Zequality

01/25/2023

Wishing you and your loved ones health and happiness in the Year of the Rabbit! Happy Lunar New Year!

06/21/2022

“Juneteenth is a moment where we step back and try to understand the Civil War through the eyes of enslaved people….A Juneteenth holiday is just the impetus and enabler of the change that ...would need to occur to get people’s minds and spirits in the right place….” says Karlos Hill, Professor, African & African-American studies, University of Oklahoma and the author of "Beyond the Rope: The Impact of Lynching on Black Culture and Memory."

Read the full post blog post at https://www.zequality.com/post/juneteenth-freedom-day

“Juneteenth is a moment where we step back and try to understand the Civil War through the eyes of enslaved people….A Juneteenth holiday is just the impetus and enabler of the change that ...would need to occur to get people’s minds and spirits in the right place….” says Karlos Hill, Profe...

06/17/2022

29.8% of LGBTQ+ employees experienced some form of discrimination (including being fired or not being hired) because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, says a 2021 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA; with reports of negative comments, slurs or jokes about LGBTQ+ people at work, by a staggering 67.5% of LGBTQ+ employees! All of which point a finger at a non-inclusive workplace!

Given that 5.6% of adults in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+, as indicated by a 2021 Gallup study, so statistically there would be around 560 employees in a 10,000 strong workforce who identify as LGBTQ+, of whom, around a quarter or about 144 are not out to anyone at work. A recent Forbes study shows that hypothetically, the 15 minutes spent by this small group in a non-inclusive organization, per day, either educating people on LGBTQ+ inclusion, or masking their real identity, would translate into 65 hours spent per person per work year, resulting in a quarter of a million dollars of Company money, being expended by 144 employees, on doing something which they shouldn’t have be doing in the first place!

In fact, extrapolating these figures, $2 billion would reportedly be the colossal hidden cost being forked out by US employers as a whole on this account! Reduced talent attraction, a smaller recruitment pool, lower levels of engagement, higher levels of attrition, and decreased innovation are some of the adverse add-ons to this already unwanted hefty bill to employers, for failing to create an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ employees!

The negative financial impact of exclusion in a workplace, rarely trains the lens on the unique circumstances of members of the LGBTQ+ people, who are the ‘invisible minority’ who can pass as straight and/or cisgender. The same Forbes Report indicates the likelihood of more than 5.6% of the population being LGBTQ+ who are not self-identifying on surveys, with the number of closeted LGBTQ+ people being likely to be higher than 25.8%. So choosing to ignore the data reality and the necessity of fostering dignity and respect in the workplace is a disastrous mistake- both morally and for business too!

Acting as allies in support of our LGBTQ+ colleagues — even in their absence — increases the visibility of inclusive behavior and helps create a welcoming space where LGBTQ+ folks can be their whole self at work, and bring their best to the table!

05/24/2022

“People are not motivated by the bottom line. It’s about the human factor—and purpose is the driver. It’s what … inspires us to do great things ….” says Joey Reiman in “The Story of Purpose.” It reveals peoples’ craving to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves- which in the current scenario, has to a great extent replaced the historic employee turnover reasons of higher salary, or lack of promotion avenues!

The realization that EMPLOYEES are in fact “the product” or the essence of the goods and services that customers experience every day, rather than mere hires - is the sea change in the employee perspective lens viewed by high engagement firms; propelling employers to reinvent roles, focus on continuous development rather than mere training- an investment in their valued workforce. Create a work culture so inclusively attractive that employees will be inexorably drawn to make a prolonged commitment – beyond mere engagement – to implement shared organizational goals and values!

The average turnover cost of replacing a single employee ranges from half to double their annual salary, apart from the adverse impact on team morale and the extra workload on the remaining employees.A study of about 2000 employees indicates that engaged employees are 59% less likely to seek out a new job.

So what can get them to stay? Help them connect what they do- to what they care about!
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05/09/2022

Looking to source “mission critical” scarce talent to fill the yawning gap caused by overwhelming industry demand in the rapidly expanding areas of data analytics, AI and IT services implementation?

Innovate to survive is the new mantra taught by the pandemic! Companies are resorting to meeting this shortfall, from the largely untapped pool of neurodiverse talent excelling in pattern recognition, writing orderly code, mental visualization, and creative thinking, essential for the concerned tasks.

Considered “oddballs” by “normal standards,” these are the “variety” added to the mix, adept at complex problem solving, who not only see things differently but often spot what others don’t!Studies in fact peg the productivity of organizations’ neurodiverse teams at a significant 30% more than others.

In the words of Harvey Blume, “Who can say what form of wiring will be best at any given moment?”

05/07/2022

"Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum...What might be right for you, may not be right for some…It takes different strokes to move the world.”

In the words of John Elder Robison, co-chair of the Neurodiversity Working Group at the College of William & Mary and a patient of Asperger’s syndrome “…people with differences do not need to be cured; they need help and accommodation instead.”

