Diversity

In a recent report, McKinsey & Co. took a closer look at the challenges Asian Americans face in the workplace—and what your organization can help do to prevent them.

In a post-pandemic office environment, employees are transitioning to a new way of working (remote, in-person or hybrid), and it’s creating a major shift in how they must navigate through the workplace. With the need to adapt to changes adding to their stress, employees can become mentally exhausted and disconnected from their peers. It’s these kinds of conditions that can lead to an increase in harassment. Let’s look at the latest research and expert opinions on the changing workplace and explore what you can do to create an environment where everyone feels safe and included.

Beginning in 2017 with the #MeToo movement and propelled by the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, there was a strong call for all companies, including tech, to rethink their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). In the years that followed, across the spectrum of industries, companies were put in a position of self-reflection and choice about how they would tackle this issue going forward.

This report shines a light on the experiences of frontline workers of color, the pathways from the front line to the middle class, and the skills workers need to advance. It also offers steps companies could take to improve job quality and better support frontline workers of color to develop and progress in their careers.

When it comes to culture, let’s agree that creating change is everyone’s responsibility. No one person or group of people holds the exclusive power to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. However, some people do have the ability to affect change in a particularly dramatic way. They are “people managers” who interact with and influence employees on a day-to-day basis.

Culture Amp has long used its research and data to highlight important trends in DEI in the workplace. Their 2018 and 2019 Diversity, Inclusion, & Intersectionality Reports called “attention to trends that remain strong across industries.”

At Kantola, we pride ourselves on storytelling. We believe in its power and ability to create real, long lasting change. But when it comes to telling stories, we also believe in doing it well: partnering and working with the most high quality and experienced cinematic professionals.

If you are struggling to demonstrate the effectiveness of your commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), you are not alone. Research backs up your concerns, but there is an answer to this dilemma.

For this month’s influencer series, we’ve chosen to take a look at four of our favorite influencers and their trending content on the power of storytelling. Stories breakthrough barriers, and at Kantola, we believe in its power to engage learners in a way that creates real, long-lasting change. So let’s see what the experts have to say about it.

In preparing for this piece, I set my sights on demystifying the term “equity,” as in diversity, equity, and inclusion, (DEI). I wanted to explore the part equity plays in creating a healthier workplace culture, which led me to this question: “What exactly is the difference between ‘equity’ and ‘equality’?”