Annual Engaged Employer Symposium Returns In-Person

Seattle University’s annual Engaged Employer Symposium (EES) is a day of learning for recruiters, hiring managers, colleagues and community members.

Presented by the Career Engagement Office, the event is 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., Monday, August 8 at the Student Center. This is the fifth year of the symposium, which is designed to deepen attendees’ sense of accountability in moving themselves, teams and organizations forward.

By leveraging the university’s Jesuit and Catholic foundation and using the LIFT SU framework, the EES gathers employer partners and SU community members to facilitate discussions on critical issues affecting college recruiting, such as accountability in diversity, inclusive and equitable hiring practices, intersectionality and unlearning harmful actions.

All who attend will have an opportunity to hear from industry leaders, current students and alumni, as well as networking and connecting with other professionals throughout the day. Each will leave the symposium with skills, tools and the mindset for practicing equitable, inclusive and belonging in their organizations.

“Inclusive and equitable workplaces don’t happen by chance,” says Carol Lwali, director of Career Engagement.

Lwali says an uptick in organizations wanting to increase or advance their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace is visible. “A part of that is connected to their talent pipeline and early career employees,” she says. “Add to that, our office sees hundreds of students annually for career coaching.”

She notes “college students and graduates—the future workforce—are selective and want an equitable, engaged and socially just workplace culture. They are seeking workplaces that not only value diversity, but treat it as a source of creativity, innovation and strength.”

“Engaging in equity practice is a lifetime of work. It requires thoughtful, deliberate, reflection from which to draw responsibility,” Lwali continues. “To address and disrupt oppressive systems, choose to move beyond conversations and into actions. Amid the changes of the past two years, opportunities for greater transparency and accountability have emerged, leading employers to revisit and adapt their talent development and engagement strategies.”

Tiered ticket pricing is available to suit each attendees’ needs and includes lunch.

For more information about the Engaged Employer Symposium and to register (deadline is August 1), visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/engaged-employer-symposium-2022-tickets-377004700207.