About

Lila Kelly Associates, LLC provides diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and human resources management consulting to K-12 and higher education, government, healthcare, non-profit and private organizations. We help clients manage the challenges of a changing workforce by strategically integrating DEI into their recruiting, interviewing, hiring, management and retention practices. Lila has authored and provides books, online training courses, blended learning training, and a train-the-trainer program on this topic.

About Lila Kelly
Lila’s combined background in the fields of DEI, human resources management, and career transition gives her a unique perspective on social inequities that exist in the hiring process. She now guides organizations through the complex and often cloudy challenges of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce in a rapidly changing job market and workplace. She started Lila Kelly Associates in 1992 and DiversityIntegration.com in 2015.

Personal Story
Growing up in a small town in Minnesota didn’t seem to offer much diversity. Sure, two of my best friends were the only African American and Asian American kids in my class, but we were kids and never talked about our differences. That is, until many years later.

I was shocked to hear some of the things that happened to them that I was unaware of as a child. This opened my eyes to a whole new world and, in 1992, started me down the path of diversity. The word “diversity” had just started being used and the “diversity” movement was just beginning around that time. As my understanding of social inequities deepened and the impact changing demographics were going to have on the workplace and in our communities, my commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion grew.

As I continue on this journey, I realize that gender, economic class, abilities, and white privilege are all part of my own diversity. They all affect the way that I am perceived and how I perceive others. Having traveled this path for over 25 years allows me to relate to where others are and assist them in their journeys with diversity. I realize that this is a life-long process as our world continues to change.

Background
Lila Kelly, Principal of Lila Kelly Associates and DiversityIntegration.com, has over 25 years’ experience in the areas of DEI, hiring, recruitment, HR management, and career transition. She has worked with organizations to provide DEI education, assessment and strategic action planning; coach DEI practitioners; design structured and inclusive interview processes and centralize recruitment efforts.

Lila has taught college courses on Managing a Diverse Workforce, where she supervised over 100 adult working students in performing organizational assessments and creating strategic DEI action plans for their organizations. Teaching these courses grounded her in the diversity action planning process, and since then she has consulted with several organizations to identify and strategically work toward their DEI goals.

Lila Understands the Diverse Perspectives of Interviewers, Job Applicants and Employees
With her research and many years of experience working with interviewers, job seekers and diverse employees, she integrates all of these diverse perspectives in her work.

She has incorporated this expertise into her books and online trainings on diversity hiring – Integrating Diversity & Inclusion into the Hiring Process. Her material presents a unique approach that allows recruiters, interviewers and hiring managers to see through the eyes of diverse applicants, including racial/ethnic, gay/lesbian, and disabilities perspectives. These diverse perspectives offer insights into applicants’ experiences from the receiving side of unconscious bias and cultural misunderstandings, along with their suggestions for positive change.

Community Involvement
• Served on several boards, including: VP of Diversity and Inclusion on the Human Resource Professionals of Minnesota board, STEP Academy Charter School, Chair of the Catholic Charities Office of Social Justice Campaign for Human Development.
• Leads a monthly diversity discussion group for almost 20 years, which is open to the public.
• Served on planning committees for diversity conferences and events.
• Presented on diversity hiring at conferences, professional luncheon meetings and career fairs.
• Facilitated job-ready programs for three nonprofit organizations working with diverse groups of low-income people.

Prior Experience and Education
Prior to starting her own business, Lila worked as a Human Resource Director and Recruiting Manager for a computer consulting company. She holds a Masters in Human Development from St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis and a B.A. in Business Management and Communications from Metro State University, St. Paul, MN.

Professional Associates
Lila also collaborates with a network of professionals to offer clients customized solutions in a variety of areas, including:

• Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Assessment
• Intercultural Conflict Style (ICS) Inventory Assessment
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Human Resources

SBE and WBE certified business in Minnesota