Events
The Road to Retention: Dismantling the Biases and Barriers that Block Success
June 24, 2008
4:30 PM - 7:00 PM CDTThe Schiff Hardin LLP Diversity Committee welcomes Dr. Freada Kapor Klein from the Level Playing Field Institute.
The 2007 Corporate Leaders Survey, conducted by the Level Playing Field Institute, reveals that each year 2 million professionals and managers leave their jobs, pushed out by the cumulative effect of small comments, mistaken identity, bullying and not-so-funny emails. These hidden biases become barriers to retention and replacement of professionals, at an estimated cost of $64 billion annually — a price tag exceeding the cumulative settlements for all sex- and race-based lawsuits reported by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1997 to 2006.
Dr. Freada Kapor Klein's presentation includes:
- An overview of hidden bias and how it leads to barriers in professional services firms, especially law firms,
- The percentage of women, people of color and gays and lesbians that leave solely due to unfairness,
- The specific behaviors most closely correlated with one's decision to leave,
- The effects of unfairness upon reputation costs both from the client and recruitment standpoint, and
- Specific actions employers could have taken to reduce turnover.
The presentation will also include data and real video stories from lawyers who voluntarily left their employer due to unfairness. They yield valuable insights in understanding the specific impact of unfairness and in identifying effective recruitment, development and retention strategies. Dr. Klein will also review innovative tools, which combine neuroscience, the latest technology and psychology, to identify and remove hidden biases before they become barriers in the workplace.
This event takes place in the Schiff Hardin 66th Floor Conference Center. For more information, see the event mini-site.
