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After months of planning, Best Buy (BBY) is putting its money where its mouth is to improve diversity throughout the retail giant’s organization.

The company on Wednesday announced it would set aside $44 million to expand college prep and career opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). Specifics include investing more in Best Buy’s teen tech centers, creating a scholarship fund for teens in the retailer’s Twin Cities hometown, and offering 340 jobs across the company to teens. READ MORE AT YAHOO FINANCE

Families of color were already trailing their White peers in retirement savings. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, adding a further hurdle to retirement planning for minorities in the U.S.

More than 60% of Hispanic households are at risk of being unable to maintain their current standard of living in retirement, along with 54% of Black households and 48% of White households, according to the latest available data from the National Retirement Risk Index calculated by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. READ MORE AT CNBC

One of the many things the Black Lives Matter movement has done this year is to shine a bright light on diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace. And when you consider 66 per cent of FTSE 100 companies have all-white management teams and just 3.5 per cent of senior executives come from a BAME – Black, Asian and minority ethnic – background, you can start to see why. READ MORE AT RACONTEUR

With passion and flair, Latinas are rising up in business. Stanford Graduate School of Business data shows Latin-owned businesses could add $1.5 trillion to the U.S. economy. Check out this list of Latinas to Watch in 2021 from Pagne PR.

Crystal Garcia, Lateena Tees

Crystal couldn't find shirts that represented her. Lateena Tees embodies Crystal's desire to encourage Latina women to pursue big ideas. Crystal says, "Watching someone relate to the product brings me joy." READ MORE AT CISION

When America shut down during the start of the pandemic, many businesses struggled. But for a couple of Latina business owners in East Texas, surviving the pandemic wasn’t nearly as brutal as it could have been.

According to a study by Stanford University, Hispanic communities are strengthening American economies. Latin and immigrant entrepreneurs start more businesses than native-born Americans and grow revenue more quickly than the economy as a whole. READ MORE AT KTBS ABC

Plenty of offices will be empty until well into 2021, so there’s no time like the present to seek feedback from the boss and brush up on your skills.

To keep progressing professionally, reach out for feedback, polish your skills and stay visible (on Zoom, Slack or however you keep in touch with your bosses). READ MORE AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

A mountain of evidence over the past two decades shows that workforce diversity leads to measurable improvements in financial outcomes. That’s according to a recent report from The Center for Financial Planning, which explored the business case for diversity and inclusion. READ MORE AT BENEFITSPRO

Reaching Hispanics only becomes more and more important for credit unions as this segment of our nation’s population continues to grow.

Consider this: Hispanics accounted for 52% of the nation’s population growth from 2010 to 2019, according to the Pew Research Center, and the number of Hispanics in the U.S. reached 60.6 million in 2019, making up 18% of the total population.

Here are eight keys for success that we’ve learned so far. READ MORE AT CREDIT UNION TIMES

This is certainly a year that is different than any other. Many things have changed, as has job searching. And job searching during the holiday season is certainly different this year. Here are four ways holiday networking and job searching is different and how you can make the best of it to still land your next role during this season and before 2021 starts.

The key to holiday networking in a pandemic is to be deliberate and make plans to reach out to people—new and familiar. And then follow through on your reach out plan. This year may be different…but it doesn’t have to be unsocial if you put in some effort. These tips should help. READ MORE AT AZBIGMEDIA

Digital Trends compiles a list every year of the most influential Hispanic leaders in the technology industry.

We highlight the work of those men and women holding important positions at companies both enormous and tiny, people doing everything possible to make sure that the Hispanic community is best represented in the technology industry. Without further ado, we present this year’s winners. READ MORE AT DIGITAL TRENDS

#Business #Technology #News #STEM #Tech #Latinx #Hispanic #Latino

Facing the global crisis of Covid-19, Latino businesses have shown to be a great economic powerhouse for the U.S. According to statistics from the study, The Ongoing Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Owned Businesses, from Stanford Graduate School Of Business, 88% of these companies have the necessary cash flow to face more than 6 months in this situation. READ MORE AT THE SOUTHERN MARYLAND CHRONICLE

#Hispanic #Entrepreneur #Business #Economy #USA

Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the health and economic consequences of the pandemic, including experiencing a disproportionately high percent of Covid-19 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latinos are three times more likely to become infected with the virus and nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized than non-Hispanic whites. READ MORE AT CNBC

#Latinos #health #Latinx #Hispanic #News

A business thrives on connection. Whether those connections are with customers, clients, suppliers, or colleagues, the relationships we form in the business arena provide resources and opportunities to promote your business. 

As is commonly acknowledged, employees are some of a company’s most important assets. Employee engagement is a fundamental business principle that supports a strong business and business continuity. Investment in employee engagement as part of your philosophy will strengthen your company and lead to growth opportunities.

Developing Engaged Employees

Professional development in employees is vital for building your business, supporting business continuity, and engaging your employees. Providing training opportunities such as access to courses on office resources, technology, and business processes outside of the standard job training gives employees the chance to explore other development areas and better understand the intersection of their role with different company roles. This cross training strengthens the company as employees can shift into other positions on an as-needed basis or lead the way to internal professional advancement within the company when the fit is right to transition an employee to a new role. It is better to have a solid team in place and enhance their skills with professional development to help move the business forward rather than scramble for a replacement should the unexpected happen.

