Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We’ve combed through the latest research, reflected on opinions from top experts and relied on our own experience with over 15,000 HR professional partners to pull together a list of the latest HR trends you’ll want to keep at the top of your mind for 2022.

While many of us can easily identify overt forms of discrimination in the workplace, microaggressions are often far more subtle and so go unnoticed and unreported.

Inclusion means that everyone in your business, regardless of their personal identity, has a sense of connection and belonging at work, where their contributions are valued and they don’t feel left out of decision-making, promotions, and other impactful events. Exclusive cultures, by contrast, can create feelings of unfairness, resentment, and burnout, leading to lower productivity and higher turnover.

The legal landscape around workplace harassment prevention has become progressively more complex. What was once an easy territory for multi-state employers to manage, has now become increasingly difficult to navigate—putting organizations in danger of being out of compliance and posing significant legal risks.

The journey of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion is not easy. But some of the world’s most successful companies are making concrete commitments to DEI, adeptly working with employees to navigate a journey toward allyship and advocacy with successful results.

The killing of George Floyd, according to Byna Elliott, turned our perceptions of DEI work from a distant aspiration, into something that organizations will be, and should be, held accountable for both by employees and customers.  

We live in politically charged times, with a misperception emerging that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are part of a political agenda. But DEI is politically agnostic. Why? Because the focus is on basic life principles, like how we understand and treat people who may be different from ourselves.

The journey of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion is not easy. But some of the world’s most successful companies are making concrete commitments to DEI, adeptly working with employees to navigate a journey toward allyship and advocacy with successful results.

Building a supportive culture is key to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment. While everyone is harmed when exposed to a negative workplace, people from underrepresented or marginalized groups are particularly at risk.

Creating a DEI program requires thoughtful reflection and intentionality. And it’s a good idea to build this program around the experiences of underrepresented groups by creating an environment where all employees are part of designing it.