Pioneering Course Teaches How Big Data Analytics Can Advance Workplace Diversity and Inclusion

While hiring and maintaining a diverse workforce are widely known to be a critical drivers of innovation and competitiveness, many companies admit they fall short of their goals. In the summer of 2015, the New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering is offering a seven-session course, Managing Diversity & Inclusion: An Analytic & Behavioral Approach, aimed at human resource professionals seeking to drive innovation and attract, engage, and retain the best talent.

The 1.5-credit course in the Department of Technology Management and Innovation will be taught by Dr. Brian Levine, partner and innovation leader for workforce strategy and analytics at Mercer, a global consulting leader in talent, health, retirement, and investments, and will feature other well known experts from the Mercer team.

During the course, Levine will discuss both analytical and behavioral approaches including interventions in addressing an organization’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) goals and will focus on measuring D&I as well as the factors driving its success, the empirical validation of the impact of D&I, and how management of D&I can be optimized through workforce analytics. Students will review data in a hands-on manner to discern the stories of D&I inside of organizations and learn to craft clear strategies to optimize results.

Levine, one of the keynote speakers at the a recent conference organized by the Department of Technology Management and Innovation, says, “Mercer’s research shows organizations that are focused on holistic solutions to build diversity are most successful—and organizations applying predictive analytics to link specific programs and talent strategies to the advancement, engagement, and retention of women are most effective.”

Managing Diversity & Inclusion: An Analytic & Behavioral Approach will be held each Thursday for seven weeks, with the first session taking place on July 9, 2015. Classes will run from 6:00 to 9:00pm (EDT) and will take place at the NYU School of Engineering in Downtown Brooklyn’s MetroTech Center.  The course will also be available online, allowing class participation from home or work.  Visiting student applications are being accepted until 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, June 22.

For more information or to register as a visiting student, visit: http://engineering.nyu.edu/academics/online/courses/mg-gy-9781. 

Professor of Management Harold G. Kaufman, who serves as the academic director of the school’s cutting-edge Organizational Behavior, Systems and Analytics program, says, “Dr. Brian Levine and his team at Mercer are  at the forefront of leveraging workforce analytics to drive progress, build innovative D&I strategies, and chart the gains in profitability that strong D&I efforts can bring. He has a wealth of experience and has led engagements in a multitude of sectors, including financial services, healthcare, insurance, technology, and higher education. We are grateful that Dr. Levine and his Mercer team are lending their time and expertise to this valuable course offering.”

For more information on the Organizational Behavior, Systems and Analytics program in the Department of Technology Management and Innovation, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu/academics/programs/organizational-behavior-systems-and-analytics-ms.

For more information about Mercer’s capabilities in workforce analytics and planning, visit the Mercer Strategic Workforce Planning site.