Category: D&I

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: ANNA TURNER

Posted on by suhlarik

ANNA TURNER
VP of Product

PEOPLESCOUT, U.S.

What do you actually do at PeopleScout day to day?
My role is to grow and lead technology product strategy. This includes the vision, strategy and roadmap for each of our products, as well as provide new offerings to meet the ever-changing needs of the talent space.

In addition to strategy and building great tech products, the other part of my role is growing and developing product people.

How long have you been at PeopleScout and what was your first position here? 

I’ve been here 3 months and my first role here is VP of Product.

What does leadership mean to you? 

Leadership to me means empowering teams and people to do their best possible work and achieve the strategic goals for the organization. Most importantly, for people-leaders, this means growing and developing people to meet their full potential. It is an honor to be a part of each person’s journey to achieve their career and life aspirations, whatever they may be. 

Do you have a leadership philosophy? If so, what is it? 

I don’t know that I have a philosophy, but I do have a style. My style is to trust and empower the teams I’m a part of to do their best work. Over my career, I’ve found the best ideas and solutions come from teams collaborating together by leveraging everyone’s unique perspectives, experiences and skills. Those environments of inclusivity and respect are like magic – you love the people you work with; you trust each other and you know you can overcome the challenges and hard days together.

Who is someone who has contributed to your success and how? 

There are so many people who have contributed to my success. There are three that come top of mind. 

My husband Matt has contributed greatly to my success. He is a wonderful partner and extremely supportive of my career.  We approach everything as a team to keep things moving with our family and careers. 

I worked for a fantastic executive, Kay Lucas, when my kids were young. My 2 boys were under the age of 4 during the several years I worked for her as a Product Manager.  That’s a tough season as a working mom – it’s often the season where women say this is just too hard and I can’t have a career in addition to my family right now. As a leader, she demonstrated empathy, provided a family-first environment while also empowering our teams to build great products. It was comforting to know she’d experienced the same season and challenges of working full-time with two small kids. She helped me grow and gave me opportunities I’m forever grateful for – things like teaching me how to present to an executive team, how to prep for a main stage keynote presentation, managing people, and how to prioritize my time. I’m grateful I not only worked for an incredible product leader and visionary, but another working mom who paved the way for the rest of us.

The other person who’s contributed to my success has been Nancy Sansom. She was an executive at both Benefitfocus and PeopleMatter where I worked early in my career.  She gave me opportunities to shine, pushed our teams to do great work and always leveled up the organization, skills and offerings. I’m especially grateful to have her mentorship today, as I’ve embarked on new challenges as my career has progressed – people management, negotiations, career decisions, building a great culture and operating at the executive level. She’s a great friend and mentor, who also cares deeply about her family and has demonstrated work, family and hobbies can be possible for a working mom. 

What barriers have you faced in your career and how did you overcome them? 

I’m a recovering people-pleaser. This was a big challenge for me very early in my career. I didn’t know how to set boundaries or work within constraints. I finally figured out the problem was more me than my boss or my company. A lot of women in my network also struggle with boundaries. After burning out, I studied a lot on the topic and asked for advice from other working moms around me. Over time, I got better about setting boundaries at work, leaving time for myself to recharge nights and weekends, truly taking vacation/PTO, and always keeping top of mind what my top priorities to move the business forward – those things I can only uniquely contribute in my role. I’m still a work-in-progress and have setbacks, but I’m proud of the significant progress I’ve made over the past 5 years.  

What can we all do to support women in leadership? 

I think there are a lot of little things we can all do to support women in leadership. Two super easy, tactical things:

  • In a post-COVID world when we are back in the office, think about team lunches instead of happy hours. For women with young kids, evenings are tough and may be the only part of the day they see their kids. Many women still carry the majority of childcare activities and thus COVID-19 has had a disproportional impact on working mothers. If you are a leader with control over the event, consider what might be possible during the workday to generate those same types of relationships and connections.
  • For Leaders: Consider your meetings, projects, and assignments – who’s getting the airtime, who’s getting to talk vs. not- this can be enlightening.  The more we level the playing field and give everyone a voice, the better it will be for diverse perspectives to emerge to generate the best possible solutions.

Diversity Sourcing: How to Recruit a Diverse Workforce

Posted on by edyson

Diversity, inclusion and equity are top of mind for many talent leaders and professionals. While much progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. Women and people of color are underrepresented in leadership positions, certain job categories, and entire industries. The wage gap is narrowing, but is not expected to close for quite some time. And for many, persistent injustices and systematic issues impact their lives far beyond the workplace.

Every employer has a responsibility to do their part to right these wrongs, and there is certainly no shortage of actions that could be taken right now to make an impact. We can start by building a more diverse talent pipeline that will feed into our workforce and provide more opportunities for people from underrepresented groups.

Many companies in several different industries still struggle to source diverse talent. One problem that persists is the lack of diverse professionals in the talent pipeline. Many fields suffer from their own version of the pipeline problem that has plagued the tech industry. A workforce that is diverse is more creative and innovative, research suggests.

Companies without a diverse pipeline will continue to hire the same groups of people, which will inhibit growth, progression and their competitive advantage. Being able to diagnose some of the causes of this problem can help organizations overcome this issue to create a more diverse workplace. What’s more, having a diverse set of employees can also attract a wider or untapped customer base, making your organization more profitable. In this article, we will cover strategies and best practices for sourcing diverse candidates.

Start with a Diversity Sourcing Audit

Diversity Sourcing

With any process or procedural changes, you need a sound business case for changing your approach. That is why it is always worth looking at your organization as a whole (job functions, processes, departments, markets) to find concrete ways in which bringing on board a more diverse workforce is likely to make a positive impact.

A diversity sourcing audit can help you in the following ways:

  • It informs which areas to prioritize. You have a general goal of diversifying your workforce across the board. Yet at the same time, you’ve identified that more diversity could be especially welcome in your customer service and marketing departments. Over in your technical department meanwhile, you are struggling to find suitably skilled people to fill key roles. These departments might be prime areas to focus your efforts.
  • It avoids you adopting a “quotas for quotas sake” approach. If you focus on how and why greater diversity in your workforce might benefit your business, it becomes possible to go about it in a way that benefits everyone.
  • It makes it easier to achieve buy-in. Establishing a strong organization-specific case for greater workplace diversity makes it more likely that key players within the organization (the board, departmental heads, all those involved in the selection and interviewing process) will take it seriously.

Diversity Sourcing and Institutions

how to recruit diverse candidates

Often, when organization’s begin a diversity sourcing program the easiest thing for many organizations is to source talent from local colleges and universities. While this strategy could save time, money and resources, it may result in a homogenous group of candidates in the talent pool. Expanding the search to more diverse colleges and universities can expand and widen the pool and increase the likelihood of finding candidates with a skill set that matches the open positions that must be filled.

