Trinity Johnson’s (B’23) New Model for Hiring

For businesses that want to expand their efforts in DEI, hiring practices are often a smart place to start. For instance, they can examine both the implicit biases of hiring managers (we all have them) and the processes by which employees are recruited, onboarded, and promoted.

This is what drives Trinity Johnson (B’23) as people operations manager at the MSB Tech Center (MSBTC). Johnson, a management major and sociology minor, is in her fourth year working for MSBTC, one of the largest student employers on campus. Johnson applied for — and did not get — a manager position in 2022. Instead of bemoaning the missed opportunity, she became proactive. 

“I noted some concerns and reservations about the process, and historical patterns around the Tech Center,” Johnson says. “Historically, we’ve been the highest-paying job on campus, so it needs to be an equitable opportunity and better aligned with how businesses approach DEI.”

She proposed her new role, and with the support of key leadership, started the job in 2022. Now she’s helping improve the hiring side of the interview process by educating on hiring bias and focusing on core competencies, as well as DEI. On the employee side, she has partnered with affinity groups across campus to help broaden the future talent pool. She also created an interview prep guide for students who have limited interview experience in their past.

“We want to figure out a way to set an example at the Tech Center for what a student organization can look like with inclusive hiring practices,” Johnson says.