Human Resources Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-03-2025

Today’s performance appraisals have undergone major changes that have led to a wide range of positive and productive outcomes for employees, managers, and their companies. These changes start with continuous feedback that is based on managers meeting regularly with their employees throughout a given evaluation period, typically on a scheduled basis as frequently as once a week. These sessions focus on performance, goal progress and attainment, coaching and development, new initiatives, and any other topics, questions, or points of interest that may arise. While these sessions include a discussion of performance and progress, there is equal focus on coaching related to employee growth, upskilling, and career development, as the entire process now focuses on feedforward as well as feedback. A related change is the movement away from annual appraisals and toward more frequent appraisals, typically on a quarterly or biannual basis. The entire process is now more open, transparent, forward-focused, and premised on two-way communication at every step. This leads to performance appraisal sessions that are void of the surprises, angst, stress, and distress that typified annual appraisals and limited contact and communication during the evaluation period. The entire appraisal process is now structured to provide constructive feedback and feedforward that include plans, strategies, and support to improve performance and productivity, enhance learning and growth, strengthen career development, and build employee motivation, satisfaction, and commitment, all in alignment with the goals and mission of the company. The checklists and tips below will help you carry out today’s performance appraisal process successfully, effectively, and productively, especially in terms of providing continuous feedback, preparing for performance appraisal sessions, conducting employee appraisals, avoiding common mistakes and pitfalls, and following up with employees after the appraisal sessions.

Article / Updated 09-15-2023

Mentoring among employees can be a great tool for fostering overall career development for your staff. It provides an eye toward career development that can last a professional lifetime. That means using mentoring to build attributes that are effective today as well as farther down the road. Some abilities, such as people skills, are not easily taught in the classroom or through online courses. Still, these abilities are pivotal to your staff’s ability to interact with customers and with each other in the office. Mentoring opportunities are ideally suited to this kind of skills and knowledge transfer. One reason mentoring arrangements work is that topics discussed between mentor and mentee are typically kept confidential. If an employee is having difficulty working with some of her team members, for example, she can comfortably discuss these dynamics with her mentor in a way that’s not possible in a structured setting or with an immediate supervisor. Mentors must be trained to bring to HR’s attention any mentee concerns that could amount to unlawful harassment or discrimination, or any other possible violation of company policy. Mentors can prove to be especially valuable resources as their partners continue along their career development paths. For instance, a mentor can recommend ongoing learning and training programs that can best serve a mentee’s career goals. If a company position opens up that represents a form of career advancement, mentors can suggest effective strategies to pursue that opportunity — or why it may not be a suitable fit. Here are some more ways mentors can assist in your company’s career development efforts: Helping to identify an employee’s long-term career goals: Many people — those in the early stages of their work life in particular — often fail to take the time to consider how they want their careers to progress over time and what that progress actually entails. A mentor can kick-start for an employee the process of beginning to think long term, not merely where he wants to be next year. Acting as a dedicated role model: Instead of an employee having to reinvent the career wheel, a mentor can serve as a living, breathing example. The mentee can emulate the behaviors and attributes of someone who’s already taken a similar (and successful) career development path. Unlocking the power of networking: Career development doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Mentors can introduce their protégés to others who can prove to be invaluable points of contact and perhaps become additional role models. Think of it this way: Online courses give employees the black and white; mentors give them the shades of gray in between. Much like career development, which it supports, mentoring is a win-win activity. The relationship benefits not just the mentee and the company but also the mentor. In addition to bolstering their supervisory competency and leadership abilities, mentors gain the inner satisfaction of knowing that they’re facilitating someone’s career growth and assisting the company in cultivating a future leader. Helping employees work and interact more effectively also brings some concrete, practical career benefits to mentors. Serving in this role adds value to the organization and increases the mentor’s visibility and potential for advancement.