Searching at historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic and Latino organizations, or professional groups like the National Association of Asian American Professionals, LGBT Meeting Professionals Association and Women For Hire are all great resources for sourcing a diverse candidate. Many professional groups have job boards where recruiters can post open roles.

Employee Referrals Are Key in Recruiting Diverse Candidates

Enlisting your employees through an employee referral program is a great way to source diverse talent. If you notice a lack of underrepresented groups in your talent pipeline, seek assistance from your diverse employees. For example, a woman in the STEM space is likely to know other women in STEM, and may also help your recruiters gain inroads into professional organizations representing women in STEM.

Employee referrals can also help lower your recruitment costs and may increase employee engagement. Because it’s so easy for an employee referral system to lead to preferential treatment and unconscious bias, particular attention and emphasis should be placed on identifying individuals from underrepresented groups.

Diversity Sourcing Strategy

Recruiters, Sourcing Tools and Hiring for Diversity

diverse candidates

Recruiters are human and may come with their own set of unconscious biases. Implementing technology into the recruitment process can help decrease the unconscious bias that may take place during diversity recruitment.

For instance, if you find that there’s a large drop in minority candidates moving between the onsite interview and skill assessment, unconscious bias training may be in order. Follow your data closely so you can make more informed decisions and continue making progress on your organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. What’s more, you should also build a team of recruiters who hail from a wide range of backgrounds.

There are also websites and job boards such as Jopwell that allow diversity recruiters to advertise open roles to a diverse pool of candidates.

Engagement Best Practices for Diversity Sourcing

Once you have a slate of diverse candidates, it is time to restructure your candidate engagement strategies to make them more diversity-friendly. With diverse candidates, you want to ensure that you can strike a chord that resonates with them by sending highly personalized and creative messages.

When looking for candidates, try to dig deep into their experience and their interests instead of just skimming through it. Looking for recognizable names of schools and companies won’t help you learn more about each individual candidate. You are looking for what they have done, not where they have done it.

You want to start looking through the different projects that they might have owned or contributed to, or the various levels of responsibility that they have in their current role. Remember, tenure does not always equate to impact. Also, don’t forget other clues beyond their resume. Dig into the different areas of the business they might have impacted through their organization’s social media or blog presence.

Recruiting technology tools like PeopleScout’s Affinix, allow you to build automated workflows so that your candidates receive scheduled messages from members of your recruiting team, sharing more information about your opportunity.

What’s more, Diversity and inclusion programs provide companies with the opportunity to tap into the strengths of their workforce. According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, 67% of job seekers said a diverse workforce is important when considering job offers and 57% of employees think their companies should be more diverse. This means that companies that implement a diversity and inclusion program are more likely to attract top talent.

Conclusion

Diversifying your pipeline is not an easy feat, but by taking actionable steps, you can fill your candidate pipeline is with diverse candidates. By setting measurable milestones on your sourcing initiatives, you will ensure that you are progressing forward, and if you’re not, you can easily recognize it and adjust your strategies. 

Sourcing a diverse slate of candidates is only one part of building a more diverse and inclusive workplace. You must be intentional in your efforts to evaluate candidates fairly, so you are not unintentionally weeding out great talent at each stage of the pipeline. It can be helpful to leverage sourcing tools to track conversion rates between these stages to understand where you should focus your attention.

Race in the Workplace: How to Support BIPOC Colleagues Through Meaningful Conversations

Posted on by jpatel

As more people across the U.S. began to recognize the systemic racism that many Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) were already facing, the injustices became a catalyst that sparked conversations around the world. Meanwhile, many organizations have heard the call to action and want to do their part in showing support to their BIPOC employees. So, how can organizations help drive effective change around race in the workplace? Simple: Encourage employees to partake in open, honest and respectful dialogue with their colleagues.

Well, maybe not so simple. While now is not the time to be silent, it’s also not the time to have unchecked and uninformed discourse on such a sensitive topic. So, to ensure everyone involved feels respected, heard and understood, organizations should create safe spaces where employees can listen, learn and have important dialogues with their coworkers, leaders and team members.

Engaging employees in conversations regarding race in the workplace can be challenging; while some people might feel hesitant to speak on a topic they may not know much about, others might be reluctant to share the injustices they’ve experienced firsthand. That’s why we put together these tips for how to effectively reflect on racism through open dialogue; we encourage you to share them with employees across your organization.

Before You Talk

Take Ownership

The first step in fixing the problem is acknowledging that there is one – and that you might be contributing to it. Recognize the implicit biases that contribute to racism and consider how you can unlearn them. As you learn, grow and begin your work toward becoming a better ally, leverage resources that can help guide you along the way.

Educate Yourself

Understand that educating yourself is no one’s responsibility but your own. Likewise, before opening the dialogue with your BIPOC colleagues, it’s important to have some background knowledge on the issue. For instance, avoid putting your BIPOC colleagues in a position in which they feel as though they are the “teachers” on racial disparities; instead, be proactive in your own learning about diversity, inclusion and social injustices. Coming to the conversation with a basic understanding of the detrimental effect of the racial inequalities that BIPOC face will benefit you, your BIPOC peers and the effectiveness of the discussion as a whole.

Here are some resources to help get you started:

Helpful resources to consult before discussing race in the workplace.

During the Open Dialogue

If discussing race in the workplace is new for your organization, it may be helpful to host conversations in a moderated environment. Bringing in speakers with a background in racial justice work or designating a moderator to lead the discussion will alleviate any pressure your employees may feel about jumping straight to a one-on-one conversation. During a moderated dialogue, encourage your employees to:

Acknowledge Vulnerability

Conversations around race in the workplace are difficult. To acknowledge the difficulty and vulnerability required for a discussion on such a sensitive topic, it can be helpful to validate what one another is feeling – whether it’s grief, anger, confusion, discomfort or otherwise. At the same time, each person should acknowledge that while they are experts on their own individual experiences, no one has all the answers, and that’s okay. The purpose of these conversations is to continuously learn and grow.

Step Up by Stepping Back

With Black professionals holding just 3.3% of all executive or senior leadership roles in 2018, it’s not surprising that non-BIPOC professionals have dominated conversations in the workplace. Therefore, it’s important to take care not to overpower the discussion. Instead, be purposeful in allowing the voices of your BIPOC colleagues to shine. Then, you can learn about their experiences and build a better understanding of their perspectives.

Engage Thoughtfully

As you work to understand one another’s viewpoints, don’t be afraid to ask genuine questions. By asking questions respectfully and with an open mind, you’ll allow your BIPOC peers to answer without fear of being judged. In particular, word your curiosities with compassion so that the other party doesn’t feel defensive or uncomfortable when sharing their experiences. Creating a safe space like this will form a strong sense of trust and respect that will go both ways.

