Earlier in my career, prior to transitioning to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion field, I held various positions in HR and strategic talent management and development. I learned back then, that focusing on employee satisfaction or employee engagement isn’t enough. You need to think about the overall employee experience.
The same is true for an effective Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategic plan. So, what is the employee experience? The employee experience is the sum of all interactions an employee has with their employer. It is the structure and culture of the organization and how the employee perceives the company overall and their role in the company. It can also be described as the talent lifecycle, a holistic view of entire HR life cycle, including recruiting, assessment, hiring, on-boarding, training/development, performance management, rewards, and finally succession planning.
Diversity and Inclusion Throughout The Employee Experience
At Inclusive Leaders Group, we meet our clients wherever they are on their organization’s diversity and inclusion journey – just starting a D&I strategy, seeking to evolve diversity from compliance to a business strategy, or moving beyond D&I to equity and a belonging culture. At all these maturity levels, it is vital for organizations to incorporate a diversity and inclusion perspective throughout the employee experience wherever there is the potential for derailment.
Of course, D&I begins with attracting and hiring candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences and expertise, with a focus on underrepresented talent groups. However, I advise clients that it does not end there. If underrepresented employees feel like outsiders or believe their contributions are not valued once they join the company, they are less likely to feel engaged in their day-to-day work… and are more likely to leave.
Review your talent management strategy — both the formal and informal touchpoints and processes — to identify gaps and opportunities to be more inclusive. I absolutely love the suggestions by Andrea Walsh and Alison Thumel of Willis Towers Watson and provide even more specific recommendations in Inclusive Leaders Group’s consultations.
Diversity and Inclusion Through The Talent Lifecycle Workshop
One of my favorite Inclusive Leaders Group training solutions to facilitate is Diversity and Inclusion Through The Talent Lifecycle. As I described above, to be fully effective, both talent management and D&I must align with the needs of the business. More importantly, integration efforts need to be rooted in a strategic plan that is supported at the top, involves multiple stakeholders, and tracks and measures progress. In this workshop, we examine the challenges and explore solutions at each stage of the talent management lifecycle. Better integration of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) with talent management makes each more effective.
Too often, though, organizational silos inhibit this important union — creating significant opportunity cost in attracting, developing, and retaining talent. The same behaviors that make D&I effective (leveraging diverse skills and perspectives, treating everyone with respect, creating equitable opportunities for growth and development) also strengthen the talent management process. Consequently, it makes perfect sense for organizations to be deliberate in their efforts to integrate them.
As with all Inclusive Leaders Group training experiences, this workshop is tailored based on each client’s business goals, D&I performance gaps, and talent strategy. We provide a modular format as the course includes five (5) Talent Lifecycle modules; Attraction & Recruitment, Interviewing & Selection, Communication & Engagement, Performance & Training & Development, and Career Development & Succession Planning. The course can be delivered flexibly, clients can select the entire talent lifecycle, or select modules. Contact us for more information.
Next week, I write about embedding D&I in your talent acquisition process with the post, Are You An Attractive and Inclusive Employer To Diverse Talent? Subscribe and get future posts in your mailbox!
Charlotte F. Hughes is the successful Co-founder and CEO of Inclusive Leaders Group, LLC where she has designed and directed DEI talent and organizational development strategies that have been implemented by Fortune 500 companies, large and small healthcare systems, and some of the largest global non-profits. Charlotte is a widely sought-after speaker and thought leader on issues ranging from allyship & belonging, inclusive leadership, to everyday practices for building a healthy inclusive culture. Each presentation is based on research, tailored to the specifics of the group, and presented with Charlotte’s recognized levels of introspection, self-awareness, and painting a picture through storytelling.
Meeting you where you are with inclusion, insight, and inspiration ….Together, we can create a better world.