Professional development opportunities you may want to consider for your employees include:

• Internal cross-training 
• Tuition assistance for certification or degree programs
• Attendance at industry conferences and workshops
• Online training programs developing leadership and communication skills through development vendors

Supporting Employees Well-Being

Happy and healthy employees are stronger assets to a business. Employees now look for additional benefits that, at one time, seemed unconventional. These well-being benefits include supporting employee mental health through wellness programs such as EAPs or counseling resources and physical health through gym reimbursements and fitness event reimbursements. Organizing or sponsoring in-person activities such as a retreat, group activity, or a team fitness event is a great way to promote employee connection, engagement, and well-being. Employees may also find volunteerism rewarding. Sponsoring opportunities to volunteer as a team increases employee engagement, team-work, and a sense of purpose in the broader community.

Creating Social Engagement While Distant

In today’s reality of remote offices and social distancing, opportunities to engage, socialize, and relax together have diminished. We crave socialization both in our personal and our professional lives. Employees who can socialize in a work-sponsored environment can increase their connections to their colleagues, strengthen a team-oriented environment, and help their company thrive.

With many employees working from home or socially distant due to the pandemic, we miss out on the quick opportunities to chat over a cup of coffee or organically brainstorm business solutions. Providing social engagement opportunities keeps the door to communication open among employees and encourages employees to reach out to one another when there are opportunities to collaborate.

Some ideas to promote social engagement while distant include:

• Virtual Trivia: Virtual trivia events can be held either with a professional trivia company or with someone from your office who can organize an event. This allows employees to have friendly competition and connect outside the working context and build relationships.
• Recipe exchanges for the holidays: Holidays certainly look different this year, but encouraging recipe exchanges among employees can foster relationships and conversation. 
• Sharing Photos/Videos: while we are distant, sharing photos can help “put a face to the name” and encourage connections that reach across business unit teams and foster professional relationships and team collaboration.

Authenticity in Engagement

Authenticity in employee engagement will bring rewards to the business, leadership, and employees. Being authentic in your desire to develop and engage employees is an important first step in guiding your plans. If you do not know where to start, ask a trusted employee for ideas on where to start. A genuine interest in developing your employees will lead to the answers and opportunities that will strengthen your business and provide continuity going forward.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues without a foreseeable end in sight, many people, particularly those in the biotech field, are wondering if it’s a strategic move to stay put or change careers.

While it may seem counterintuitive to give up a reliable job when hundreds of thousands of people are contracting the virus or losing their jobs due to the pandemic, there’s actually no time like the present to seek out a new career. READ MORE AT BIOSPACE

You’re stuck working from home, but does your career need to be stuck, too? Worried about keeping employees safe, many companies are pushing return-to-office dates deep into next year, so workers face more months toiling from spare bedrooms and kitchen tables.

To keep progressing professionally, reach out for feedback, polish your skills and stay visible (on Zoom, Slack or however you keep in touch with your bosses). READ MORE AT THE BALTIMORE SUN

If you want to experience meaningful career success, you need to be thoughtful and intentional about your next career move. Start with a focus on the three factors below.

Surely 2020 will be one for the record books. This year has presented myriad challenges for employees at every level, and the pandemic economy has left many feeling insecure in their chosen careers. READ MORE AT FORBES

America's jobs recovery continued in October, as jobs were added for a sixth straight month and the unemployment rate fell further, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed Friday.

The economy added 638,000 jobs last month, more than economists had expected, even though it was a slowdown from the prior months.

The unemployment rate fell to 6.9% from 7.9% in September. It had been the highest jobless rate going into a presidential election. READ MORE AT CNN BUSINESS

October 29^th is Latina Equal Pay Day—a day designed to highlight pay disparities between Latina’s and white, non-Hispanic men. Latinas earn 55 cents for every dollar made by their white male counterparts. In order to close this gap, it will take awareness on the part of corporations as well as structural and systemic changes.

Two Latina women shared their experiences in the workplace and offer advice for how we can begin to close the wage gap and create more equity. READ MORE AT FORBES

Remote learning may have changed the way students currently live and operate. But virtual networking is still possible and can be just as effective for landing your first opportunity after college.

Here are four ways you can bolster your online network this school year.

1. Connect with Prospective Employers

Here’s a simple virtual networking strategy almost any student or recent graduate can use: commit to writing three individualized emails (don’t copy and paste) to prospective employers every weekday until you find your first lead or job. READ MORE AT AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY

In recent months, the words “diversity” and “inclusion” have become the focus for improving the workplace and ensuring equitable treatment of employees.

But those words – when put into practice – also translate into developing a highly productive workforce, said the director of Army Materiel Command’s Office of Diversity and Leadership.

Speaking to AMC’s Equal Employment directors and managers, Paula Taylor encouraged creating a government work environment where employees feel comfortable to suggest innovative ideas, show initiative and develop themselves as leaders. READ MORE AT U.S. ARMY