Penn State Health/College of Medicine Diversity Interview "Rooney" Rule for Senior Leadership Searches
Challenge
Penn State Health and College of Medicine's was committed to increasing the diversity of its senior leadership team.
Actions
The Penn State Health/College of Medicine Diversity Interview "Rooney" Rule (the Rule) is designed to increase racial, gender, veteran and disability diversity in the applicant and candidate pools for senior leadership positions and to decrease the potential impact of unconscious bias in the selection process. Application of the rule is dependent on the national representation of potential applicants in the relevant field or discipline. For external searches, the interview pool representation for senior leadership positions must include an individual of color, a female (where applicable), an individual with military service, or an individual with a disability, where there is a demonstrated national representation of potential applicants in the relevant fields/disciplines.
Outcomes
For senior leadership searches filled over a 31 month period prior to application of the Rule, 27% of the hires were women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, or individuals with military service. Since application of the Rule, for senior leadership searches filled over a 9 month period, 100% of the hires have been women, minorities, individuals with disabilities or individuals with military service.
Contact
Lynette Chappell-Williams
Quote
Our organization is diverse in so many ways – not just our races, ethnicities and sexual orientations, but also in our generations, our military and community service, our religions, our abilities and disabilities, our life experiences, our languages. My hope is that we value and seek diverse perspectives, as they will point us toward excellence in patient care, education, research and community outreach.