Insights by Andy: Diversity Is Nothing without Inclusion

Hello – welcome back to my monthly vlog.

In June of last year – the world erupted in support of the Black Lives Matter movement – demanding justice for George Floyd and the countless other lives that have been lost due to systemic oppression and racism.

Businesses, including SHL, made declarations of how they would commit to change and action. People were waking up to learn about how they could become an active anti-racist ally.

Since then, there have been listening circles, diversity and inclusion charters, and loads of education. At SHL, we have engaged in programs like the Ally Nudge, our staff have written incredible blogs on topics spanning from Juneteenth to tokenism, and we have brought in external consultants to help our teams facilitate learning and take action.

But there is still so much more to do.

This journey is not done! We are just about to wrap up Black History Month in the U.S. this February, and I thought it was an important time to check back in and take stock of our progress – as well as – think about where we need to go next. Thinking about this more – I have come to believe that inclusion has become an important word, concept, and goal for us at SHL. We have learned through our own team and through guests on podcast conversations and blog posts that diversity without inclusion will not accomplish the equity we seek. As Sabrina Wijaya wrote in her blog about Inclusion – “diversity is about numbers, and inclusion is about culture.” We strive for both – and both are needed for real and sustained change.

But we are also learning that BOTH take time. No matter how well-meaning we are – these changes and commitments do not happen overnight. It takes time to attract, hire and develop a diverse team AND it takes time to build a culture of inclusion that intentionally maximizes the potential of the diverse minds, voices, hearts, and the skills that have been hired!

Therefore – the most important ingredient to this commitment to change is to keep it at the forefront of our minds… bake it into our company policies… discuss it often at board and leadership meetings. This has to stay fresh and we have to stay alert in order to continue building the equitable world we seek.

My advice from an HR tech perspective is to build a talent strategy that includes goals and milestones for both diversity and inclusion. Invest in technology that provides unbiased insights about your teams to help understand where inclusion can be developed further in your culture.

This is one of the major motivations for SHL’s platform for all your people answers – to help your business and people benefit from a truly unbiased talent strategy that leads you to better results in equity.

This vlog this month is a reminder to reignite the passion we all felt last June. To continue seeking education and building upon our commitment to see real and sustained change. To see justice and to finally realize the benefits that diversity and inclusion bring to our community, businesses, and lives.

I encourage you to contact us to learn more about how we can help you build a talent strategy that helps your team become inclusive and diverse.

Thank you!