Business leaders continue to have conversations about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. While this isn’t novel, in fact it has been happening for decades, there is a spotlight on racial, gender and other biases due to widespread global unrest and hate.

“What the world needs now is love.”

– Jackie DeShannon

The time has come to stop talking about DEI and just do it. In my 10 years of experience in deliberately working to increase DEI, my advice is to hire for skill and best fit and make sure you wear your diversity glasses so you can see clearly.

There is a yaffle of resources out there from DEI policy templates to books to assessments. While all have merit, a time and a place, one of the best things I have ever done to immediately increase diversity in my organizations is to hire diverse interns on a regular basis. To boot, get involved with programs such as the Atlantic Canada’s Study and Stay Program and the Connector Program. These great initiatives allow organizations and HR teams to dip their toe in the diversity pool and experience immediate positive results.

Diversity refers to the individual traits that make people unique. Inclusion deals with the social norms and behavior that make people feel welcome.

The goal of diversity and inclusion in the workplace is to promote the development and advancement of marginalized and underrepresented groups. This ensures an active, productive workplace environment free from bullying and harassment. Employers should enact measures to ensure their workforce is a true representation of the diverse populations and groups in the communities they serve.

Inclusion aims to create a thriving workplace environment where all employees and managers are treated fairly, with respect, and given equal opportunities and resources to contribute to the organization’s goals. Diversity and inclusion are often used in tandem, but remain two disparate concepts, with unique approaches and merits.

Top 5 Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion

1. Variety of perspective – Benefit from faster decision making from teams comprised of varying backgrounds & work experiences.
2. Attract skilled candidates – Many people are drawn to businesses that show value for workplace diversity and inclusion.
3. Increased employee performance – Diversity results in more creativity, happy employees, equal distribution and resources and opportunities, which are vital in workplace performance.
4. Market expansion – With a diversified workforce, you can target customers from different backgrounds and walks of life.
5. Increased ROI – Better performance, motivation, reduced employee turnover, extended market, and other workplace diversity outcomes drive sales and return on investment.

Meet the ACC’s Newest Interns!

Folashade Oluyanka
Dedicated and motivated Administrative Professional with a Bachelor of Human Resource Management. Folashade has garnered years of experience across industries providing exceptional customer service and enjoys offering staff support in a business environment. She is responsible and capable of prioritizing activities while maximizing resources to achieve goals. She is currently seeking employment.

 

Aminat Nureni
As a business development professional with a great passion for product management, Aminate enjoys working on user-interface designs and is very creative. Aminat thrives on blending her business skills with her creative side. She has a Bachelor of Technology and is currently seeking employment.

 

STUDY AND STAY PROGRAM
Udochukwu Okonkwo
Meet ACC’s CEO, Rhonda Tulk-Lane’s Study and Stay mentee Udochukwu Okonkwo. Udochukwu has a background in solar energy and holds a certificate from the College of North Atlantic’s Television and Film Technical Production program.

Enough talk, just do it!

Resources

• Connector Program
• Atlantic Study and Stay Program
• Internships
  • Venture for Canada
  • YWCA
  • Acadium