Insight on Business

June 2014

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10 | I nsIgh t • J u n e 2 0 14 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m UP FRONT R e g i o n a l R o u n d u p » 1 1 F a c e T i m e » 1 5 C o n n e c t i o n s » 1 8 "It's very nice to have something you can open up and plug in to, especially if you're coming for a job and you don't have an established social network already." – Celestine Jeffreys, diversity manager at the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce CompanIes In the new north know they can attract talent to the region by offering a good job, excellent benefits and a great lifestyle. But prospective employees also need a sense of belonging, and members of minority communities might wonder if they'll find it in the predominately white region. at's why the new north attract, retain and Develop talent Committee, along with the green Bay area Chamber of Commerce and the City of appleton, developed a comprehensive diversity guide to help companies recruit talent and to help minority residents easily locate businesses and services that meet their needs. It's easy for businesses to just send the link to prospective employees, says Celestine Jeffreys, diversity manager at the green Bay area Chamber of Commerce. "It's very nice to have something B y N i k k i K a l l i o Diverse talent New North guide provides index of resources for multicultural residents you can open up and plug in to, especially if you're coming for a job and you don't have an established social network already," Jeffreys says. But the guide is really for everyone, offering community residents a way to learn about and explore multicultural resources in the region, she says. "one should not assume that just because one is from India that someone's not interested in country music, for instance." Currently, the guide features resources for african-american, hmong, Indian and Latino residents. e committee plans to expand the guide to include others, such as the LgBt community. e guide is important particularly for companies seeking to recruit minority candidates to help accurately identify the services available to them in the area, such as barber shops and beauty shops that specialize in cutting african-american hair, says Kathy Flores, appleton diversity coordinator. ose services might not be readily apparent or information might be inaccurate. a previous green Bay guide, for example, included hair salons that didn't actually work on african-american hair, Jeffreys says. Companies were chosen for inclusion in the new north Diversity guide partially by word of mouth – asking people who belong to those communities where they shopped and obtained their services, Jeffreys says. e guide lists not only minority- owned businesses but businesses that cater to specific needs that particular communities might have, such as spaces for large gatherings. "ere are several communities in our country – hmong people, somali people, people from eritrea, and also some people from India – who, when there's a celebration, everyone in the N ew North's Regional Guide: Resources for Multicultural Residents can be found at www.thenewnorth.com/living-here/ diversity-resources. There is a general guide and those specific to Green Bay-Appleton or Oshkosh- Fond du Lac. To suggest additional resources for inclusion in the guide, contact Celestine Jeffreys at cjeffreys@titletown.org or Kathy Flores at Kathy.Flores@appleton.org. "The way we keep people here is by showing that our community is actually diverse and interesting. Even in polka and beer and brats – that's part of what's diverse and interesting about the area, but there's a lot more to it than just that." – Ce l e s t i n e J e f f reys, d i ve r s i t y m a n a g e r at t h e G re e n B ay Are a Ch a m b e r o f Co m m e rce Access the guides

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