At a glance, you may think that diversity and equity are an entirely different topic from sustainability, but in actuality, sustainability is about the responsibility to our environment, our surrounding communities, and our employees. So, just how is equity related to sustainability? Consider that the journey to sustainability is actually the sum of many goals. These include dealing with safety for employees and the community around projects, organizational excellence and leadership at the corporate level, economic strength, transformation, climate, as well as diversity and equity. At AOE, we ..read more

In 2022, ageism is still alive in the workplace. Ageism exists when people form stereotypes and biases based on someone’s age. This can have serious consequences for people’s mental health. As the U.S. workforce grows older and many people are working longer, ageism is a critical concern for many companies and organizations. Chicago Innovation has recently launched an initiative, Ageless Innovators, with the goal of facilitating intergenerational co-mentoring, ultimately reducing ageism in the workplace. Bridging generations by sharing experiences, skills and perspectives through reciprocal me ..read more

When you hear the word “disability,” what comes to mind? For many people, they imagine someone using a wheelchair, or a group of people speaking to each other in sign language, or a person with a seeing-eye dog crossing the street. However, there are many disabilities out there that are not immediately apparent – you often can’t tell just by looking at someone that they are living with what is known as an “invisible disability.” Invisible disabilities are typically chronic illnesses and conditions that impair the normal activities of someone’s daily life. They can be mental conditions—depress ..read more

Today’s society is more diverse than ever, and your workforce should reflect that if you want to succeed. AOE recommends your follow these 4 steps: Check people’s unconscious biases. You can’t avoid unconscious bias, but you can confront it so it doesn’t rule your decisions. Encourage employees to examine their assumptions about other people, and provide training in identifying and overcoming hidden biases. Eliminate microaggressions. Point out offhand comments that target marginalized people. Because employees may not even realize what they’re saying, be patient when explaining how their wor ..read more

In spring 2021, The Institute for Public Relations Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and The Wakeman Agency conducted a survey of almost 400 communications and public relations leaders to access diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) perceptions and definitions. The resulting report describes how communication leaders are defining and discussing DEI in organizations. Almost all of respondents agree that language or words can influence or reinforce power dynamics in the workplace with 87 percent noting that focusing on how language can evolve to be more equitable or inclusive is import ..read more

The route to a more diverse and equitable workplace starts with recruiting the right people. The Harvard Business School website shares this advice for structuring your interview process to attract a wide range of candidates to hire: Use inclusive language in job descriptions. Remove any kind of gendered language when preparing job descriptions, as well as jargon or idiomatic expressions that make people feel excluded. Explicitly state your organization’s commitment to diversity in your post. Counter recruiters’ bias. Many hiring managers have an unconscious bias toward hiring people who look ..read more

AOE President Kimberly Kayler sat down with Bill Palmer, World of Concrete 360 editor, for a one-on-one discussion on how diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are more than just a trend and that for DEI to be successful, policies are best integrated at a strategic level. Watch the full interview here. Contact us today to learn more on how to get started with your DEI journey ..read more

At a recent conference held by the Michigan Society of Association Executives, I spoke on the topic of DEI planning. One of the attendees, John M. Collins, proved to be a fantastic participant in the very honest and sincere discussions we had on the topic during the session. John, a public trust and executive coach and founder of Critical Victories, shared how diversity and inclusion efforts have always appeared in his coaching business, however, there is much more attention now on tackling offenses than in the past. Not one to shy away from tough topics, John recently tackled diversity from a ..read more

With an increased focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in our organizations, one tactic that has proven effective is the launch of Affinity or Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). These employee-led voluntary groups bring employees together in a safe place where everyone is comfortable sharing their experience. The groups usually organize based on a shared characteristic, whether it is gender, religious affiliation, ethnicity, lifestyle or even interest. ERGs are important as we know that employees thrive when diversity is celebrated. Organizations should consider an ERG as part ..read more

One of the biggest misconceptions about DEI programs is that it is yet another government program that measures quotas. To that end, I recently read a great article by Emily Herrington on how diversity is more than checking boxes. She noted that your organization might have all the right policies in place, ie., complying with equal employment opportunity measures, the necessary discrimination policies and multiple demographics represented in your staff. However, as many have learned, checking the boxes does not necessarily translate to having a diverse culture. DEI must be integrated into the ..read more