Beyond the Conversation

Continue to Check in

Make a habit of checking in with your colleagues regularly to continue the important conversations around race. As a manager, remember to ask about the professional goals of your employees and how you can help them work toward accomplishing them. Similarly, as a peer, help amplify your colleagues’ successes – as well as the injustices they’ve faced – and always keep in mind how you can provide BIPOC peers with opportunities, resources and support.

In addition, check in with yourself. Know that there’s always more to learn and more that can be done. While this guide serves as a starting point for the important conversations that need to be had across organizations, it is by no means exhaustive. Therefore, continue to look for ways to educate yourself, learn from others and be part of the change toward equality for all.

Organizational Support in Practice

How can organizations facilitate intentional dialogue? Here are some of the ways we at PeopleScout and the broader TrueBlue organization are encouraging thoughtful discourse on race in the workplace:

How PeopleScout is encouraging thoughtful discourse on race in the workplace.

Respectful Conversation Starters

Starting the conversation around race in the workplace can be challenging and it’s important to practice cultural sensitivity as you begin discussions. It’s also essential to remember that, even in designated group or one-on-one conversations about race, not everyone will feel comfortable answering certain questions. So, make sure you give your peers a chance to come to you willing to talk – and don’t be offended if they’re hesitant. Here are some open-ended questions that respectfully inquire about cultural differences to help get you started:

  1. What’s your favorite part about your racial or ethnic identity?
  2. Would you mind explaining a little more about why you feel that way? I’ve never thought about it that way before.
  3. How often do you think about your racial or ethnic identity?
  4. Have you ever felt you were treated unfairly because of your racial or ethnic identity? How so?
  5. How has your racial or ethnic identity affected your personal life? What about your professional life?
  6. Can you recall a positive experience around your racial or ethnic identity? A negative one?
  7. Do you find value in forming relationships with people of different racial or ethnic identities? What can you learn from one another?
  8. Have you ever felt left out of groups with people of different racial or ethnic identities than your own? How did this affect you? What could someone have done to make you feel included?
  9. What aspect of your racial or ethnic identity makes you most proud?
  10. What are some ways I can better support you?

A Dynamic IT Recruiting Solution to Support Growth and Improve Candidate Experience

Posted on by skatz
A Dynamic IT Recruiting Solution to Support Growth and Improve Candidate Experience

RPO Recruiting for IT Professionals

A Dynamic IT Recruiting Solution to Support Growth and Improve Candidate Experience

PeopleScout partnered with this healthcare revenue and payment cycle management company to provide RPO recruiting solutions for niche IT roles.

3,000 + Annual Hire in IT Roles
40 % Reduction in Time-to-Hire
Tech-Enhanced Candidate Experience Powered by Affinix™
Tech-Enhanced Candidate Experience Powered by Affinix™

A healthcare revenue and payment cycle management company needed an RPO partner to support the rapid growth that occurred when it acquired a healthcare IT business. Healthcare IT is a niche field with a limited number of candidates and many hard-to-fill positions. To meet its new workforce demands, the client engaged PeopleScout to implement a full-cycle RPO program for both exempt and non-exempt hiring. In addition, they partnered with PeopleScout to provide additional support to their internal talent acquisition teams in areas where hiring volume increased through our Recruiter On-Demand (ROD) solution. 

Situation

The client requires a scalable RPO solution that is flexible enough to navigate hiring spikes throughout the year and to access talent in the niche healthcare IT field. PeopleScout’s RPO program spans high-level technology roles as well as HR, finance, marketing, sales, legal, customer service and sourcing for executive-level candidates. Due to COVID-19, the client also required a new digital interviewing platform to create a consistent experience for candidates as they move through the hiring process.

Solution

Solution Highlights

  • Full-Cycle, Exempt and Non-Exempt Hiring  
  • 3,000+ Annual Hires 
  • Recruitment of Hard-to-Fill Roles 
  • Dedicated Veteran Hiring Resources  
  • Tech-Enhanced Candidate Experience Powered by Affinix™ 

SOURCING FOR LEADERSHIP ROLES

The client leverages PeopleScout’s experience and expertise to source executive-level candidates to fill key leadership roles. 

SOURCING FOR NICHE ROLES

PeopleScout’s expert recruiters work with the client to identify qualified candidates in the competitive healthcare technology talent landscape. 

EMPLOYER BRANDING

PeopleScout’s RPO teams consult with the client to craft precise employer branding messaging and a social media strategy to attract talent for hard-to-fill open positions. 

ATS IMPLEMENTATION

PeopleScout assisted the client in the implementation of a single ATS platform to decrease redundancy and recruiting errors and create a pipeline of better-quality candidates. 

IMPROVED CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE 

PeopleScout implemented Affinix digital interviewing technology to ensure a consistent experience for candidates as they move through the hiring process.  

EMBEDDED RECRUITMENT SUPPORT

PeopleScout recruiters are embedded within the client’s organization and work with their internal teams to navigate sourcing, screening and hiring challenges to improve talent acquisition outcomes for all positions in scope. 

DIVERSITY & VETERAN HIRING

To support the client’s commitment to diversity and veteran recruiting, PeopleScout has a specialized focus and dedicated resources in this area. 

IMPROVED METRICS

PeopleScout’s RPO team provides the client’s leadership with full transparency by monitoring and reporting on metrics important to them including time-to-fill, candidate quality and the speed of the recruiting program.

Results

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE

PeopleScout has improved the client’s recruitment performance by merging people, process and technology to enhance the experience with the recruitment process for candidates, recruiters and hiring managers. Average days to offer accept dropped from 62 days to 37 days for exempt positions, and from 40 days to 22 days for non-exempt, below the client’s target goal of 50 and 40, respectively.

INSIGHTS & EXPERTISE

The client values the input and insights provided by PeopleScout’s experienced RPO team and their ability to quickly source and hire candidates for hard-to-fill positions.

ACQUISITION SUPPORT  

The client has successfully navigated the challenges presented by its acquisition of the previous client’s healthcare IT business with the support of PeopleScout talent acquisition professionals. 

EXPANDED TALENT POOL

PeopleScout’s RPO solution has expanded the client’s talent pool and now sources veteran and diverse candidates more efficiently. 

At a Glance

  • COMPANY: Healthcare revenue and payment cycle management company
  • INDUSTRY: Healthcare Technology
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Affinix
  • ANNUAL HIRES: 3,000+ IT roles
Let’s Connect

Diversity and Inclusion: Building Employee Resource Groups and Driving Change

Posted on by edyson

Diversity, equity and inclusion have long been a key point of discussion in many organizations’ human resources departments. While the topic has always been top of mind, events in 2020 have shined new light and emphasis on the importance of social justice, anti-discrimination and diversity and inclusion.

Why is Inclusion Important?

employee resource groups

However, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Diversity & Inclusion Survey, two-thirds of respondents indicated their organizations have not adopted practices to reduce unconscious biases and other barriers to inclusion. Moreover, even among organizations that have adopted such practices, employees are not likely to be aware of the efforts. This illustrates the importance of inclusion in the workplace for candidates.

