Question of the Week: What kind of barriers do companies have to keep in mind when they seek to diversify their workforces?

My last trip of this year before we stopped traveling was when I went to visit LinkedIn’s headquarters. LinkedIn is doing some great work in the network gap. They’ve really broken it down into three basic areas. First, where you grow up. A member of a ZIP code with a median income of over $100,000 was nearly three times more likely to have a stronger network than a member in a lower zip code. Second, a member at a top school is nearly two times more likely to have a strong network; and third, a member who works at a top company is another two times more likely to have a strong network. If you hit all three, you are twelve times more likely to have a strong network than someone who doesn’t. Think about that. All of us at some point in our lives have called someone to share your resume with, or if you were in trouble you could call someone to get some help, or if you were trying to get a promotion somewhere, you had people you could talk to.