Students in Dr. Steve Safier and Tina Anderson’s Integrated Talent Management Strategies class were privileged to have a visit from guest speaker Dr. Jennifer Goez, Executive Director, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Development, at Morgan Stanley. Dr. Goez visited the class during the Summer 2022 session to share her expertise driving D&I in complex organizations.
Dr. Goez recently joined Morgan Stanley, having spent more than a decade in academia. She described her excitement at having the opportunity to apply her expertise and experience in overseeing diversity and inclusion programs at the Firm. As Dr. Goez explained, at Morgan Stanley, there is an expectation for solutions that have near-term impact, combined with a focus on humanistic values. These goals need to be applied in a thoughtful way, with a constant focus on “application” and measurable success.
As Dr. Goez notes, “Everyone agrees D&I is important to an organization, but how do we go about doing it right?” Ultimately, she said, the purpose of this work is to support each individual colleague to ensure they are able to achieve their goals. Performance assessment and coaching are two powerful tools HCM professionals can use to support colleagues. Developing managers as inclusive leaders is another important strategy.
Improving D&I can start with recruitment and selection. Dr. Goez suggests that organizations:
- Use internal data to understand gaps.
- Change language in job descriptions to be more inclusive.
- Post job descriptions where a more diverse group might tend to job search.
- Identify a diverse group of colleagues to review resumes and interview candidates.
- Be open to going outside of traditional ideas of who might be a successful hire.
Dr. Goez discussed how outreach to community colleges and local high schools can help to add depth and breadth to the recruitment pool, and she pointed to the ways Morgan Stanley interns are included in the business from Day 1 – with access to leadership and meaningful projects. (Coincidentally, one of our students agreed, having been an intern at Morgan Stanley.)
Although D&I can be a U.S.-centric discussion, Dr. Goez points out that global organizations must strive to understand the D&I priorities, languages, and nuances in specific regions. Morgan Stanley has partners around the globe who lead D&I efforts. She recommended the book, Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations by Rohini Anand as a resource for understanding and addressing global D&I concerns and solutions.
When asked to share career advice, she told the class:
- Do your homework – understand the business and how to add value.
- Have a POV – leaders want you to have an opinion because you are in “the seat.”
- Be open to learning– always continuously learn.
Dr. Goez adds, “Persist, be resilient, and never give up on yourself.” We are grateful to Dr. Goez for her insights and advice, and for sparking a thoroughly engaging discussion.