Creating employee resource groups (ERGs) is an approach you can use to build a more inclusive environment and addresses diversity and inclusion in a more holistic, community-based way. Employee resource groups, also known as affinity groups, have emerged in the workplace as a standard component of diversity and inclusion initiatives. In fact. according to a report from Bentley University, nearly 90% of all Fortune 500 companies have ERGs.

For many organizations, the benefits of employee resource groups have evolved from the primary intent — to provide a forum in which members of an organization who share common interests, issues, or concerns meet to address those issues — to multifaceted benefits that impact an organization’s strategic diversity and inclusion efforts in recruitment, retention, mentoring, leadership development, marketing, customer relations and return on investment.

What is an Employee Resource Group?

The first employee resource groups were initially workplace affinity groups created in response to racial strife of the civil rights era. Joseph Wilson, the former CEO of Xerox, developed the concept following race riots in Rochester, NY in 1964. Wilson and his African-American employees designed and launched the National Black Employees Caucus in 1970 to address racial tension and the issue of workplace discrimination.

Modern ERG programs are the enduring legacy of Mr. Wilson and his colleagues’ courageous efforts. In its most basic form, an ERG is an employee identity or experience-based group that helps employees within an organization build community and share a common cause.

what is an erg

ERGs are generally based on building or strengthening community, providing support and contributing to personal and professional development in the workplace. Most ERGs are volunteer based, though some companies support organizers with a percentage of paid time off or other recognition, including leadership development opportunities.

What is the Purpose of an ERG Program?

While each ERG must define its purpose and goal, common ERG drivers are:

  • An ERG program creates an open forum for employees who share a common identity to meet and support one another in building their community and sense of belonging.
  • ERG programs empower these groups by offering them financial support, organizational support and access to decision-makers.
  • ERG programs facilitate a clear line of communication from ERGs to leadership to voice concerns and solve problems.
  • ERGs provide a resource for leadership regarding employee and community issues, needs and policies.
  • ERG programs seek to advance a respectful and inclusive company culture and reinforce the importance of inclusion.

What Does an ERG Look Like?

ERGs come in a variety of forms, with some of the more popular ones taking the shape of:

  • Diversity groups that foster a sense of belonging among employees that belong to a minority group in the organization
  • Volunteer programs where employees can support charities and other volunteer initiatives
  • Affinity clubs where employees with similar interests get an opportunity to socialize
  • Professional development groups that provide employees the opportunity to share knowledge with their peers from other departments

The Value of Employee Resource Groups and Why is Inclusion Important

ERGs deliver value to organizations and their workforces in multiple ways. They build a sense of community and belonging for employees by connecting people in a social and professional way and encouraging interaction between employees.

What’s more, according to a report from the Society for Human Resource Management, 90% of companies examined said ERGs helped make new hires more comfortable during the onboarding process, and 70% of organizations relied on ERGs to build a workforce to reflect the demographics of their customer base.

ERGs empower employees by giving each group a collective voice to speak with decision-makers and management. Groups are also empowered to assemble and voice concerns as a community. ERGs support learning and development by offering formal and informal leadership opportunities and creating visibility for employees who are active.

ERGs also provide a resource for leadership and decision-makers regarding staff/community issues, needs and policies. And ERGs offer to the company their expertise and experiences to improve equality and equity. They can also be an asset in business decisions to make better, more inclusive products and services.

Lastly, ERGs can also support retention because employees are likely to stay with the company longer if they have built or are part of a strong community within the company and feel heard again, this is why why is inclusion important.

Creating an Employee Resource Group

erg diversity

If you or other employees within your organization would like to start an ERG, it can be difficult to know where to start. Below, we outline the steps to get your ERG off the ground.

Align Your ERG with your Organization’s Broader Objectives

For your ERG to be successful, your purpose should be tied to your organization’s overall mission and values. Is your organization focused on giving back to your community? Or is your goal to build a more diverse workforce?

Choose a topic around diversity and inclusion for your employee resource group that aligns with overall company goals. Think about writing a mission statement for your ERG that touches on your organization’s core values. Showing how your ERG advances the overall organizational strategy will help earn support from other areas of the organization.

Secure Executive Support

Executive support for your ERG is essential for continued success. To gain buy-in, find executive or C-suite sponsors who are personally committed to diversity and inclusion or social impact initiatives. Executives are busy and oftentimes metrics focused, so it may be helpful to come with talking points and data that showcase how an ERG will make a positive impact on your organization.

Make sure HR leaders are invested as well, as you will need their support to share ERGs during the new hire onboarding process and in promotional materials for the ERG.

Building Your ERG Team

Before launching the ERG, establish a communication plan and identify benchmarks for success, including long-term goals and potential challenges. Recruit colleagues willing to take on a leadership role, such as committing to a monthly meeting or making time to plan and execute events.

Then, find other like-minded coworkers who are passionate about supporting your ERG. It’s just as important to have members who are willing to participate and spread the word as it is to have leaders and planners.

Deploying Your ERG Program

A strong communications plan is a major component of an employee resource group’s success strategy. You can begin by creating a simple presentation that outlines the ERG’s goals, events and ideas for participation. You can leverage your organization’s marketing team to use your organization’s brand standards to create a logo for the ERG that ties it directly to the organization. This is an effective way to clearly communicate that your ERG is supported by leadership and is an important initiative.

Equipped with your members and materials, generate excitement for the ERG by hosting a company event. Throwing a happy hour — virtually now, because of COVID-19 — is a great way to introduce your ERG’s mission, lay out future events and recruit attendees to grow your group’s core membership.

How Your Organization Can Support Your Employee Resource Group

Your organization can support your employee resource groups in a variety of ways. Your ERG may receive budget and organizational support. However, your organization should not dictate which groups should form, who should join each group or what impact the groups should have. That should be a decision of the group, but it’s important for the organization to provide tools to work towards and measure that success.

This could include charter documentation, purpose workshop, road-mapping templates and exercises, budget tracking tools, support in setting and tracking OKRs, a platform for communication with their group and potential members, visibility within the organization and meetings with senior leadership.

Conclusion

A sense of belonging and inclusion in the workplace is important in order to empower employees and help them bring their whole self to work. Building a strong network or community is a very important step in creating this sense of belonging.

In order to truly empower and support ERGs, it’s important to give the employee resource groups the autonomy to define the scope of their group, to define membership eligibility and most importantly, to define what success means to them.

The Importance of Inclusion in Your Diversity Program

Posted on by jpatel

The seemingly never-ending obstacle course of 2020 has been filled with highs, lows and everything in between — from a landmark ruling for LGBTQ+ workers to an international awakening to systemic racism and a global pandemic that has impacted the lives of millions. As organizations around the world face a future more unpredictable than ever before, one thing remains certain: the business case for diversity and inclusion (D&I) is stronger than ever. 

