We are thrilled to share a recent article written by Sarah Amsler of Tech Target entitled, Justice, equity, diversity and Inclusion : Essentials for businesses, that features our managing principal, Kristina Kohl, and her work in the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging arena. TechTarget offers a network of technology-specific websites that give readers access to industry experts, independent content and analysis.
There are changing demographics within Gen Z and their expectations on JEDI issues impacts their decisions on employment.
Members of the Gen Z workforce are evaluating organizations and their leaders on their culture, actions, representations, and policies especially as they relate to environmental and social justice. They expect organizations to live their values especially around creating cultures that welcome and support individuals, their identities, and their needs. Rather than adapting to a dominant culture, Gen Z employees are looking to work for an organization that supports an equitable culture. One where all individuals can bring their true selves to work and not just survive but thrive.
Driving a J.E.D.I. transformation requires leadership to look deeply into their own culture and to understand who sets the standards for norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs.
The following is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of Driving Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion entitled Creating a Culture of Belonging.
Creating a culture of belonging is crucial to ensuring that your workforce believes that they are welcome, supported, and valued by your organization. Driving a J.E.D.I. transformation requires leadership to look deeply into their own culture and to understand who sets the standards for norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs. Leadership must ask themselves if they expect employees and other stakeholders to assimilate into their dominant culture or if they are building an equitable culture that values and supports a variety of perspectives, identities, cultures, and styles. So often, leaders focus their strategy on increasing the diversity representation of their talent pool, but they don't fully appreciate the importance of creating a culture where diversity is appreciated, valued, and rewarded. Creating a culture of belonging means changing how organizations operate including board representation, leadership competencies, leadership development, recruiting practices, supplier practices, talent development practices, and team norms. Transforming into a J.E.D.I. organization requires drilling deep into organizational systems to understand root causes and systemic barriers built into the operating foundation.
