tackle the DEIB concepts income inequity, caregivers, recruiting for equity at HBCUs [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] and beyond, and others,” Mc- Clellan said. As for the immediate future, he said there


is no shift coming that would take NACE away from its core values, vision, mission, or commitments to the Black community and anti-racism, which are all listed on our website (www.naceweb.org) and Annual DEIB Report.


Why DEIB Is Important McClellan said the role of DEIB is crucial when it comes to employers recruiting and before that how they approach recruiting to begin with. NACE, for instance, just hosted a Mi-


nority Service Institutions (MSI) Showcase in April because including MSIs in the workforce recruiting approach “is one way to accomplish what you are talking about in senior living,” he said. “Including HBCUs, Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI), Hispanic Serving Institu- tions (HSI), Asian American Native Amer- ican Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), and Tribal Colleges and Uni- versities (TCU) in the workforce recruiting strategy is wise because these schools have been identified by the U.S. Dept. of Edu-


cation as schools with significant volumes of students that identify as the classifications sug- gests,” McClellan said.


“In most cases,


engaging with MSI’s means partnering with schools that celebrate their stu- dents’ identities and culture. That puts the goal of connecting with diverse students within reach.” The second part of the solution, he said,


Kacheyta McClellan Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NCAE)


is to be transparent on your intent and clear on who the best college contacts are to help you achieve your goals. “This will vary across institutions. In all


cases, begin with the career center if the school has one. It’s important to remember that diverse students go to Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) too, just like I did. Being transparent on your intent with your contacts at PWIs can also net good results,” he said. Granted, an employer may encounter a


contact that’s uncomfortable helping you connect with a diverse population. But it’s highly likely that the school has great di- verse students. “Your contact may not be comfortable


helping you because they might not know how to. If this happens, I encourage you to be patient with your contact but not to pivot to an approach that doesn’t make sense for your goals. Perhaps that person will need to ask someone who’s been at the school a longer how to deliver on your request,” McClellan noted.


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