In order to face unique challenges, organizations will need unique thinking, the kind that only comes with a truly diverse team — whether in age, gender, sexuality, race or otherwise. According to a report from the World Economic Forum, companies with above-average diversity scores report nearly 20% higher revenue due to innovation. Moreover, this article from The Conversation cites research from more than 300 Australian studies that conclusively shows how workplace racism has a direct, detrimental impact on performance, accounting for an estimated 3% loss in average annual gross domestic product. 

That said, the driving motivators for organizations to foster effective D&I programs should not be focused only on performance metrics, but rather the desire to make employees feel represented, understood, respected and cared for. While most companies are able to increase their level of diversity, they struggle with cultivating a culture in which those diverse voices are heard — leaving room for improvement in their inclusion efforts. 

D&I: Defined 

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace has been a hot topic for years, so why does it often seem like minimal meaningful change has occurred? Unfortunately, the downfall for many organizations is the misinterpretation that diversity and inclusion are synonymous. To avoid making this mistake, it is important to understand the difference between diversity and inclusion, to better understand why it’s time to shift focus to the latter. 

The definition for diversity is relatively straightforward, and simple enough for most organizations to achieve by tracking demographics and collecting concrete data to ensure they hire and promote people of varying backgrounds. 

However, the definition for inclusion is more difficult to effectively measure results against because every organization can interpret words like “including” and “accommodating” differently.  

According to Deloitte, “without a shared understanding of inclusion, people are prone to miscommunication, progress cannot be reliably evaluated, leaders can’t be held accountable and organizations default to counting diversity numbers.” 

Deloitte goes a step further by using its research to create a holistic definition comprised of four distinct yet connected elements:  

  • Fairness and respect: The starting point for effective inclusion is ensuring people are treated equitably and with respect — in both nondiscrimination and basic courtesy.  
  • Valued and belonging: People will feel included when they believe their authentic self is valued by others and they feel a sense of connectedness with their peers. 
  • Safe and open: Inclusion is experienced when people feel safe to speak up without any fear of embarrassment or retaliation. 
  • Empowered and growing: True inclusion happens when people feel empowered to grow in their role and do their best work — diversity of thinking can emerge.  

By looking at the depth of these definitions, it’s clear that building and maintaining an effective inclusion program requires considerably more time and effort than it does to reformat a hiring process to increase diversity. While diversity can be measured and those metrics can be used to set and achieve goals, inclusion calls for a continuous cultural reset.  

Inclusion Requires Action 

In a 2020 report by McKinsey & Company, data from three industries with the highest levels of executive-team diversity — financial services, technology and healthcare — showed that “while overall [employee] sentiment on diversity was 52% positive and 31% negative, sentiment on inclusion was markedly worse, at only 29% positive and 61% negative.” Furthermore, the levels of negative sentiment about equality and fairness of opportunity, key indicators of inclusion, were also particularly high — proving that even more diverse companies struggle with effective inclusion.  

So, what are some steps organizations can take toward fostering better inclusion? To gain some insight, LinkedIn asked Black talent leaders their thoughts on what talent acquisition teams can do to accelerate diversity and inclusion. Here are three of their tactics: 

Change how and where you look for talent  

This starts with having diverse recruiting teams. Having recruiters from a wide variety of backgrounds will help employers change the way they think about how and where they find talent — shifting their sourcing beyond the geographies, companies and schools they’ve become accustomed to. 

Make a “top-down investment” in diverse employees 

To build diversity into the succession plan, organizations should invest time, money, training and executive sponsorship into their diversity efforts, ensuring representation across the business. By hiring and promoting diverse talent, an organization sends a message of inclusion that ripples throughout the company and into the industry — positioning you as an inclusive workplace that recognizes the value of diverse talent. 

Leverage the power of remote work  

Continuing distributed work strategies beyond the current crisis will allow recruiting teams to source, engage and hire talent where they are. Organizations will no longer be limited to talent that lives in the same geographies as their physical offices, meaning they can expand their scope to locations that are historically diverse.  

These tactics may seem like large feats, and that’s because they are. Building an organization that is truly diverse and inclusive is a huge undertaking that takes time, effort and serious commitment. While you work on the organizational overhaul, keep in mind that there are also some smaller steps you can take along the way: 

  • Provide resources. Inclusion can’t be mandated; it requires the “changing of hearts and minds.” Organizations can do their part by encouraging open dialogue and providing educational resources, like this anti-racist reading list from DiversityInc. 
  • Break up cliques. We are naturally drawn toward others who are like us, which can often result in cliques. Create opportunities to position employees outside of their comfort zone and into work groups made up of people with various backgrounds. 
  • Form inclusive groups. Create a dedicated task force focused on updating policies that promote your company’s values. Project Include offers more suggestions for creating systemic inclusion here. 
  • Offer professional development. Offering development programs and mentorship opportunities to underrepresented employees who may have a steeper hill to climb can help them in their career ascent.  
  • Showcase diverse talent. Representation matters, and employees and candidates will understand how you value diverse talent when you celebrate and share their stories. 

A Continuous Journey 

It can be easy to get lost in the mindset that inclusion is a “one and done” activity. That mindset has a certain allure, because it would mean we could all rest assured knowing we’ve created a workforce that is 100% diverse and effectively inclusive. In reality, inclusion is a continuous journey that requires a concerted effort, focus and determination to effect meaningful change. You can think of it like a long road trip — one that requires multiple checkpoints, refuels and stops to check you’re still going in the right direction. To ensure you’re always on the correct path, it can be helpful to perform a regular inclusion audit that asks: 

  • Does the organization have a continuous representation of diverse talent? 
  • Is diverse talent represented in leadership roles? 
  • Is there room to remove bias in the hiring process? Promotion process? 
  • Are we listening to employee concerns? 
  • Are we regularly surveying employee sentiment on D&I? 
  • Do we know what’s working? What isn’t? 
  • Have we asked employees what they want and need? 

It’s clear that simply hiring diverse talent is not enough. While it’s a start, it’s only part of the solution. Workplace experience and true inclusion is what will help employees feel represented and valued, leading to diverse hires that stay, grow and thrive. The road ahead is a long one, but by implementing the strategies outlined in this article, your organization will be well on its way toward a better diverse and inclusive workplace. 

Transport for London: DE&I Recruiting to Represent Modern London

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Transport for London: Early Careers Recruiting to Represent Modern London

Early Careers | DE&I

Transport for London: Early Careers Recruiting to Represent Modern London

Transport for London (TfL) worked with PeopleScout to boost diversity in their early careers program through an employer branding and talent attraction campaign.