Article / Updated 08-14-2023

Your ability to get the most out of the interviews you conduct for your business invariably depends on how well prepared you are. Here’s a checklist of things you should do before you ask the first interview question: Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the job description, especially its hiring criteria. Do so even if you draw up the criteria yourself. Review everything the candidate has submitted to date. That includes a résumé, cover letter, online profile, and so on. Note any areas needing clarification or explanation, such as quirky job titles, gaps in work history, or hobbies that may reveal aspects of the candidate’s personality that can have a bearing on job performance. Set up a general structure for the interview. Create a basic schedule for the interview so that, as the meeting progresses, you reserve enough time to cover all the key areas you want to address. Having a rough schedule to adhere to will help you begin and end the session on time, allowing you to be more efficient and showing that you respect the candidate’s time. A phone screen is a great use of time to provide the candidate an opportunity to answer general questions you have and for you to determine if he’s worth the time investment to bring on-site for an interview. Write down the questions you intend to ask. Base your questions on the areas of the candidate’s background that deserve the most attention (based on the job description and your hiring criteria). Keep the list in front of you throughout the interview. Hold the interview in a room that’s private and reasonably comfortable. Clear your desk, close the door, and either set your phone so all calls go to voicemail or have your calls forwarded somewhere else. Try not to schedule job interviews in the middle of the day. The reason: You’re not likely to be as relaxed and as focused as you need to be, and you may have a tough time fighting off interruptions and distractions. The ideal time to interview candidates is early morning, before the workday starts. You’re fresher then, and so is the candidate. If you have no choice, give yourself a buffer of at least half an hour before the interview so that you can switch gears and prepare for the interview in the right manner.

Article / Updated 07-05-2023

You make your best hiring decisions when you use objective data about a job candidate’s thinking style, behavioral traits, and interests. Sure, a candidate’s experiences and how they perform in interviews are meaningful, but those aspects are far more prone to unconscious bias. To ensure you and your organization align with industry best practices, a validated hiring and selection tool with data-driven insights is essential. Just know that you may be a bit biased, and it’s likely you’re not even aware of some of your biases. Pretty much everyone has what are known as unconscious biases — stereotypes and attitudes that are impacted by past experiences, even things people have forgotten. In the context of hiring and selection, unconscious bias can lead your organization to inadvertently overlook great candidates. It can also derail efforts to create a diverse and equitable workforce. What is unconscious bias? Unconscious bias refers to automatic associations anyone may make involving characteristics such as race, age, gender, disability, height, weight, accent, beliefs derived from prior experiences, even college attended — and how those associations impact interactions with others in those groups. Confirmation bias: The tendency to see information as validating a preexisting belief Affinity bias: The tendency to favor individuals who share your beliefs, experiences, or appearance Halo/horns effect: The tendency to take a look at just one specific trait and end up seeing the person’s overall character as positive or negative These biases may be hidden so well in a person’s automatic actions that they’re not easy to even recognize, much less do something about. But unconscious biases get in the way of hiring diverse, qualified candidates. How to reduce the bias Bias isn’t inherently right or wrong — it’s a normal part of the way our brains interpret patterns and associations. But you need to pay more attention to what your unconscious brain is up to. Many companies offer workforce training on recognizing and dealing with biases. To create a more inclusive and welcoming environment, it’s vital for everyone on the team to be aware of their own biases and work to keep them from impacting how they interact with colleagues and customers. Training and other awareness-raising efforts are not a complete solution, however. There may also be structural issues that open the door to bias. Hiring processes are among those corporate structures that enable bias. How prevalent is unconscious bias? Research and surveying by PXT Select reflect just how prominent this issue is. In one survey, about nine out of ten respondents identified hiring and selection as the number-one organizational process that could be affected by unconscious bias. Recruitment, promotion, and succession planning are potential trouble spots, too, along with interviewing and résumé screening. That’s why it’s so important to create structured, data-driven hiring processes. That includes always using clearly defined hiring criteria, tapping into assessments and other rich sources of data, conducting structured interviews, and including interviewers with diverse backgrounds. Structured processes help hiring managers select the best candidates and reduce the impact of unconscious bias. For example, the data-focused assessments provided through PXT Select yield numerical projections about candidate job fit, steering clear of potentially biased judgments. They also allow interviewers to prepare in a structured manner that’s less likely to be impacted by bias. How do I learn more about unconscious bias? To learn more about how to combat bias in the hiring process, download our free e-book Hiring Successfully For Dummies, PXT Select Special Edition.

