LocalJobNetwork is excited to be sponsoring the NILG 2020 Virtual Conference Webinar Series this year. You can sign up for any of the webinars coming up in the next couple of months for free! On July 14, I attended the session focused on Moving the Diversity/Inclusion Needle without Running into Legal Trouble.
After attending this great webinar, I wanted to provide you with my top five takeaways:
Companies have been coming out with strong statements against racism but as we all know a lot of people feel they are just statements. There is no feeling of stance behind those blanketed statements other than we will try to do better. A big push will be coming for companies to reveal just how diverse and inclusive their workforce is to see if the statements match the workforce. This has been a long time coming and companies need to ensure that if they do not already have a DEI plan one will need to be started!
Affirmative Action is mandatory and something that employers must act on to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity for employment. While workplace diversity is a voluntary action that companies should be focusing on to not only hire, promote and focus on diverse workforces, but also make sure that their values and culture create inclusion and bring in belongingness. Companies need to go beyond Affirmative Action and make sure that they are focusing on workplace diversity in order to continue to become profitable.
The first step that companies need to make sure they are taking is creating D&I goals and making sure you have a solid DEI plan in place. Companies should note when creating DEI goals and plans to keep in mind:
Diversity attracts diversity and companies need to remember this when looking at their current demographics internally. Companies need to be proactive in finding more diverse candidates by connecting with community partners and making sure their jobs are reaching qualified, diverse candidates. See how to go beyond the standard job posting process with outreach tools that save time, reduce recruitment costs, and deliver results with our whitepaper.
Inclusion in the workplace starts with creating a focus on programs whether it be mentoring, formal programs and/or employee resource groups. Additionally, training for management on implicit bias and anti-racism can be very beneficial for the workplace when it is constant and consistent. Programs and training can help to create a feeling of belongingness and inclusion into the workplace.
Looking at where to get started with unconscious bias? Join our complimentary webinar on August 4 to learn more about the steps you to take individually or institutionally to stop implicit bias from continuing.