2 x Double the Percentage of Minority Ethnic Graduates Hired
16 % Increase in Female Apprentice Hires

London’s population is projected to reach 10.5 million by 2041. Plus, 16 to 18-year-olds are experiencing rising youth unemployment with some of the most deprived areas in the country set in London. 

As the government body responsible for the day-to-day operation of London’s public transport network, naturally Transport for London (TfL) plays a major role in contributing to the capital’s growth, and opening doors for people from disadvantaged areas was absolutely vital. Supporting this growth means recruiting, retaining, and developing a workforce of Londoners who will take part in the design of their city.

Transport for London (TfL) values the importance of diversity and inclusion and social mobility. Being representative of London is something their success is measured on, and the same standards apply to their apprenticeship and graduate schemes.

These early careers schemes had proven successful in the volume of applications received but weren’t reaching talent from all walks of life. TfL needed a diverse pipeline that truly represented modern London. It was time to rethink their entire student attraction activity. That’s where PeopleScout came in.

Situation

TfL needed to recruit 32 graduate roles and 109 apprenticeships. As their talent partners, our primary objective was to champion these fantastic opportunities to a broader apprentice and graduate talent pool in order to increase female applicants and those from minority ethnic backgrounds.

This meant removing barriers to recruitment, challenging stereotypes and overcoming negative perceptions. We needed to change TfL’s attraction process so that people from every pocket of society would be interested in the unique opportunities available. And we needed to re-position their early careers employer brand as a progressive organization in which everyone—regardless of background or financial situation—could excel.

Solution

A New Brand To Make Better Connections

Together, we transformed the way TfL recruit diverse talent. Ensuring skilled people from all walks of life have a chance to shine in the application and assessment process, our creative team used their audience knowledge to build a dynamic unexpected youth brand, “The Next Move”, which was designed to look different from other TfL

Boosting Success in Assessment Centers

communications, using vibrant, colourful graphics that would better connect with female and diverse applicants. We then shaped a comprehensive outreach program and a completely new assessment process with the aim of helping these candidates show TfL who they are and what they’re truly made of.

From experience, we know that young people often need to build their confidence by filling gaps in their knowledge. To address this, we created “Route-into-Work,” a pre-employment course for all candidates to fill gaps in their knowledge and provide them with the tools, insight and confidence to be successful at assessment centers.

A More Targeted Approach

For Tfl’s apprenticeships, we designed a new strategy for our school outreach program, “Moving Forward.” We identified 251 of the poorest secondary state schools and ran over 50 events, with additional events in three of the most deprived boroughs in London: Newham, Tower Hamlets and Haringey.

Results

We achieved amazing results with the graduate recruitment campaign, comfortably filling all of the roles and meeting the social mobility criteria.

Doubling the Percentage of Graduate Hires from Minority Backgrounds

Most importantly we doubled the percentage of minority ethnic graduates from 27% to 54%, and we substantially grew the proportion of female hires from 18% to 29%.

Growing Female Apprentice Hires by 16%

Similarly strong results were achieved in the apprentice pool, as we dramatically grew the proportion of female hires from 20% to 36%. The Route-into-Work program delivered apprenticeship hires, of which 33% were female and 67% were minority ethnic.

At a Glance

  • COMPANY: Transport for London (TfL)
  • INDUSTRY: Public Transportation
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Talent Advisory
  • ANNUAL HIRES: 32 graduate roles and 109 apprenticeships
  • ABOUT TfL: Transport for London (TfL) is the government body responsible for the day-to-day operation of London’s public transport network and management of the capital’s main roads.
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London College of Fashion: Shedding Light on Potential Barriers to Engagement

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London College of Fashion: DE&I Consulting to Boost Workplace Diversity

London College of Fashion: DE&I Consulting to Boost Workplace Diversity

PeopleScout helped the London College of Fashion understand what might be preventing them from recruiting a more diverse workforce and provided strategies to start addressing them.

Situation

The London College of Fashion, part of the University of the Arts London (UAL), wanted to increase the number of its employees from ethnic minority backgrounds. Specifically, they were finding it challenging to attract applications from diverse candidates in sufficient numbers. As part of their journey to addressing this issue, they commissioned PeopleScout to help them understand the experience they offered to existing ethnic minority employees and to advise on whether the insight gained could shed any light on potential barriers to engagement amongst diverse external audiences.

Solution

We conducted research amongst a sample of people from both ethnic minority and non-ethnic minority backgrounds to identify any differences in how they experienced the College as an employer. Our research took the form of one-to-one interviews and involved academic and non-academic staff, as well as a selection of alumni to provide a somewhat external perspective.

While the initial focus was on ethnicity, it turned out that this was not the key challenge.

Where differences appeared to exist in the employment experience, they were not between minority ethnic and non-minority ethnic colleagues. They appeared to be related to socio-economics, with non-minority ethnic members of staff who (unprompted) identified themselves as working class sharing very similar perceptions of senior management to their minority ethnic counterparts.

The common perception was that to do well at the College you had to have a certain background and set of social experiences. Without these, there was a sense that the top of the organization was unattainable. This sense appeared to be reinforced by the comparatively optimistic perspectives of those minority ethnic staff members who had achieved senior positions in the organization.

The challenge was not therefore about ethnicity, it was about addressing seemingly class-based factors.

Results

Identifying and Breaking Down Perceived Barriers

Following completion of the research, we advised the College that, from a communications perspective, they needed to focus on breaking down any perceived barriers between senior management and the wider staff body. We recommended using personal stories to position the management group as more relatable and their level within the organization as achievable with hard work. We also recommended that the College check its internal promotion processes for any signs of unconscious bias.

Taking a Personal Story-Telling Approach

To further challenge misperceptions, we advised the College to extend the personal story-telling approach beyond internal communications into its recruitment communications, and to review the channels through which these stories are shared to ensure the College was positioned as more accessible to people from all walks of life, including those from minority ethnic or “working class” backgrounds.

The College has adopted this approach for their attraction and engagement activity.

At a Glance

  • COMPANY: The London College of Fashion
  • INDUSTRY: Higher Education
  • PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Talent Advisory
  • ABOUT THE LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION: The London College of Fashion offers undergraduate and postgraduate study, short courses, study-abroad courses and business training in fashion and related topics.
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Talking Talent Leadership Profile: Eric de los Santos

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The expertise and passion that Eric de los Santos has for diversity and inclusion was forged from his life experiences. As the first in his family to receive a university education, he left his home state of Hawaii to attend Brown University on scholarship and went on to receive his law degree from the University of Washington. Eric joined PeopleScout’s parent company, TrueBlue, 15 years ago; he’s currently the Associate General Counsel, Senior Director of Employment Law, while also serving as President of the National Filipino Lawyers Association. Eric was also the first Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council at TrueBlue. 

