Editor's Note: I came across this article on my LinkedIn feed and thought it was a great resource and I wanted to share with our IA readers. With the addition of COVID-19, businesses have had to adjust to a remote workplace and I think it has left a lot of people feeling disconnected. Forming a cohesive and efficient work environment is tough, and adding displacement, uncertainty and anxiety for the future into the mix and it's bound to create an uncomfortable environment. Now more than ever, it's important for supervisors and employers to go the extra mile to make sure their employees feel understood, valued and appreciated. See this article below from LaFawn Davis on the Fast Company about hiring for diversity and inclusion roles in your firm and how this creates a more engaged and efficient work environment.
People increasingly want to support and work for companies with values that align with their own. This trend has led to growing interest in and awareness of the importance of hiring for diversity and inclusion (D&I) roles. While this hiring trend has been well established in a handful of sectors for years, it continues to grow in popularity across all industries.
As a result, demand for D&I-focused roles is on the rise. The only issue is the supply of qualified applicants for diversity roles can’t keep up. The disconnect is that, while firms typically seek candidates with 10-15 years of experience, few people have actually worked in D&I-focused roles for that length of time.
In the past, HR roles have often included a D&I function, but D&I-focused roles have been relatively rare until now. For example, job applicants for current D&I roles may have previously led an Employee Resource Group (ERG) alongside a core job or had responsibilities that fell into the D&I space as one part of a previous role. Now, however, many of these professionals are looking to pivot their careers to focus on the growing D&I space.
As employers work to find an ideal fit for skills and experience in newly created D&I roles, it may help to look to the future of work. In the wake of COVID, a remote—or partially remote—work environment looks likely for many companies. Because remote work environments can challenge traditional approaches to employee engagement, the focus on creating a community plays a larger role.
That’s where diversity and inclusion leadership comes in. At Indeed, for example, our D&I teams are focused on creating a sense of belonging and community among employees. In addition to helping us attract and retain top talent, we find that our firm’s dedication to D&I through education alongside taking tangible steps to mitigate bias has a positive effect on the firm’s overall sense of community.
Forming a cohesive work community plays to the strengths of D&I professionals. Companies can capitalize on the valuable tools that D&I professionals bring by shifting the traditional focus of these roles away from a sole focus on leadership development and accountability and towards also ensuring that all employees feel valued and understood.