Diversity in the Workplace
How could I consider wrapping up my 365+ day long Women in the Workplace series and not talk about diversity and inclusion in the workplace? Today I’m going to speak on encouraging diversity in the workplace and how you can be a better ally.
To set the tone, I don’t think I have ever worked for a company that was diverse and/or focussed on diversity. My first job out of college was mostly made up of white people…I think I remember one Black person and a handful of other races. My second job definitely had a better mix of people, though the leaders were all white. My third job had all white employees. All that to say, I’ve never been apart of an organization that celebrated diversity and included all people well. I have however witnessed my husband’s current employer do this and do it very well, so a lot of company-wide tips will come from my experience with them. They do a killer job of hiring diversely and celebrating others. I’m honestly so impressed with them, but that is another topic for another day.
I’ve had a lot of conversations recently (and I hope you have too) about what to do or even how to help regarding racial iniquities. I’ve heard the “but what do I actually do? how can I actually help” responses and I hope this post will help answer that question, both personally and company-wide. There’s a lot of talk about donations, voting, etc, but don’t for one second thing those are the only things you can do. Here are some ideas and guess what? The bulk of them don’t cost a dime.
WHAT YOUR COMPANY CAN DO AS A WHOLE
You can encourage your company to participate, but most of these have to be set in place by them, not you.
Hire well. It all starts here… have equal opportunity for all!
Form groups. I’ve seen this done as one large group like an interfaith council which definitely works; however, the way my husband’s company does it is by having several different affinity groups. These groups not only serve as a way for employees to meet together within the said group, but also as a way to educate other employees about other thoughts, ideas, races, religions, and cultures. They have all different groups - for Black people, veterans, women, Latin people, and more! These groups often put on events and celebrate their groups’ purpose within the company. Right now (during the pandemic), they have resorted to calls and panels instead of actual meet-ups, but I think it is really great they not only have this, but are keeping it going. Now more than ever it is important to do so. They also have a regular newsletter that goes out and features what each group is focusing on and how to learn more.
WHAT YOU CAN DO PERSONALLY IN THE WORKPLACE
To be honest, a lot of these things just sound like being a good co-worker (and they are!), but so many people don’t do them, so I thought I’d spell them out.
Speak up. Be a voice for others. It may not be that they don’t speak at all…it could be that others don’t necessarily listen. If you have a voice people listen to, use it for good! Whether it is recommending others for a job or crediting them with an idea in front of execs, do it!
Speak out. If you hear someone say something racist and/or rude, don’t just let it slide by. I’m not telling you to be rude back, I’m just suggesting that you stick up for others. By not saying something, you are allowing it to occur.
Stay informed. Read the news and be aware / sensitive about what is going on. Read books and listen to publications by Black people and other people of color to broaden your horizons.
Widen your nets. Learn from other people, but also truly get to know people who are different from you. This allows you to learn and appreciate other cultures and ideas.
Start a small group. This is kind of in relation to “form groups” in the company section. If your company has a lot of red tape to go through before forming an interfaith council or official affinity groups, see if you can start a small group. Whether it is a un-official diverse book club or group that focuses on how you can help the community, do it! Maybe it begins as a group of people who skip their lunch break every week or two, but you never know how much it might mean to someone or how much change you set in place within your workplace.
These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg, but if we all work together, we can begin to chip away and have a better and more inclusive workplace for all. Have any other tips or thoughts on this subject? Drop them in the comments so others can see too!
Some other resources I like are:
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