Tinisha Bookhart has been in IT and staffing for 20 years and has had a firsthand view of the lack of representation and diversity in the industry. “As a Black woman, diversity, equity and inclusion has been something that I’ve had to deal with all my life,” she says. “DE&I has always been something that I’ve been passionate about, but something that I feel like I’ve developed more of a passion for the longer I stay in the space, and the longer that I see that really over the last 20-plus years, nothing really has changed.”
Bookhart is a founding partner and director of IT Practice at Primary Talent Partners, which was founded on a commitment to diversity and inclusion. They ensure that their internal recruiting staff is representative of the demographic they target: 40% of Primary Talent Partners’ recruiters are Black. And all internal recruiters must complete an AIRS diversity recruiting course within 90 days of employment.
While Bookhart’s list of accomplishments is vast, one thing she’s very proud of is the mentorship program that Primary Talent Partners has created. Statistics state that Black STEM students drop out of school at rates close to 20% higher than their white classmates, and Primary Talent Partners is committed to standing in the gap and helping remove some of the barriers keeping Black STEM students from finishing college. To that end, Primary Talent Partners dedicates a percentage of its revenue to funding financial scholarships to help Black STEM students complete their degree. Once the student graduates college, Primary Talent Partners helps them find full-time employment. Bookhart is proud of how the mentorship program has grown and how they’ve broadened the program to provide scholarships to more students.
On the staffing side, Bookhart states that Primary Talent Partners has been able to onboard new clients who also value diversity and representation. “Unless we get really intentional about effecting change, [the ecosystem] will continue to look as it does today or as it did back then. So, that’s been my catalyst for really getting involved.”
2023 DE&I Influencers List