The Toigo Foundation: Our partner in building a diverse organization

Human Resources is where responsibility for people and culture lies, and where I have the opportunity to make a difference at BlackRock. Learn how the Talent Acquisition function within HR was able to pivot during the pandemic and work with an esteemed diversity organization to bring value to employees.

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The world we live in is rapidly changing, and for BlackRock to maintain a competitive advantage, we must grow and change with it. From our processes to our people, we continue to challenge ourselves by reexamining internal and external business practices to grow our firm. We rely on data to help drive business decisions, and most importantly, we don’t assume we know everything or have every answer.

We are innovators. In talent acquisition, that means constantly reinventing how we attract, engage, assess, hire and onboard talent. One way we do this is through external partnerships, which have been a significant catalyst for growth. They provide market insights to help inform our recruiting, platforms for us to engage with their membership, professional development opportunities for BlackRock employees, and access to talented candidates. They are instrumental in our engagement with diverse talent in niche businesses. And beyond being advocates for diversity themselves, they understand BlackRock’s principles and commitment to inclusion and diversity. These qualities make for great partners and serve as criteria for us when we seek to partner with new organizations.

Diversity Partner Spotlight

The Robert Toigo Foundation, more commonly referred to as ‘The Toigo Foundation’ or simply ‘Toigo,’ meets all of our criteria. This organization’s mission is to “transform the performance of forward-thinking organizations through education and strategies that drive greater inclusion and the ongoing development and promotion of exceptional diverse leaders.” Their target audience and membership come from underrepresented demographics within finance: from corporations to entrepreneurship, and from post-graduate MBAs to senior professionals and executive management.

In other words, Toigo brings together institutions and individuals to facilitate a more diverse, inclusive and profitable future for all stakeholders. And BlackRock has proudly worked with this organization for more than 15 years, having built a long-lasting relationship that started in 2004.

Since partnering, we’ve have had the privilege of sponsoring and providing speakers for conferences and events, championing their Women in Leadership initiatives, recruiting experienced professionals from their network, and relying on them as a resource to support diverse professionals at our firm.

“In contrast to many other Wall Street firms, BlackRock continues to be an active proponent of inclusion and diversity – not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because the firm’s leadership recognizes that incorporating diverse talent produces superior results. BlackRock’s continued support of Toigo – in being an active sponsor and patron, encouraging staff to attend its events, and hiring its alumni – make me proud, as both an employee and former Toigo fellow.”
William Im, Vice President, Opportunistic Credit

2020 Forward

In 2020, COVID-19 changed all our lives. It pushed BlackRock into a hiring pause and forced us to find new, creative ways to meet business gaps and partner with external organizations. Toigo was able to align with our shift to focus on internal talent. We worked with them to host two professional development workshops: Managing Visibility with Dr. Stacy Blake-Beard and The Future You with Joanna Bloor. Managing Visibility helped employees learn how to strike a balance between blending in and standing out and gain awareness around how we are perceived by others. Participants then developed a personal profile that balances their “internal” and “external” personas. The Future You motivated employees to take agency over how they talk about themselves and communicate their unique value proposition to peers and managers, and how to balance both their expertise and experience with future-focused potential.

Both workshops were designed to be interactive and introspective, helping BlackRock employees uncover or further develop skills they need to be successful in their roles.

In 2021, COVID-19 will continue to challenge us. Still, we will be resilient in the face adversity and find more ways to invest in our employees through innovative partnerships with organizations like Toigo.