Didn’t get a chance to catch the latest webinar in our series on the #futureofwork? Don’t worry, we’ve got the highlights right here, or watch the recording.
For this month’s webinar, our hosts include Samuel Miller, Product Marketing Manager and Rodrigo Luna, Head of Culture and Experience. Sam brings extensive experience in customer value realization and collaboration, while Luna specializes in team building and culture. Both our hosts are dedicated and committed rocketeers to fostering and building an inclusive culture at ServiceRocket.
For more information on ServiceRocket’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the #futureofwork, please visit our Under the Dome blog.
A company with a high rate of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) wins in more ways than one, including attracting skilled employees, nurturing innovation, and securing financial success.
DE&I has been a hot topic in the US for decades, back to the civil rights and women’s rights movements in the 50s through the 70s. Since then, the topic of DE&I remains prevalent and has come even more into the spotlight since the pandemic. It seems like businesses always had their fair share of challenges when it came to DE&I in the workplace, but these challenges have since been exacerbated by the pandemic. On a positive note, many organizations today are taking a stand and committing to fostering an inclusive workplace culture while celebrating the diversity of their employees.
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Diversity, equity and inclusion has become a priority and a path forward for most businesses, big and small. Most really want to foster a more positive culture and provide fair, and sustainable opportunities for everyone to succeed and grow.
Inclusion definitely has its upsides. People who feel included at work are:
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It is essential that leaders analyze themselves and the organization's structure to identify biases, reshape policies, and enact meaningful practices that promote DE&I. DE&I's fundamental values have been proven to increase productivity and to attract Gen Z and Millennial candidates who are looking for companies with a social conscience.
Companies with diverse management teams are:
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In today’s time of the Great Resignation, it is hard to attract the talent your company needs to compete, but retaining that talent is even harder. So, how do successful companies do it? The answer is by creating an equitable and inclusive workplace. That means making sure each employee feels included.
Employees need to feel that they have a say in the decision that impacts their work. When a company’s workplace is inclusive, employees feel they are authentically valued - for their skills, their ideas, the experiences they bring with them, and they feel valued as a whole person - their whole self.
When teams feel a stronger sense of connection between each other, they’re able to utilize the strengths and skills of every individual. Collaboration is key for the success of your business and a huge piece of inclusion in the workplace.
Within that collaborative environment, having a voice is paramount. Employees need to feel they have a say in decisions that impact their work. Leaders and managers should proactively find ways to enable employees to use their voice. A natural and viable approach, such as employee resource groups, is a great starting point.
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Employees must also have the opportunity to develop and advance their careers at the organization. Without learning and development as a key component of inclusion and broader company values, employee growth and innovation can be stunted. When companies explain why an inclusive workplace is important, leaders, managers and employees can then put that strategy into action. This is important because inclusion happens on a daily basis, from onboarding to an employee's last day on the job. You need to make sure that the thousands of interactions that make up the employee experience are inclusive and positive.
Individuals need to feel connected to a common cause — something bigger — but also recognized for their uniqueness. It’s crucial that employees feel their organization values the unique perspectives and skills they bring to work. Acknowledging employee achievements and small wins is an easy first step.
Ultimately, inclusion is measured by a sense of belonging. When employees feel they really fit in at a company, that’s when you get the best engagement and the best results.
Organizations have recognized that in order to create a diverse and inclusive workplace, focusing efforts on promoting equitable opportunities to new and varied talent pools is critical. However, with the addition of remote and hybrid work arrangements, new obstacles have emerged, namely:
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Creating a business culture that embraces inclusion and diversity is essential to the success of both your organizational goals and the wellbeing of your employees. Utilizing modern technology solutions can help develop your unique DE&I strategy and set you up for success and growth moving forward. Here are some different ways to use technology.
Empower voices: Empower Voice with Communications tools like Workplace from Meta
Celebrate cultural heritage by sharing knowledge and history in WP Groups
Ex: “Cultural Heritage Group” a group that encourages the sharing of cultures and important milestones to Rocketeers all over the world. In this group employees share pictures, posts and events worth celebrating with the entire company. This also helps other employees learn about different cultures/regions around the world in a positive and supportive way.
Enable access to resources: Foster inclusion with Communications tools on Workplace from Meta. Drive inclusion for new hires using New Hire Groups. At ServiceRocket, when Sam was hired, the People Team created a new Workplace “group” called “Welcome Sam” for Sam to centralize communication throughout his onboarding. From the very first welcome message from HR, all the way to instructions on how to take a DISC Assessment, all the right things were set for him to hit the ground running on the first day.
Create a collaborative environment: This topic isn't a specific example around DE&I, but the concepts that we're leveraging for diversity, equity and inclusion are very prevalent, which can use technology to give everyone a voice and a say in the conversation. At ServiceRocket, we often use collaborative technologies like Miro, the online collaborative whiteboard platform that enables distributed teams to work effectively together.
Promote learning and development: Using Career Pathways to foster equity for your organization. At ServiceRocket, by using career pathways, employees are able to see the steps they need to take, skills they need to acquire or gaps that need to be filled in order to advance in their role at the company. This level of transparency also brings trust to the employee/employer relationship.
Every company’s journey to diversity, equity, and inclusion will be different. By leveraging the right technology, leaders can successfully reinforce their DE&I strategies and bring their workforce closer together, no matter where they are located.
Foster employee collaboration, innovation and productivity through Workplace from Meta by partnering with us.
