The Power of a Shared Language for Advancing Racial Equity

Core Definitions and Distinctions.  The Race Matters Institute offers the following distinctions for your consideration. 

Diversity refers to the wide array of differences among people and their perspectives on the world.  Diversity is an important organizational goal in its own right, but it may or may not be linked to the issue of equity.  A diverse workplace is not necessarily an equitable workplace.  Nor does the presence of people who are diverse necessarily produce decision-making that optimizes results for the groups their diversity reflects.

Inclusion is reflected in the ability of diverse peoples to raise their perspectives authentically, and for those voices to matter and impact decisions, where the organizational culture has been enabled for that to happen.  Inclusion promises a broader view of the world and a more democratic process of decision-making.  Inclusion is an important organizational process goal, but it does not on its own guarantee equity in an organization’s mission-critical results.

Equity refers to achieved results where advantages and disadvantages are not distributed on the basis of race and ethnicity. Strategies that produce equity must be targeted to address the unequal needs, conditions, and positions of people and communities that are created by institutional and structural barriers.  Equity requires a set of informed policies and practices, intentionally designed to promote opportunity and rectify disparities, as well as informed people positioned to implement them effectively.

Pew Research Center

Read the full article here

Explore this article about diversity and discrimination in the workplace:

The Changing Workforce

As the workforce continues to change, employers will ensure the success of their organizations if they are able to harness the talents and creativity of the fast-growing Hispanic demographic and use it as a catalyst to power American competitiveness for decades to come.

• By 2060, the workforce participation rate will decline to nearly 60 percent; that decline is largely due to the number of Baby Boomers retiring. 
• Hispanics currently make up 16 percent of the overall U.S. labor market and will account for one out of every two new workers entering the workforce by 2025 and 66,000 are turning 18 every month.

The Changing U.S. Workforce: The Growing Hispanic Demographic and the Workplace A Research Report by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute

Skilled Technical Workforce Report

Use the link below to read the latest report from the NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD and find out how expanding the diversity and inclusivity of science and engineering is vital to the future of science & engineering in this country. 

THE SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE: Crafting America’s Science & Engineering Enterprise

Overlooked Talent Pools

Black & African Americans in STEM 

Rural Residential & Communities in STEM

Women in the Science and Engineering Workforce

Women make up over 34% of all scientists (engineers excluded), although representation varies across the broad fields. Women account for approximately 48% and 59% of life scientists and social scientists, respectively, and nearly 30% of physical scientists and computer and mathematical scientists. Notably, while 59% of social scientists are female, occupations within social sciences varied widely: women accounted for 21% of economists and 69% of psychologists. About 16% of engineers are women, ranging from about 7% of mechanical engineers to 25% of chemical engineers.

Racial Equity Organizational Assessment

How is your organization doing in its work to advance racial equity? Are you taking the steps that are usually needed to achieve the equitable results you and your constituencies want?

This assessment will take less than 5 minutes of your time!

ASSESSMENT

Why Diversity Matters

McKinsey has been examining diversity in the workplace for several years. In their 2015 article, Diversity Matters, McKinsey examined proprietary data sets for 366 public companies across a range of industries in Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In this research, they looked at metrics such as financial results and the composition of top management and boards. The findings were clear:

• Companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.
• Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians (exhibit).

Their latest report shows not only that the business case remains robust but also that the relationship between diversity on executive teams and the likelihood of financial outperformance has strengthened over time.

In the latest report from McKinsey, Diversity wins: How inclusion matters, McKinsey reinforces the business case around diversity, inclusion, and equity. 

Resources

American Sustainable Business Council: Support An Inclusive Economy

Center for Talent and Innovation: Disabilities and Inclusion 

Center for Talent and Innovation: Out in the World Securing the LGBTQ Rights in the Global Marketplace

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities: Fostering an Inclusive STEM Workforce

LinkedIn: 7 Tactics to Bolster Diversity and Inclusion at Your Company

Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race & Equity: Racial Equity - Getting to Results

National Association of Colleges and Employers: The Benefits of Creating an Inclusive Work Culture

National Business & Disability Council: An Employer Resource for Disability Employment Best Practices

STEMConnector: Black & African Americans in STEM

SHRM: Creating LGBTQ - Inclusive Workplace 

Sisters Who Lead: From Knowing Better to Doing Better: Closing the Opportunity Gap for Women of Color in the Workplace Through Transformed Systems Behavior

USDN Urban Sustainability Directors Network: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Recruitment, Hiring and Retention

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Best Practices for Employers and Human Resources

U.S. News and World Report: Building a Latino Wave in STEM

Workplace Diversity Through Recruitment: A Step-By-Step Guide

Tackling Diversity & Inclusion To Drive Innovation

Podcast with Aries Webb-Williams

Principal Consultant, The Service Boutique, LLC

STEM + Diversity = Greater Technology Innovation

Podcast: Tom Longstaff and Grace Lewis discuss how the inclusion of minorities and women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers can promote a nation’s progress by increasing its ability to innovate.

SEI Cyber Talks

"Every day, we strive to get the full value of our diversity through inclusion – fostering an environment where P&G people can be at their best, full and authentic selves in the workplace. We’ve seen time and again that when P&G employees bring their best, full authentic selves to work it leads to superior innovation and helps us better communicate what our brands stand for."

-Shelly McNamara,

P&G Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Senior VP, Human Resources

"At Gordon Food Service, our goal is to develop a community of leaders and employees alike that organically and enthusiastically influence with their D&I lens firmly in place."

SHAQUANDA

Sr. Manager, North American Human Resources