Personify’s core commitment to promoting diversity in the workplace shapes how we do business, internally and externally.
We have built a relationship with the Triangle Diversity Business Council to advance the work of making the Triangle the most diverse and inclusive business environment in the country. Together, we are demonstrating that the Triangle can cultivate one of the richest talent pools in the nation and create dynamic work environments built on the values of diversity and inclusion.
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It’s important to note the difference between diversity and inclusivity. Diversity lays the groundwork for inclusivity. Without a multitude of viewpoints (whether it’s racial, gendered or even socio-economic) that stem from a diverse organization, a company cannot become truly inclusive. Diversity does not automatically equate to inclusion.
Though it takes time, there are basic steps every company can take to become a more inclusive workspace.
Diversity is Deliberate
Beyond the typical “good for business” reasons for why it’s necessary to ensure an organization is ready to meet rapidly changing demographics of its workforce and customer base, deliberately implementing diversity is vital to the strength of a company’s culture.
It’s important to have this commitment at all levels, from intern to CEO, and to share this work more widely — with clients, the wider community, and in our case, the TDBC. Deep industry experience, an open source approach to sharing resources on reducing bias in hiring, and a data-driven, engagement-focused approach help build a deliberate culture of inclusion.
All levels of a company must buy into diverse practices that lead to an inclusive company culture.
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According to lecturer Priscilla Dike’s research for the University of Greenwich, management must be the gatekeeper of diversity. She notes, “Managers should realize that change occurs in a slow pace, but yet should continue to encourage change.”
To implement these practices, she suggests a secure environment where workers and management can openly communicate, stemming from social gatherings to meetings. Inclusivity cannot exist without those willing to cultivate time and space for it.
Making Inclusivity the Norm
Diversity must be seen as necessary, and inclusivity as normal. Workplace hegemony is reinforced by organizational behavior, not of a built-in desire for exclusion. To counter this, organizations must take stock of what areas are lacking and how they can improve.
The Society for Human Resource Marketing suggests creating a step-by-step action plan to implement diversity. They write, “-employer(s) must develop an action plan to implement these initiatives by setting realistic goals and starting with the elements that have the greatest business value or that are readily achievable to build momentum for the initiative.”
On a personal level, Personify has spent the past two years implementing an inclusive environment by expanding leadership roles to be more gender-diverse. The diversity of thought from the top down is now influencing our business strategy and has positively impacted our revenue and culture.
Furthermore, our gender diversity in leadership positions extends beyond our executive team. Of our seven employee-led committees, five of these groups are led by women. In an effort to expand the decision-making power to different levels of the organization, our committees are tasked with championing specific initiatives and developing organization-wide solutions to help Personify stay in an ongoing state of improvement.
We are proud of our commitment to inclusion and maintaining an environment that promotes our employees to be the best versions of themselves. Though it takes time and effort, investing in an inclusive workplace is vital to the strength of a company’s culture.
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