Honoring the human sacrifices and triumphs Juneteenth represents helps shine a brighter light on the opportunities ahead of us.
On some levels, it’s simple.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) mean ensuring equal opportunity for all regardless of race, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds or physical characteristics. A level playing field helps everyone flourish and unlocks the tremendous power of collective perspective.
In the workplace, it’s vital that all people feel respected, dignified, and valued no matter their individual backgrounds and characteristics. And just as importantly, those differences everyone brings to the table make identifying and solving issues more comprehensive and robust. The more lenses we use to examine a problem, the more effective the solution is for everyone.
Sometimes, it’s not so simple.
Whether it’s recruiting, employee wellbeing, or recognition and promotions, public sector HR can often seem like an obstacle course for DEIA thinking and practice. Prospective employees want their new organization to reflect them, current employees want to be seen and heard, and everyone wants a fair opportunity to succeed. Factor in elements like unconscious bias and privilege and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. While the reason “why,” isn’t in doubt, it’s the “how,” where uncertainty lies.
So, how do you ensure DEIA principles are embedded in your agency?
HR experts from the private and public sectors have differing views on exact implementation, but they agree on a few areas to focus on first.
- Listen at all levels of your organization.
Many organizations form steering committees, many conduct listening tours and town halls, while others have employee 1-on-1s or questionnaires. Whichever tactic is right for your team, take this first step and find out how your people feel.
- Set bold, measurable goals.
Once you determine where your organization can improve, aim high. Big goals send a message that you not only take DEIA to heart, but you’re prepared to take bold action to move the needle. Goals should be quantifiable, and progress reviewed regularly.
- Take specific, systematic action.
Just because we group diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility together doesn’t mean solutions should be one-size-fits-all. Take a close look at what “D” diversity means in your organization. Examine what “E” equity looks like for your team. What does “I” inclusion mean for your agency? How will you improve “A” accessibility for your people and your audiences? It’s crucial to look at each aspect of your DEIA culture individually and tailor solutions to them.
PSHRA has the DEIA resources you can rely on.
We’re your go-to source for the latest DEIA news, education, policies, and best practices. Whenever critical issues emerge, PSHRA pros know where to look for answers.
You’ll find courses including:
Navigating DEI – A Public Sector Business Strategy Certificate Program
Apply the assess, design, implement and measure (ADIM) framework to your agency’s DEIA practices. Design and prepare to implement initiatives that will increase diversity, produce equitable outcomes and contribute to an inclusive workplace.
DEIA resources also include subject matter expert webinars like:
Interrupting Unconscious Bias by keynote speaker, Meloney Sallie-Dosunmu, CEO/Founder of Precision Talent International. Attendees learned ways to address this silent culture killer through collaboration and employee engagement.
As we commemorate Juneteenth, remember that DEIA isn’t a constraint. Quite the opposite, it’s an open door to stronger, more nimble and more resilient employees and teams.
More Juneteenth and DEIA educational resources for you and your team:
Juneteenth history and stories
Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture
EEOC scorecard
EEOC Public Sector discrimination progress report
Federal DEIA goals
15 June 2023
Category
PSHRA News