Thank you so much for joining me for this first week of the Equity Toolkit for your business. This week we are looking into hiring practices, and the way that your company's staff compares to the diversity in your community.
There are a number of reasons to focus on equity and inclusion for your business, and you know what resonates most for yourself and your company. Here are a couple of things to also consider:
Diverse perspectives typically enhance creativity and foster innovation.
Diverse teams typically perform better, coming up with better solutions.
Diversity is the undercurrent of a dynamic culture with a place for all.
I welcome your feedback on this work! If you have comments, suggestions or concerns, please feel free to email me or to comment in the chat box!
Job Descriptions, Job Ads and Applications
Questions to ask
Is there a way that we have built this job that excludes certain kinds of people
If so, what can we do to change this?
Remember
Your company has legitimate business needs which must be met by all applicants for a position.
If you require a qualification of one applicant, you should require it of all.
Diversity in Your Community
Characteristics to Learn More About
Race
Religion
Age
Gender Expression
Disability Status
Veteran Status
Political Affiliation
Economic Status
Education Level
Where Can I Find Information?
Santa Cruz County:
Others:
Diversity in Your Company
Survey
One of the best ways I have found to inquire into the diversity of an organization is to conduct an anonymous survey.
There are a number of free surveys available online including this one. Before sending out a survey, ensure that the responses can be anonymous, and be sure that you are asking the right questions that track the information that is important to you and your organization.
Sample Questions
What is your gender identity?
What is your racial or ethnic identity?
Are you a person living with a disability?
How old are you?
What languages do you speak at home?
What is your religious identity?
Are you a parent?
Are you a caretaker?
Are you a veteran?
What Next?
How does your Company measure up?
What areas are in alignment?
Are there areas where you exceed?
What areas would you like to work on?
Consider:
Build relationships with new groups!
What is your company's stand on equity? Write it down and include it in your survey.
Promote your jobs through new channels.
Learn More
With the killing of George Floyd and the protests happening around the world in support of fairness for all people, I felt like June 2020 was a good month to focus on equity in our organizations. Many people felt a responsibility to do something at this time, but were not sure what exactly to do. Fortunately each of us has a sphere of influence in our businesses and organizations where we can implement practices locally that create positive change regionally, nationally and globally.
In this series we focused on four areas of our companies where we may have made decisions by default rather than through careful decision. Many times we create systems of inequity through our reaction and inaction, rather than willfully. This month we will look at hiring practices, compensation, training and corrective action planning. The goal is to see what is there, what has already been created, and to see how we may adjust these systems to create more equity for our employees.
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