-Working styles, communications, one-to-one meetings and flexibility-managers need to discern and adapt to how each neurodiverse professional works best.
-Subdued lighting and noise-cancelling headphones, are inexpensive to provide but huge on increased comfort levels.
-A 16% increase in profitability, 18% in productivity, and 12% in customer loyalty- is the impact seen by organizations who’ve provided mentors to differently abled professionals.

Employers need to meet their neurodiverse employees “where they are” and forge a bond through accommodations that will leverage their talents and be a win-win for all.

05/02/2022

Sidelined or sometimes silenced in meetings, excluded from key decisions and overlooked for advancement- this is the exorbitant TOLL FEE imposed on women and marginalized “outsiders,” who inch along at a snail's pace on a speed breaker- dotted- Career progression track - while “insiders” get to “cruise” along an open road!

And as if that’s not bad enough- the toll gate is not a solitary one! Opportunity, influence, and scrutiny are the three tolls that loom large, forcing those without the “resources” to pay the toll, to exit the workplace “highway”! Read what authors say about this in their thought provoking article:
https://hbr.org/2022/01/who-pays-tolls-at-work-and-who-cruises-on-an-open-highway

Reduced productivity, low retention and recurring hiring and training costs, along with occasional payouts from costly lawsuits, generate heat felt by the organizations who operate these toll booths and extract the tolls!

The win-win way forward, lies in shutting down these tolls for good, and replacing them with initiatives to ensure equal respect and equitable scope in roles.

As organizations continue to navigate a changed world amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and the reverberations of the Black Lives Matter movement, many of the issues that affect underrepresented groups in organizations, including women of all different races and ethnicities, have resurfaced with intensit...

04/30/2022

“Will I land a job this time?” wondered Tim anxiously. A data analytics wiz with a double Master’s degree, he seemed like an ideal candidate for the post! Until he walked in for the interview- wearing headphones, repeatedly fiddling with his shoelaces, and avoiding eye contact! Definitely “different” by so-called “normal” standards- and for more reasons than one! Tim is autistic- and extraordinarily gifted in pattern recognition, memory, and mathematics!

It just needed a company willing to adjust its selection process to spot his unusual abilities and scoop him up! The payback? With his challenges comfortably accommodated to leverage his abilities, Tim’s become one of the most highly productive members on his team!

Sometimes displaying challenging eccentricities and “wired” differently from others, NEURODIVERSE employees with autism, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dysgraphia, dyspraxia, Tourette syndrome, and Down syndrome- are gifted with exceptional focus, high analytical, problem-solving abilities – essential skills for digital success. All these along with out-of-the-box thinking, which boosts a company’s efforts to innovate and create value, are what these uniquely talented diverse individuals bring to the table!

04/27/2022

Studies have shown that mandatory and legalistic DEI training, hiring tests, performance ratings and grievance systems, are all traditionally used bias-reducing practices, that may unintentionally have the exact opposite effect.

What’s important, is not to impose change, but to suggest what can be done differently – to make a difference! Conducting Diversity audits or employee engagement surveys are like a periodic health check on how DEI policies and procedures impact employee engagement and morale. These audits are a step in the right direction towards developing and integrating a diversity strategy to enhance organizational performance.

Devise a dynamic DEI strategy for your organization - one that is measurable, transparent and constantly "in progress"- evolving and restructuring - to align with changing scenarios and employee needs and of course, organizational goals!

Do You Need To Change?

04/25/2022

Research shows that adults like to apply their own experiences, to help solve a problem.

The Personal Touch: Socializing, exchanging trivia, emotional bonding, expressing a genuine interest in a peer’s personal life, and offering a safe space when heightened emotions need venting.

All these heighten the sense of belonging!

04/21/2022

Want to ensure that your diverse workforce sticks with you through the hard times of the pandemic and beyond? Turn off “auto-pilot” practices and start probing the how and why of policies/procedures to disrupt the “inertia” of traditional biased systems. Cultivate ‘openness’ for DEI accountability in your corporate culture through a three-pronged approach, advises this Entrepreneur article: https://lnkd.in/g5j6mP8G

-An Open Mind- Do you espy a chance to make a difference with this hire or promotion- with bias-free hiring/evaluation in sync with organizational intentions? Relook your entire hiring and other processes through a broad- perspective- lens to check if there is a need to revisit procedures for improvement!

-An Open Book- Shareholder pressure on companies to release demographic data and board makeup, and workers’ scrutiny whether companies walk the talk on DEI- reflect the key issue of organizational accountability for meeting DEI goals. The cyclical system of report- reflect- correct that is used to base individual decisions on collective outcomes in revenue and expense related financial matters -can be similarly applied to spot biases in recruiting, promotion cycle inequities, and set targets to improve DEI. Transparent data reporting can help organizations reflect and decide whether they need to address structural or behavioral issues — or both — to meet their DEI goals.

- An Open heart- A safe and equitable workplace to bridge the divide- where all stakeholders can connect with the company’s vision, values and purpose.

Ride out the wave of resignations by hitting the “reset” button to create a workplace culture of transparency and belonging that makes employees choose to stick around!