PURPOSEFUL HUSTLE BLOG

Traditionally, companies’ hiring practices have been anything but equitable and inclusive. They use language that targets male over female candidates (whether intentionally or not), they discriminate against older employees, and they tend to reject candidates with “Black-sounding” names far more than candidates with “white-sounding” names. All this is problematic, hurtful, and, of course, discriminatory. When bias is baked into a company’s hiring practices, that tends to shut the door on many qualified candidates before they even have a chance to interview. Fortunately, it is possible to reform a company’s hiring practices through intentional action and strategy. Here are 6 ways to make that happen...

It’s back to basics this week! On this blog, we often talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), but what are the key tenets of DEI work? Which guiding principles should organizations follow to make meaningful changes in this arena? As workplaces around the world look to embrace DEI actions, companies and organizations must design their initiatives around certain key principles. It’s not a good idea to approach this work haphazardly. If a company isn’t crystal clear on its guiding principles, how can it move the needle in the right direction? Let’s discuss 6 essential principles related to meaningful (key word!) diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Other principles are certainly important, but focusing on these 6 is a great start.

It is baked into our DNA to be afraid of difference. Our reptilian brain says, “run!” or “fight!” when we encounter someone who doesn’t fit into our expected mold. But here’s the thing…we’re better than that. We don’t have to listen to our animal instincts. We’re sophisticated beings who can do incredible things, and we’ve come a long way from the days when our “fight or flight” instinct governed our lives. It’s time (past time, in fact) we stop fearing differences and embrace them. We live in a world filled with differences. It’s important to understand how those differences can be utilized to create stronger teams and better workplaces. Through differences, including but not limited to race, gender, ability, thought, and perspectives, teams and organizations can become stronger, more vibrant, and more successful. Let’s choose to get curious, to inquire, and to use difference to our advantage. Here are 5 ways difference makes a difference.

Though neurodiversity has recently cropped up more often in books and TV shows, it remains stigmatized and neurodiverse individuals are often marginalized. This is especially true in the workplace, where those whose brains are wired differently are often under- or unemployed. In fact, neurodiverse people are eight times more likely to be unemployed than people without a disability. And even if neurodiverse folks are hired, they often experience difficulties in the workplace. They may be excluded from social groups, left out during meetings, misunderstood, or set up in an environment that doesn’t suit their needs (too noisy, too unstructured, etc.). The fact that workplaces can still be unaccommodating, or even hostile, toward neurodivergent employees is a terrible truth, considering: Neurodivergent employees have many incredible skills to offer (one study showed that neurodiverse teams outperformed neurotypical teams by 30 percent) Neurodiversity is very common (an estimated 1 in 5 people in the U.S. are neurodiverse) All people should be respected and set up for success! How can workplaces support their diverse employees? Let’s talk about 6 methods:

Workplaces are filled with jargon and catchphrases. In recent years, we’ve been inundated with “synergy” and “thinking outside the box,” while being asked to “pick the low-hanging fruit.” Those phrases might be overused (or even annoying!), but they’re harmless enough. But sometimes a phrase is not harmless. Sometimes it belittles certain groups of people, whether the speaker realizes it or not. We all have a responsibility when it comes to language. Just like when we were little kids learning about “inappropriate words” we shouldn’t say at school, so, too, must we have the humility to unlearn some of the harmful phrases that have crept into workplace lexicon over the years. If we do not make an effort to banish these phrases from our vocabulary, we run the risk of marginalizing others. These turns of phrase can be viewed as micro-aggressions (defined as statements or actions that––while sometimes well-intended––can be offensive because of the subtle ways they denigrate others), and these micro-aggressions can add up quickly and create a hostile work environment for all involved. To start creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment, it’s important to banish the following 8+ phrases from your speech. Keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list, and if you’re unsure about a certain term or phrase, it’s best to look it up to see if it has a problematic connotation.

The wisdom of ancient Greek philosophers might not be too relevant in everyday conversation, but they did say a few things that still hold water today. Among their commonly used maxims was a phrase that still resonates with many of us: “Know thyself.” It’s a simple phrase, but one that’s loaded with meaning. How well does the average person really know themselves? And how often do we sit down to intentionally become acquainted with our inner monologues (that voice that runs through our heads)? Or think about our behaviors or tendencies? Or reflect on how we might have handled a past incident better? If you’re like most people I know, you rarely carve out time for this kind of thinking. We’re all so busy with our day-to-day responsibilities, we tend to skip over personal development work. And that’s a shame because research shows, “the habit of reflection can separate extraordinary professionals from mediocre ones.” There are many ways to develop a “habit of reflection.” You could choose to journal, take a science-based assessment test, talk to a counselor, read books on the topic (such as Insight by Tasha Eurich or Speak by Tunde Oyeneyin), or just carve out a few minutes of your day to think deeply. Not only can learning about yourself increase your confidence, self-awareness, and authenticity, it can also be a powerful tool for building bridges between yourself and others. Here are six reasons why:

Chances are, your workplace tracks and measures many different things. It may track the effectiveness of its advertising, or the profitability of a certain product, or how many days of PTO its employees usually take each year. These metrics help guide the organization to make crucial decisions for the future—decisions that could affect its bottom line. So, why don’t we place this kind of emphasis on inclusivity? Some might argue that terms like diversity, equity, and inclusion are too hazy to measure. How is it possible to gauge inclusion? What does that look like? What metrics can you possibly use? This week, let's discuss 4 ways to measure workplace inclusion.

Last week, we discussed actions that may look like allyship on the surface, but are more performative than substantive. Your marginalized employees deserve more than a performance—more than empty promises and surface-level actions. To help make a more inclusive and equitable workplace, it is crucial for leaders to turn their promises of support into action. Here are a few key steps to get started…

True allyship isn’t always easy. Using one’s privilege to support the rights of a marginalized group can involve “uncomfortable” actions such as acknowledging shortcomings, broadening one’s perspectives, conducting research or continuing education, and working hard (and continuously) to enact meaningful change. It’s far easier (and far too common) for people to play at allyship, especially in the workplace. Company leaders may say or do things that are merely performative or take actions that mean relatively little in the scheme of things. Performative allyship is like a prop kitchen on the set of a sitcom. At first glance, the set looks like a real kitchen, but if you tried to use it, you’d discover the water doesn’t run, the oven won’t bake, and the refrigerator won’t keep your food cold. All of the cupboards are merely shells, without any actual drawers or shelving. In short, the kitchen—like performative allyship—may look good, but it’s fairly useless in terms of functionality. Here are seven empty actions of performative allies—things people do (or say) with the intention of appearing to be allies, but which won’t make a meaningful difference in the lives of marginalized people.

Far too often, portions of the workforce are left behind. These underrepresented individuals must carve their own paths, be their own advocates, and go out of their way to build their skillsets and prove they are promotion-worthy. In the meantime, others reap the benefits of receiving personal guidance from mentors, sponsors, or leaders who care about their career futures. It’s hard to overstate the importance of personal guidance in shaping an individual’s career. Those with mentors are promoted five times more often than those without. And, given that over two-thirds of Black professionals and 63 percent of women have no access to career mentors, that means these underrepresented groups are often not landing promotions (this has nothing to do with skill and everything to do with opportunity!). What can you, as a leader, do about it?