An avid gardener, de los Santos likes to compare a diverse and inclusive workplace to a garden with multiple varieties of plants that thrive only when the proper nutrients and level of care are provided. He shared his insightful perspectives at PeopleScout’s 2019 NEXT Talent Summit in June, where he hosted a Big Idea Talk and breakout session entitled “Authenticity and Tending to the Garden of Realness.” Before his talk, Eric sat down with us to share his thoughts on diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The terms diversity and inclusion are often linked in the corporate context. How do these concepts differ and how do they complement each other?

I liken the concept of diversity and inclusion to a garden. Diversity can be thought of as the different species and varieties of plants, while inclusion is the environment that ensures that each and every plant can grow and flourish. Some plants may have special requirements, like the type of soil to use or how much they need to be watered. Inclusion in the garden means nurturing all of the different plants and giving each one exactly what it needs to thrive.

Applying this analogy to a company, management’s role is to provide every employee with what is needed to grow and flourish. And, because these elements may differ for every employee, it can be very challenging. However, just like a beautiful garden that is bursting with different varieties, the result will be a company that is filled with people from many backgrounds who display their full potential and contribute to its success.

So, having a diverse and inclusive workplace can be a decisive factor in a company’s success?

Yes. Take the example of two groups. One group is comprised of people from a single background and culture, while the second group is comprised of multiple backgrounds and cultures. Studies have shown that, when confronted with a problem, the group with diverse backgrounds not only comes up with a greater number of solutions, but their solutions are far more creative and likely to succeed. The diverse group is also more likely to anticipate problems that may arise in the future because it is not limited by the “blind spots” arising from the limited experience and outlook of the monolithic group.

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A company that can successfully bring diverse people together – to share ideas on how to improve performance or create a better company – will have a clear competitive advantage over one that cannot. It is vital that all of those who participate in these discussions feel that they can honestly share their ideas without fear and in an environment of mutual respect.

The crucial factor is to enable everyone to be their authentic selves, not to feel compelled to hide a part of themselves as they interact with others. Employees who are inhibited from displaying who they truly are may look for the exit at the first opportunity. In contrast, those who can be their authentic selves at work are motivated to contribute to an enterprise that recognizes and respects them. Rather than being inhibited, an inclusive environment can result in a workforce that does not hold back from contributing ideas and puts in the hard work that can drive a company’s success. 

How did your life experience lead you to become passionate about diversity and inclusion and eventually start the Diversity and Inclusion Council at TrueBlue?

Growing up in Hawaii, I was surrounded by people from many different backgrounds and cultures, which people discussed with great ease. When I came to the mainland to study, I noticed that there was a tendency for people to compartmentalize themselves – to reveal only the parts that would be readily accepted by others and to keep parts hidden. As a Filipino-American and a gay man, no matter where life took me, I had a feeling of being different. But, I saw no reason why my differences should function as barriers. I learned firsthand about the issues of bias in American life, and ultimately, I understood that bias was something that needed to be confronted and challenged.  

After years of working as a trial lawyer, I joined the predecessor of TrueBlue as a corporate counsel in 2004. Shortly after joining the company, I was invited to an outing that included spouses and significant others. I brought the man who is now my husband, and introduced him as my boyfriend to my coworkers. While this may not seem particularly noteworthy in 2019, being openly gay at work was much less common then. Introducing him as my boyfriend clearly had an influence on many people that night because they congratulated me for openly introducing our relationship. From that point forward, an important part of who I am was no longer hidden from my colleagues.

What were your first steps in establishing the Diversity and Inclusion Council and how has it developed over time?

I found that there was a great interest in diversity and inclusion issues in the company, and I worked to start conversations around the topic. When the Diversity and Inclusion Council was started in 2012, I was asked to be its first chairman.

From the outset, we took steps to make sure that the council had a lasting foundation and that everyone could be engaged in the process. It was also important that we presented diversity as not just being about who we are on the outside; it’s about everything that makes us who we are. We created training programs for managers and exercises to help people talk about themselves, their backgrounds and all of the parts that comprise their whole, authentic self.

The council’s programs were very popular and continue to be engaging today. There was a lot of excitement around these conversations, which provided opportunities to build greater trust and openness within the company. Building on this momentum, we created a comprehensive program that includes employee resource groups such as Women in Leadership, the African-American Resource Network and an LGBTQ group, called BE PROUD. The groups are still expanding and will include groups for Latinx and Hispanic employees, as well as a veterans resource group. The council has also been pursuing initiatives and programs to engage TrueBlue’s contingent workforce, and is focusing on developing a pipeline of future leaders.

What are your thoughts about the role of leadership in diversity and inclusion?

It’s critical that leaders understand their workforce and take steps to deepen that understanding. Even something as mundane as a departmental potluck lunch can be an opportunity to learn more about your team. For example, instead of telling people to bring whatever dish they want, ask them to bring something from their culture or background, and write a short piece explaining why they chose that dish and its significance. 

While this is an example of a useful exercise, being able to respond positively to the needs of your workforce goes well beyond understanding their cultural backgrounds. Take the initiative to find out whether there are any issues going on in their lives outside of the confines of the workplace, and see if you can respond to their needs. For example, if an employee is struggling to take care of an elderly relative who needs help while they are at work, offer them flexibility in their work schedule. This outreach creates an environment of mutual understanding and support.

It is also important that leaders “walk the talk” of diversity and inclusion to be open and authentic themselves. No one is perfect, and everyone has biases and preconceived notions that need to be challenged. Some people find it difficult to talk about certain issues of identity or diversity. It’s fine to acknowledge this and work to find the right words to use that reflect both acceptance and respect. Our employees want to see us as people with real lives that they can relate to. Each one of us has the opportunity to stand out in a unique way. 

Finally, every leader should have a sense of responsibility to foster and nurture a genuinely inclusive environment. To return to the analogy of the garden, as leaders we have the responsibility to ensure our work environment allows people to be their authentic selves – we are the ones who are tending to the garden of realness.

Feeling Part of the Team: The Importance of Building an Inclusive Culture in the Workplace

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The letter of resignation came as a shock. The departing employee had just started six months earlier and brought the ideal skill set for the position. They received a substantial salary increase from their previous job, and no one had noticed any signs of discontent. When asked their reason for leaving during the exit interview, after some hesitation, the explanation came out: “I don’t feel like I belong here, and I don’t think anyone really understands who I am.” 

When pressed for details, none were forthcoming. One question came up among the leadership team again and again, “How many other employees feel the same way and what changes do we need to make?” This prompted a review of the company’s diversity and inclusion program, which showed some progress in the diversity of its workforce, but no clear way to measure improvement in inclusion.

An Inclusive Culture Enables a Diverse Workplace to Thrive

The term “Diversity and Inclusion” has become so common that it can be easy to miss the different meaning of each word. A recent article in Gallup’s Workplace magazine defines the distinction between diversity and inclusion:

“Inclusion has to be understood as very different from diversity because simply having a wide roster of demographic characteristics won’t make a difference to an organization’s bottom line unless the people who fall into any one demographic feel welcomed. Inclusion refers to a cultural and environmental feeling of belonging.”

