Initiate an affinity peer mentoring program.

Unlike traditional mentoring programs where a senior individual mentors a junior one, affinity peer mentoring focuses on building relationships between peers that share characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, or professional goals.

A good program has a strong structure that prioritizes professional development and support, safe spaces for growth, and community building.

Prioritize how solutions can become a part of your retention strategy.

Review your exit interviews at regular intervals and disaggregate the data by race, gender, and sexual orientation. 

Conduct stay interviews that assess employee job satisfaction as well as why employees are staying with your organization. This will allow you to identify why women of color, specifically Black women, are leaving or choosing to stay at your organization.

Recognize the power of mentorship on the career trajectories of Black women.

Black women are often left out of mentorship opportunities due to a lack of mentors they resonate with. Actively seeking and building a mentorship network helps level the playing field for Black women and others that are underrepresented in leadership roles.