Article / Updated 06-28-2023

The job interview is perhaps your best opportunity to determine if a potential hire will succeed with your firm. But most applicants now have ready-made answers to standard questions such as "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Here are five questions that can help elicit more candid responses: "What interests you about this job, and what skills and strengths can you bring to it?" The answer shows how interested the applicant is in the position and how well prepared she is for the interview. Strong candidates should be able to correlate their skills with specific job requirements. "Can you tell me a little about your last job?" How a person answers this question can help you determine his passion and enthusiasm for his work and his sense of personal accountability. Be wary of applicants who bad-mouth their employers. "How have you changed the nature of your current job?" A convincing answer shows adaptability and a willingness to take the bull by the horns, if necessary. An individual who chose to do a job differently from other people also may have qualities such as creativity and resourcefulness. "What was the most difficult decision you ever had to make on the job?" What you're looking for is the person's decision-making style and how it fits into your company culture. "What sort of work environment do you prefer? What brings out your best performance?" Probe for specifics. You want to find out whether this person will fit into your company. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons. Inc. Copyright © 2013 Robert Half International, Inc., as to Author-Created Materials

Article / Updated 04-25-2023

Building an engaged network on Twitter can have a huge positive impact on your employer brand’s recruiting efforts, particularly if you’re recruiting in fields such as knowledge workers, who tend to flock to Twitter. It’s an open platform, meaning anyone can see any content without necessarily following the account, so tweets have the potential of reaching a wider audience. If you don’t know the difference between a hashtag and a price tag, you may want to check out Twitter For Dummies, 3rd Edition, by Laura Fitton, Anum Hussain, and Brittany Leaning (Wiley). Picking up strategies by observing others Before you venture into any unfamiliar social gathering, whether online or not, hang out for a while and observe how others in the community interact. When you’re setting out to establish an employer brand presence on Twitter, observe other Twitter accounts that have strong positive employer brands and take note of the content they tweet, the tone or voice, and how they interact with potential candidates. You can find plenty of role models on Twitter; here are examples of a few good corporate accounts you may want to follow: @NPRjobs, @JoinTheFlock, @PepsiCoJobs, @MicrosoftJobs, @ViacomCareers, @InsideZappo, and @HootsuiteLife. Try following your peers and competitors on Twitter to find out what they’re doing to compete for talent. Check out the collection of more than 250 brand recruiting handles on Twitter. Using hashtags to source candidates for your employer brand Most employer branding efforts are designed around pull marketing (attracting prospects), but sourcing is a push marketing technique that involves proactively recruiting individuals with high-value skills and expertise. The focus here is on building a strong employer brand, but Twitter is also a good platform for recruiters and organizations to identify and engage with prospects who may not even be in the market for a new job. When posting job notices on Twitter, include function- or job-specific hashtags in your tweets (for example, #digitalmarketing, #PR, #webdesign, or #accounting). You can find function- or skill-specific hashtags by searching the web for “job seeker hashtags.” Tread carefully when using hashtags. If you’re oversharing jobs with event hashtags, you’ll likely face blowback for spamming. You can also use Twitter to source candidates by keeping an eye on hashtags relevant to positions you’re trying to fill. For example, if you’re recruiting Drupal developers, keep an eye on the hashtags: #Drupal, #DrupalCon, #Drupal8, and so on to see what these communities are talking about and to identify influential developers. If you’re recruiting marketing managers, keep an eye on #marketing, #digitalmarketing, #marketingresearch, #mktg, and so on. Plenty of tools are available to help you identify influencers within various hashtag communities. Here are a few to check out: Google Trends Audiense Hashtags Sourcing local talent? These tools and others enable you to search for people talking about relevant topics within a certain mile radius of your company. Engaging prospects for your employer brand When you’re posting tweets, which are essentially very brief, overlooking the necessity of offering followers something of real value is far too easy. Keep the focus on delivering valuable content. Share behind-the-scenes photos or videos to help prospects get a sense of what it’s like to work for your company. Share articles and resources about your industry. Join Twitter chats and share your insights and expertise. Interact with your followers. Try to respond to every @mention and question. Engagement and interaction are vital for building community. Getting your employees involved with your employer brand To fully harness the power of Twitter, get employees involved. Candidates don’t want to hear only from employer brand managers; they want to hear from peers doing the work they (prospects) may be doing for your company in the near future. They want to talk shop with the people who may someday be their colleagues. Great talent can recognize similar talent. Consider developing internal programs that encourage employees to share their knowledge and expertise in online communities where you recruit. By increasing their visibility in certain professional circles and establishing themselves as experts in those communities, your employees can expand their own professional networks while helping you identify and attract talented prospects. Prospects want to hear from your employees. That product manager you’ve been wooing wants to see tweets from your product team that will help them get a feel for the work, team atmosphere, culture, and so on. You may share supremely clever and compelling content on Twitter, but you’re still an HR guy or gal. You have an agenda to bring talent into your organization, so of course your posts are biased. Gauging your employer brand’s Twitter impact You can use any of several available tools to measure the reach, retweets, impressions, and so on related to your tweeting activity. You should also be measuring applications and hires coming from Twitter through your applicant tracking software (ATS). Use these tools to adjust your campaigns regularly. You may be tempted to obsess over your number of followers. Don’t let that be your primary indicator as to whether your account is successful. If you focus on providing valuable content and engaging your community, followers will come. Focus on this and you’ll have something better than followers; you’ll have brand advocates who bring you the best talent available.

