Vantage Point: DE&I Advisory Board Insights and Key Take-Aways

Vantage Point: DE&I Advisory Board Series

At Vantage Point, we are committed at our core to advancing social justice initiatives and building an inclusive future that represents real-world diversity in culture, ideology, background, and innovation. We stay true to this commitment by developing emerging technologies for good that unite, inspire, and build empathy — starting in the workplace.

Our Advisory Board Program was born out of a desire to address our society’s pressing concerns: intensifying racial and socioeconomic inequalities perpetuated by COVID-19. The goal of our Advisory Board Program is to convene leaders in human resources and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) across sectors to share honestly — about what we’re going through and how we are navigating unprecedented, urgent challenges — and together, arrive at key takeaways and learnings.

This Advisory Board Discussion covers Creating a Vibrant Workplace, where leaders define workplace vibrancy and explain the benefits and challenges when trying to achieve workplace vibrancy. Participants were asked not to share their title nor company to encourage authenticity and honesty through a shared sense of anonymity. These Impressive leaders united to offer up: unique challenges, potential solutions, and capacity-building resources as they work to create inclusive workplace environments in the new, complex context of our world. Below are some of the key takeaways.

Common Challenges

What is your most pressing concern or most significant driving force when it comes to creating a vibrant workplace.

Pressing Concerns

• You have to walk the walk every day and remain action-oriented. It’s vital to ensure that essential conversations don’t fade. Consistency is key.
• It is essential to determine what you want to do and do what you say you will do. You can say you want to change, but it’s important to actually create diversity in the workplace.
• Make space for all attitudes and experiences to help everyone feel included — changing language and communication, so there is room for everyone. Room for all voices.
• Remember to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. This gives you a better perspective and understanding and forms a step in the right direction.
• You have to maintain the momentum. Don’tDon’t be worried about the possibility of saying something wrong when you are trying to build understanding.
• Take an action that creates or resets an environment. Create a space that admires all cultures and alienates none. This promotes sustainability and not just a fad. Ensure that you are a creator of awareness and try to make sure you are giving tips to creating a more diverse organization. Make sure your actions are not performative but genuine and meaningful.
• There is a lack of empowerment to the middle managers and supervisors who know their employees the best. It is crucial to empower them with the tools they need to approach the people they work in the best way possible. Moving past assumptions of what people look like.
• Figure out a way to take the conversation beyond the surface and set goalposts meaningful and tangible. Create tasks for growth and expansion and don’t get off track. Try to reach a position that broadens current efforts as needed.

Defining a Vibrant & Inclusive Work Culture

What constitutes a vibrant workplace culture for you & your company?

Value Fit v. Culture Fit

• There should be room to be ourselves in the workplace. Have a focus on value over culture. People add to culture when allowed to be their full selves. Value fit is operating principles, be honest, be upfront about what you need or want, and work as a team.
• No matter what you bring to the table, you will be a part of the team.
• Expect everyone to adapt to operating principles in the workplace.
• We need to build safety for people in the company to have the ability to speak openly — psychological security and vulnerability. People should be comfortable making a mistake and learning from it, and because of this, they don’t feel comfortable breaking barriers and trying new things.

Diversity isn’t just Metrics

• A Vibrant workplace is an aspiration. It’s more than hiring a number or quota, but rather a place where these voices feel comfortable engaging and sharing their insights.
• Metrics are only useful as an indicator of where to focus on energy. It’sIt’s just the starting point of telling my team was to focus on.
• Data tells a story, precisely what you need to know if you ask the right questions. It’s easy to feel like you have diversity and a good mix, but data scales the reality of your company’s diversity and inclusion.
• Treat everyone as equals when reviewing resumes. You define who leads the culture fit and influences the fluidity of your culture. Look for people who look less and feel less like us to increase and enable diversity overall.
• Consider a diversity dashboard; this info leads front and center in every conversation.

Rebuilding during COVID-19: Hiring for Vibrancy

How do you avoid biases when hiring? How do you show support and develop an inclusive environment?

Transparency is Key

• It’s either a required or not required skill. Only put info that is necessary to diversify candidates.
• Everyone should be on the same page on who we want on the team and who fits the needed roles. You have to be mindful of where the bar is and sticking to that bar. Make sure it’s consistent across the board with little bias.

Understand and Communicate Issues

• Prioritize health and wellness over productivity. Discuss the challenges of working parents, creating a safe space to discuss the common issues we all face around COVID. Making it ok that these are different times and how you feel about work are extremely different.
• Recognize that different people are handling stress exceptionally differently. Try to set goals that can still be met remotely.
• It’s giving a voice to people who are not happy and what we can be doing to change this. We play a role in the broader culture; we have a say in the world as an employer. And a voice for the employees.
• Create Specific accommodations, such as a no meeting day once a month, to help with zoom fatigue.

What Does the Future Look Like

What are we missing by not being face-to-face right now, and how do we keep equity in focus while supporting people with different footings?

• Provide a comfortable environment for people to be open, a constant pulse where you can address every employee’s needs. Even attempt to implement a face to face chat.
• Remember that we are at an unprecedented time at all times, it’s not normal, and you should remember this when evaluating performance.

To participate in one of our DE&I Advisory Board sessions or explore hosting a facilitated conversation around DE&I and racial equity, please email corinne@tryvantagepoint.com