If you missed our fantastic webinar with Josh Bersin, world renowned global industry analyst and Dean of the Josh Bersin Academy- we have your back!
The webinar took a deep dive into the value Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) brings to the workplace and how to implement an actionable DEI practice across an enterprise. Special guest Kathi Enderes Vice President, Research at the Josh Bersin Academy discussed measuring the value of DEI and how technology is impacting this initiative.
Drivers of change
Leaders acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many elements of change tracing issues throughout the most recent economic cycle that began in 2008. A steadily growing digitization of the economy and jobs has also made changing a necessity. Experts see an Increased focus on the human side of work brought about by business transformation and HR executives have been challenged with sweeping changes required by the pandemic, such as remote work, wellbeing assessments, and business resilience strategies.
DEI implementation and how it’s measured across an organization is complicated and it is a rapidly changing space. As social issues progress, so do their impact on DEI which is why DEI needs to be an ongoing strategy. Building an inclusive culture, one that is fostered across an enterprise, does not happen overnight and it’s not a one person job. Bersin emphasized that implementing an effective DEI strategy is fundamental to an enterprise’s ability to operate.
Evolution of DEI
Implementing and funding a DEI strategy has its challenges as well. Assigning accountability is difficult too. There is no question that DEI makes for better and easier recruiting and that DEI builds improved job performance, but psychological research also shows that gender diverse boards have better performance, more in depth discussions, and a greater understanding of the needs of customers, all which point to the inherent value of a strong DEI strategy.
Talent and pay are core DEI issues. A talent mobility model enables people to express their career goals publicly which helps leaders identify motivated candidates for projects which, in turn, builds inclusion in an organic way. Talent mobility at its core is an expression of inclusion. A highly agile organization, like one that uses a talent mobility platform, can address DEI rapidly and make changes quickly. Systemic bias can also be dealt with transparently with a talent mobility platform. When HR has more visibility to what is happening in the ecosystem of a company or department, they can react to it in an orderly way, and bring change to an organization.
Employee experience and DEI
DEI is a wellbeing issue. Trust, transparency, and inclusion affect the health and wellbeing of the workforce. Inclusion touches on many aspects of everyday work. When you consider that the #1 reason people leave their jobs is they don’t see an opportunity for growth, the inclusion portion of DEI moves to the forefront.
Engaging employees and building trust and transparency across an organization delivers a positive employee experience to a workforce. Measuring employee engagement and employee retention are two of the most important metrics HR leaders are looking at in 2020. In 2021, the value of inclusion will continue to grow as organizations harness technology to measure employee experience.
Technology as an Enabler of DEI
Talent mobility platforms are touted as enablers of DEI strategy as they build key DEI initiatives like transparency, workforce participation, dynamic teams, and build agile enterprises. Sporting through available technologies and finding the correct solution for your enterprise is where the real challenge lies. Technology needs to be utilized to be valuable. Hitch’s talent mobility platform has proven beneficials at a myriad of enterprises working in industries from technology, financial services, and entertainment.
About Hitch
Hitch is a Talent Opportunity & Mobility Platform that matches the skills and passions of your workforce with organizational needs so that business opportunities — whether project-based or full-time — can be resourced from within. This internal marketplace creates a culture of learning, growth, and engagement where people feel valued and the organization achieves greater productivity and performance while retaining its most valuable talent.