Article / Updated 04-14-2023

Globalization, labor shortages, digitization, major demographic shifts, and the global pandemic that began in 2020 have redefined the workforce, workplace, and marketplace. Into the 2030s, workers will continue to experience a new normal in the way they work and live as workforce predictions come true. You may have felt or heard that adapting to trends is a disruption you’d rather avoid. However, consider that adapting to demographic changes along the diversity spectrum is an addition to you and your organization, not a disruption. These shifts (sometimes seismic) in demographics impact the workplace. Look at these trends and changes as opportunity for growth, expansion, and even fine-tuning operations. Use them to upskill and reskill as a people leader and manager, because this will be a key driver of employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention in the decades to come. How you anticipate and/or respond determines the type of impact you’ll have. Workforce predictions: 2030 and beyond The workforce predictions for 2030 and beyond are quite informative. Over the years, I’ve studied workforce trends published by global consulting firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC); Accenture; Mercer; McKinsey & Company; EY (formerly Ernst & Young); KPMG; Josh Bersin, and others. They’ve all conducted extensive research on the future of work and how it will impact workers and leaders. The research findings provide insight into how dramatically different things will be and what new skills, habits, and behaviors people need to adopt in order to remain relevant, competitive, and sustainable. A few notable predictions include the following: Our world population is rapidly growing older. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, people aged 65 or older is projected to reach 1.5 billion by 2050. Artificial intelligence may replace jobs humans once held and create jobs that didn’t exist before. Employers may recruit global, contract-based workers instead of employing full-time workers. Traditional offices and corporate headquarters may go by the wayside. Traditional retirement will peter out as workers continue working as long they can. Workers will demand more comprehensive benefits and “best place to work” environments, which may lead to job hopping. You know how a smart watch can track your steps and health activity? Imagine sensors that employers can use monitor employees, not just at work but all the time. Driverless cars may make commuting faster. An increasingly global world of business Globalization occurs when a business operates in a country outside its original location. Globalization allows for business growth because it provides a platform for companies to offer products in many locales, regions, and countries. Labor costs and the price of manufacturing vary all over the globe, and countries often offer economic incentives such as tax breaks and land grants to win international business. Expanding to another country presents an opportunity to employ labor from that particular location, which means an opportunity for cultural additions and diversity education. As companies expand their global footprints, their global workforces expand as well. But this process isn’t as simple as it may sound. Essentially, successful global expansion hinges on the following: Knowledge management: What does the company know about the countries it wants to expand to or the country where it employs workers? How is the company utilizing that information? Skillfulness and acumen: How is the organization using its data analytics to develop and execute strategy for the production stream, operations, and people management? Agility: How quickly and appropriately is the company responding to market changes across the globe? And is your workforce mobile (can employees work from anywhere and move quickly)? Capturing and then strategically utilizing appropriate data is an important factor in effective global expansion. This data should reveal information about the organization and its market. Also, optimizing your data infrastructure is something to consider when expanding globally. What are your current and future IT needs, and how will a transition to the cloud impact those needs while allowing you to grow? Another important factor is having in-country talent and a knowledge base that ensures your organization’s ability to enter or exit a market as business needs change. Establishing partnerships and alliances in the people management and talent development space allows you to meet human resource needs such as hiring, payroll, and performance management. Many of today’s employees want the ability to live anywhere and work anywhere. So, how do you attract the best talent from anywhere in the world to work anywhere in the world? Here are three important considerations for hiring globally: Establish a legal presence in the locale through a foreign subsidiary. Hire an independent contractor from overseas. This approach may be a more viable option until you’re ready for a direct hire. Manage compliance. Adhering to local and national laws of operations is essential, and to do so, you need talent onboard to manage this area. If you’re interested in recruiting talent to work globally, here are a few tips: Provide the employee with a “best place to work” experience, beginning with the recruitment and onboarding processes. Provide a diverse work community. Establish excellent corporate social responsibility practices. Offer comprehensive and competitive benefits and services. Allow for flexibility in how and when workers work and get paid. An increasingly diverse workforce With increased globalization comes an increasingly diverse workforce. Five generations are currently in the workplace (seniors, baby boomers, Generation X, millennials, and Generation Z), with millennials and Gen Zers making up approximately 50 percent of the workforce. Add gender, race, ability, LGBTQ identity, diversity of thought, and many other attributes, and you’re looking at an intricate mosaic of individuals. Generational diversity The biggest demographic shift impacting the diverse workforce is generational diversity. Because people are living longer and healthier lives, they’re also working much longer, past the average retirement age of 65. In fact, the United Kingdom recently removed its mandatory retirement age of 65. In the United States, millennials