This year the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) is hosting its first Talent Development Summit. The talk is very focused around acquiring, developing and retaining talent which is a great challenge faced by this industry. I attended the afternoon session “Examining Our Industry’s Value Proposition For Diverse Talent” where I had a chance to chat with one of the presenters Josy Laza Gallagher. Josy is a Senior Consultant for The Future Work Institute, Inc. and a veteran in the area of Human Resources. Josy's insights on diversity in the workforce give depth to this issue. Here’s our Q&A.

Paula: What shift have you seen in how organizations approach diversity today vs. ten years ago?

Josy: The shift I’ve see is that it’s being taken more seriously because of the issue of talent. Talent is very diverse and if they want to capture it they need to make an effort that will make it attractive.

Paula: In your experience what industry or company sets the standard for diversity?

Josy: IBM has always been a leader in terms of diversity. I think the foodservice and hospitality industry has always had a large population of diversity but they are not at the senior levels. So sometimes we have to be careful about numbers and know that if they are not in the leadership there may be a ceiling there.

Paula: As a minority, what key indicators should you look for before joining a company to make sure their culture fits you?

Josy: One of the indicators is whether there’s anyone that looks like you at the leadership level. Also, is there anyone you can mentor with? You also need to know that your voice will be heard and that your opinion counts. Everyone is looking for that but for women it’s been a slower growth.

Paula: Can joining the wrong company dead end your career?

Josy: I think all experiences are good and we learn from everything. If you go to work and find out it’s not a good fit you can always move on. One thing I’d never do is burn bridges; you should always keep that network.

Paula: How do you get yourself “noticed” in terms of upward mobility?

Josy: Find out what are some projects that you can volunteer for, be willing to do laterals because sometimes it‘s a step down that will get you ahead. Be willing to develop your portfolio of skills. Be willing to do various things and don’t get hung up on titles. In my personal experience some things have just fallen on my lap and you just learn as you go. You want people to know who you are and remember you.

Paula: If you work for a company with limited diversity how do you bring about change?

Josy: It depends on how you comport yourself and how comfortable people feel with you where they get to the point that they trust you. When they see the work ethic is there they make a decision to bring on someone else like you. In a way, it’s a bit of dispelling myths.