Corporations ‘increased’ interest in hiring diverse candidates after killing of George Floyd: Year Up CEO

Year Up CEO, Gerald Chertavian, joins 'Influencers with Andy Serwer' to discuss what U.S. companies are doing to address inequality in business.

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ANDY SERWER: Have you seen increased interest by companies, given the emphasis being placed in corporate America on diversity, equity and inclusion say over the past year or so?

GERALD CHERTAVIAN: Very much so. Following George Floyd's murder on May 25, many organizations saw the work we're doing and really made that link, that economic justice is racial justice. And providing young adults with a chance to get economic mobility, in specifically the communities we serve, is part of racial equity. So we've seen an increase in interest from organizations as they look to build more pluralistic societies, increase their diversity, and I'm hopeful that that trend is one that will persist and grow.

Because this is not just about diversity, this is about building a stronger company, a company that makes better decisions. The fact is, diverse organizations perform better. So this is not about representation in and of itself, it's about building great competitive creative companies that can problem solve and help their companies be competitive.

ANDY SERWER: Was it difficult at first to get companies on board though, Gerald?

GERALD CHERTAVIAN: Andy, when I started Year Up, I would have walked over broken glass on my hands and knees for a quarter of a mile to get one company to say yes. This was back in 2000. So the reality is, is I started with a business plan and nothing else. And so talking to big companies, some of our early founding partners, saying, will you take interns, they said, well, have you done this before? No. Have you ever run a nonprofit before? No. Have you trained anyone in these skills before? No. Why should I believe you?

And I said, you know, I have had about 20, 30 years experience working with young people as an avocation, right, on weekends, through programs like Big Brothers, and I know, and I can guarantee you, if you just give these young adults an opportunity, you are going to be delighted. And I tell you, from the CEOs of the largest companies in this country would go on record to say they are delighted with our young adults and want to hire more of those young people to help their companies be stronger.