make up 50 percent of the workforce, and that number is expected to reach 75 percent by 2030. Although people are living and working longer, baby boomers are just now retiring from the traditional full-time workplace. In addition, Gen Xers are looking toward retiring the 40- to 60-hour work week for more much more flexibility in how and when they work. That makes sense, because Gen Xers are now the in-between generation caring for aging parents and raising children. Given these factors, considering how the generational shift will impact your workplace is important. For instance, do you have succession plans and promotion plans in place? An organization’s competitive advantage often boils down to its human capital — in other words, the people who possess the knowledge, skills, and experience needed in the company. So, think of the diversity landscape as a garden of talent that needs to be cultivated. Cultivation takes foresight, planning, execution, and a desired outcome for the growing talent harvest. Think about what your executable plans for growing your talent are. You can also utilize the following tips toward the shifting aging workforce: Make the most of workers’ skillsets through efficient and productive work design. Maintain skilled leaders and managers who can effectively lead across generations. Deal with conflict by managing it fairly, communicatively, and equitably. Foster an inclusive environment that demonstrates value for all ages and the dimensions of diversity. The huge demographic shift of the aging workforce has the potential to disrupt the productive flow of the workplace. But it also provides an opportunity for lesson-learning and adapting so that the workplace can flourish by gleaning from the top talent aging toward retirement and cultivating the talent in the middle and beginning of the career path. Gender diversity Gender diversity is often the first aspect of change within the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. Companies tend to begin their DEI work by increasing the gender diversity within management and leadership roles. According to a 2020 McKinsey & Company study, companies whose leadership was gender and culturally diverse financially outperformed their peers. The study found that companies with more women in its executive ranks were 25 percent more likely to have above-average profitability than companies with less females in its executive ranks. The broken rung McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2020 Report found that although women are outpacing men in terms of earning degrees, the disparity in pay and leadership positions in organizations still remains. In fact, the progress toward pay equity is slow. To this point, the United States acknowledges an Equal Pay Day every year to bring light and action toward pay equity for women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Women are still underrepresented in leading corporations, on boards, and in senior executive roles. For example, in 2021, only 41 Fortune 500 corporations were led by women, two of whom were Black women. This number is significant because only three Black women have ever led a Fortune 500 company. This underrepresentation may stem from many causes, but one of the biggest challenges is what Leanin.org called the broken rung. A sweeping 2021 study looking at 329 companies employing 13 million people found that the biggest obstacle most women face with being promoted is that first step up from entry-level roles to manager. For example, the study showed that for every 100 men promoted to a management position, 86 women are promoted. At the beginning of 2020, women held only 32 percent of manager positions, while men held 88 percent. So women are significantly left out of entry-level management positions that would put them in the succession pipeline for significant promotion along a leadership track. Racial and ethnic diversity Racial minorities are the primary demographic engine of future growth in the United States, countering an aging, and soon-to-be declining white population. The 2020 census data projected that the nation will become “minority white” in 2045. During that year, whites will comprise 49.7 percent of the population in contrast to 24.6 percent for Hispanics, 13.1 percent for blacks, 7.9 percent for Asians, and 3.8 percent for multiracial populations. Among the minority populations, the greatest growth is projected for multiracial populations, Asians and Hispanics with 2018–2060 growth rates of 176, 93, and 86 percent, respectively. The projected growth rate for the Black population is 34 percent. The new census projections also indicate that, for youth under 18 (the post-millennial population), minorities will outnumber whites in 2020. Racial diversity is growing in many nations. According to a recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center, approximately 69 percent of people surveyed across 27 nations said their respective nations have grown more diverse over the last 20 years. Close to half of survey respondents say that they favor a more racially diverse nation. Even though racial diversity is still growing in some nations, other nations, such as Trinidad and Tobago, already have a very diverse population. Groups in this country include East Indians, Afro-Trinidadians, and mixed races. Belize is another country with racial diversity, with its population made up of Mestizos, Kriols, Mayans, East Indians, and other races. Guyana is also racially diverse. Races that reside in this nation include East Indians, blacks, mixed races, and Chinese. Other racially diverse countries throughout the world include: Brazil Canada Colombia Panama Suriname United States In the United States, the most diverse states are California, Texas, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, and New York. While many companies increasingly understand the value of recruiting and retaining diverse talent, many companies fail to recognize the benefits of having a more racially and ethnically diverse workforce. Factors such as prejudice and stereotypes toward certain racial or ethnic groups, whether conscious or unconscious, are still too common. A number of global studies continue to tout the benefits that a more ethnically diverse workforce brings including better returns on sales, more innovative products and services, and the ability to meet the needs of more diverse customers and clients.

