From the CoronaVirus pandemic to the events surrounding the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a whole new light has been shed on the overreaching inequalities that live in the shadows of American culture. The current environment in our communities and the world around us may have forward thinking business leaders turning the lens on themselves and their teams. As events swirl in the world around us and calls for change get loader, many of us are taking pause to make sure that there are good systems in place to ensure that the organizations we lead are supporting equality. In fact, this is a good exercise to do on a good basis to ensure that all systems and employees are following the right protocols regarding equality. 

In fact, the push for equality goes even further than the protesting and calls for change around the Black Lives Matter movement and in response to police brutality. It also encompasses the Me Too movement and the recent victory in the SCOTUS, which added the LGBTQ community to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The evolution, or as some might call it revolution, is affecting change, and these changes are guaranteed to impact the workplace. Companies that are proactive and at the front lines embracing change will, not only, protect their brands and reputations, they will also demonstrate that they support a culture of inclusion and equality for all. 

If these issues have been weighing on your mind, you’re not alone. Business leaders around the country are carefully watching the events unfold and pausing to reflect on where their business stands with the backdrop of these historical events. Following are a few best practices and tips to help you assess where you stand.

If you’re wondering if it matters, here are some details to convince you:

• A recent report published by World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap this year showed that businesses that lack of gender and racial diversity have been shown to be 29% more likely log higher revenues.

• Glassdoor reports that 42% of employees have faced racism or sexism in the workplace. That same report shows that employees who felt "excluded" were 25% less productive.

• According to research recently pushed out by Mercer’s, one out of three U.S. organizations does not take the simple, critical step of tracking employee representation by race/ethnicity and career level which could leave them open to loss of productivity, poor employee retention rates and even public relations or legal issues.

4 Tips To Take Your Business’s Equality Temperature:

1. Have open discussions with your internal teams and your audience.

   As any savvy business leader knows, the customer is not the only audience. Your business has an internal team that is watching and noticing what the business does, in addition to a talent pool that you may be wanting to recruit. On top of that, your business may have investors, strategic partners or advertisers that are also taking note of how your business handles hot topics related to diversity, equality and racism. Even if we don’t know all the answers, it’s important to start the conversation. We can start to communicate that a plan is being worked on, that our business wants to take a proactive stance and, simply, that we care.

2. Hold sensitivity training.

   Even the most well-intentioned among us may not know what to say or do to support the minorities in our workplace as we both witness the changes and unrest related to civil rights. Awkward conversations can be taken the wrong way, and insensitivities can lead to cracks in the foundation of your company’s culture. By helping your teams understand where each other is coming from and guiding them on how to talk about things, you can do your part to reduce tensions while at the same time nurturing a healthy and productive workforce.

3. Revisit your policies frequently.

   Many organizations take the set it and forget it approach to many aspects of their human resource. Training and review of policies related to diversity and inclusion should not follow that lead. By setting up micro check-ins as well as annual deep dives, you can ensure that nothing is falling by the wayside and that you, your management team and your workforce are all on the same page.

4. Consider partnering with an external team.

   Some things are better left up to the experts. If you have a diverse team or are dealing with backlash due to issues related to equality in your workplace, it might be time to hire an outside consultant that can tap into expertise and objectivity to help right the ship.

We are certainly in un-chartered waters, and 2020 is a year most of us will never forget. (Is anyone found themselves asking what could possibly happen next? I know I have!) Through the chaos, the pain and the tears, I do believe that change is coming. Good change. Needed change. I also believe that the companies that step up with smart, strategic approaches to embraces these changes are the ones that will shine when all the dust has settled. Xandra Marketing is here to help you with your strategic vision for your company, from sales to marketing to leadership. We’re looking forward to helping you grow and succeed – whatever 2020 throws at us next.

Connect With Xandra Marketing!