DEI Feature BY CHRISTY DULA, CHIEF EXPERIENCE & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, MHI When considering your organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, is neurodiversity a part of those efforts? It’s estimated that up to 40% of neurodiverse adults are unemployed. That includes persons with certain neurological differences, including those with autism spectrum disorder—a neurological condition that affects social interaction and ...
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Empowering Middle Management to Promote DEI Initiatives
BY CHRISTY DULA, CHIEF EXPERIENCE & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, MHI When it comes to nearly all corporate initiatives, support from the upper levels is crucial to generate the momentum that drives successful achievement of a goal. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts likewise require the backing of top leaders. But, as it turns out, these efforts also require the support of ...
Read More »Don’t Let DEI Burnout Negate Your Company’s Progress
BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI Three years ago, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was at the forefront of many organizations’ agendas. Motivated to change their cultures and drive greater inclusivity, awareness of biases and the importance of embracing employees’ differences, companies committed to change. They launched DEI initiatives, sponsored employee resource groups (ERGs), hosted training ...
Read More »Overcoming Unconscious Bias in the Workplace
DEI Feature BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI Unconscious biases (also called implicit biases) are the engrained social stereotypes about other people or groups that everyone carries without being aware of them. These attitudes can be related to age, race, gender, religion, culture, sexual orientation, appearance, political affiliation and many other attributes. Why does ...
Read More »Using DEI to Recruit, Retain and Empower: Four Things to Consider
BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP, MHI One of the benefits of a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative is a company’s ability to leverage that distinction when recruiting, retaining and empowering employees. There’s something very Field of Dreams about that idea. “If you build it, they will come…” (and work for you instead of another employer), right? ...
Read More »Employee Resource Groups Enhance Workplace Inclusion, Belonging Through Connection
DEI Feature BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP Connection through commonalities is the linchpin of belonging, which is why companies seeking to foster a more inclusive business culture increasingly support the creation of employee resource groups (ERGs) among their ranks. “An employee resource group (ERG) is a supportive, inclusive network of employees who share knowledge, ...
Read More »Overcome the Fears Preventing Your Company From Embracing DEI Initiatives
DEI Feature BY CHRISTIAN DOW, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP FIZKES/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM At October’s Annual Conference, MHI’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Committee presented “Discussions about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs.” Moderated by Dr. Shanthi Muthuswamy of Northern Illinois University, the panel included: Edward Lada Jr., president & CEO of Goodwill Keystone Area and the Goodwill Keystone ...
Read More »WERC MATTERS: Progressing Toward Greater Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
By Michael Mikitka Amidst the backdrop of COVID-19 and the political uncertainty of 2020, widespread protests drew attention to our country’s racial and cultural inequities. For many business leaders, 2020 was a year of reckoning. Not only about surviving the challenges of a global pandemic and its impact on their supply chains and customers, but also about improving employee diversity, ...
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