Organizations that have successfully established a diverse workforce can reap the proven benefits that it provides, including a wide array of perspectives and experiences.  However, seemingly innocuous practices that are embedded in a company’s culture have the potential to make a segment of its workforce feel unwelcome and alien. But, when the possible problems with these practices are identified, a commitment to creating an inclusive culture can lead to changes that can vastly improve a work environment.

Consider the example of a tech start-up company that was founded by a group of friends from college, all coming from very similar backgrounds. Every year, a company picnic was held on a Saturday or Sunday with two key competitions taking place among the work teams: a relay swim race and a barbecue cook-off, followed by an employee recognition awards ceremony. This tradition continued as the company grew rapidly and employed a diverse range of talent.

While many employees looked forward to the company picnic, others began to quietly dread it. A few of the reasons these employees felt uncomfortable were: 

  • The religious practices and restrictions on Saturdays or Sundays followed by some employees made them feel like they had to choose between “being part of the team” and their faith.
  • Those who were differently abled or unable to swim well felt excluded from the relay race in the pool.
  • Vegetarians would have to excuse themselves from the “taste-test” part of the barbecue competition.

The goal of the company picnic was to build teamwork and show appreciation, but it had the opposite effect on some employees. For some, the timing and activities held at the picnic sent the message that “you and those who are like you do not really belong here.”

When leadership became aware of the distress that the picnic was causing some employees, they took the time to reach out to every employee to get their feedback on the timing and the events held at the picnic. Great care was taken to implement all of the ideas they received that were feasible and each employee was specifically thanked for their input. This effort was an important step in creating an environment in which every employee felt included and valued – in other words, a culture of inclusion. 

Removing the “Identity Cover”

At some point in many job interviews, the job seeker is asked, “Tell me about yourself.”  They will try to respond with details about themselves that they think the interviewer will like. But, as the candidate mentally calculates what to emphasize, they may also be thinking about what information to withhold because of how the interviewer may perceive them. Once a candidate is hired, this stressful mental exercise can continue.  This can be especially true for those who are in some way different from the majority of their coworkers.

An article in the Harvard Business Review notes that, “Employees who differ from most of their colleagues in religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background and generation often hide important parts of themselves at work for fear of negative consequences. We in the diversity and inclusion community call this ‘identity cover,’ and it makes it difficult to know how they feel and what they want, which makes them vulnerable to leaving their organizations. The key to inclusion is understanding who your employees really are … In an ideal world, all leaders would be adept at understanding their employees and making sure they didn’t lose any through neglect or ignorance.” 

Employees who feel they need to cover parts of their identities can lead to behavior in the workplace that is driven by fear. Examples provided in the article include a mother who hesitates to put up pictures of her children because she is afraid coworkers will question her commitment to her job; a Muslim who prays in his car because he does not want to experience Islamophobia; and a gay executive who hesitates to bring his same-sex partner to a company event. By masking part of who they are, these employees implicitly feel that they do not fully belong where they work.

The leaders at the tech start-up had no idea that they were alienating part of their workforce at their company picnic. It can be challenging to perceive what aspects of the work environment need to be changed to promote inclusion, especially for those employees whose backgrounds and identities may be unfamiliar to the majority at a workplace. It is for this reason that the proactive approach of implementing an inclusion program is an important first step in creating an inclusive environment.

Inclusivity Checklist

Every organization is different, so the content and structure of a new inclusion program needs to meet the conditions of your organization. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) offers an inclusivity checklist for HR that provides a good place to start:

  • Make sure company leaders understand that inclusion is about ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard, opinions are considered and value to the team is evident.
  • Train managers – and hold them accountable – to show that inclusivity is a core competency.
  • Form an inclusion council with genuine influence and power.
  • Value differences, and create an environment where people can feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.
  • Identify the needs of underrepresented groups, and give them necessary support and resources.
  • Provide workers with a safe space to voice their concerns.
  • Benchmark key aspects of your organization’s culture, and understand the employee experience before making changes to promote inclusivity.
  • Remember that daily interactions are the most telling sign of whether your company has an inclusive culture.

Empowering the Workforce by Example

When Eric de los Santos arrived at Brown University as a scholarship student from Hawaii, he was struck by how different he felt from the other students. As a child of immigrants and a gay Filipino-American, he grew up valuing the diversity of cultures that characterize Hawaii. When he came to the mainland, he noticed that many people he encountered were guarded about their cultures and identities.

His commitment to confronting and challenging bias led him to become co-founder of the Filipino Students Alliance. After receiving a law degree from the University of Washington, de los Santos worked as a trial lawyer before joining TrueBlue as a corporate counsel. Shortly after joining the company, he was invited to a corporate outing that included spouses and significant others. It was the early 2000s, when same-sex relationships were far less accepted than today, and same-sex marriage was still several years in the future. After he introduced the man who is now his husband as his boyfriend, he was congratulated by many of his colleagues, who thanked him for being open about his relationship.  

When TrueBlue started a Diversity and Inclusion Council, de los Santos was the natural choice to lead it. Today, in addition to being the President of National Filipino American Lawyers Association, de los Santos is Associate General Counsel, Senior Director of Employment Law at TrueBlue.

At PeopleScout’s 2019 NEXT Talent Summit, de los Santos led a Big Idea Talk and breakout session in which he reflected on his own experience, the success of building a diverse and inclusive work environment at TrueBlue, and the vital role of leadership:

“It is important to be your authentic self, not to feel that you cannot be who you truly are because of another person’s preconceived judgement,” de los Santos said. “If employees feel they cannot be who they truly are and express themselves in a way that is natural for them, they will not be able to display their full potential. If an employee is struggling with something in their lives that they don’t feel they can share, that employee will feel isolated. They may not be able to concentrate on their work and could develop a feeling that no one cares about them and start to think about an exit strategy.

“But, when employees experience genuine respect and feel safe to express themselves, productivity, retention rates and morale all increase. Leaders have a duty to create an environment where people can be their authentic selves and set the example with their own behavior that displays respect and a willingness to listen, and clearly communicates the value of every employee.”

Inclusion Pays Off

While the arguments to build an inclusive culture at work may sound compelling, how important is inclusion to an organization’s success? A study from Deloitte cited research that found that organizations with inclusive cultures have a clear advantage over those that do not.

Organizations with inclusive cultures are:

  • Two times more likely to exceed financial targets
  • Three times more likely to be high-performing
  • Six times more likely to be innovative and agile
  • Eight times more likely to achieve business outcomes

Successfully building a culture of inclusion requires a serious commitment from the leaders of an organization and participation at every level. While there may be challenges along the way, the efforts made to create a culture of inclusion can result in increased retention, greater commitment and input from the workforce, which can lead to markedly improved business outcomes.