Article / Updated 04-13-2023

Cultural competence, which is often used interchangeably with intercultural competence, is the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment. In today’s increasingly global workforce, people are working together on teams with colleagues who are literally on the other side of the world, from very different cultures. But even if your work teams and customers are completely domestic, they’re increasingly diverse. Communities of color, the LGBTQ community, different faith communities, and communities based on ability each have different, but predictable, beliefs and behaviors that guide how they perceive the workplace and show up at work. Cultural competence has three central components, each of which builds on the last: Self-awareness around your own cultural background (the beliefs and behaviors that guide your perceptions and actions) Knowledge of other cultures (especially those you interact with on a regular basis) The ability to adapt, if necessary, to achieve harmony and maximum productivity in the workplace Being aware of your own culture Author David Foster Wallace tells a comic parable about fish that perfectly describes the invisible nature of culture. In it, two young fish are swimming in the ocean when they happen by an older fish. “Morning, boys,” the older fish says. “How’s the water?” Only after the older fish has swum away does one of the younger fish look to his companion and ask, “What the hell is water?” People often think about their culture the way fish probably think about water. Though it’s omnipresent in their lives, it’s also very easy to take for granted. And they typically don’t have to think about it, because it’s always just there. But, just like a fish, people can become very aware of their culture when it’s taken away from them. Therefore, being aware of your own culture takes a bit of work. Suppose you have a new client or customer who doesn’t make eye contact. Depending on your culture, you may draw very different conclusions about this client’s trustworthiness. A wise leader frames this observation as an open question (“Should I trust this person?”) as opposed to a declarative statement (“This person can’t be trusted”). If you’re a leader from a Western culture (for example, the United States or Canada) you may believe that the person isn’t trustworthy without ever thinking about the data that led you to that decision (the lack of eye contact) or the belief that prompted your reaction (direct eye contact is both polite and sincere; those who avoid it have something to hide). A self-aware leader responds to all interactions that strike them as wrong or bad and checks them against their own cultural background in a search for cultural misalignment. Knowledge of other cultures Although knowing about every culture in the world is practically impossible, a leader should be well versed in the cultures that they engage with on a regular basis. If you work in a country where Catholicism is the dominant religion, you’re probably already aware of major Catholic holidays and don’t question why many employees show up to work with ashes on their foreheads each year around February or March, for example. However, if you’re about to welcome the first Muslim member of your team, you may not be aware of the holidays, traditions, and requirements of practicing Islam, and obtaining this information is your responsibility. The same holds true if you’re welcoming someone raised in another country, a person with a different race or ethnicity, a member of the LGBTQ community, or a person with a disability. How you get the information doesn’t really matter as long as you don’t make your new employee responsible for everything you need to know. (Internet search engines can be very helpful, but make a real effort to look at reliable sites for your research.) It will mean so much more to your new employee if their new leader has some basic knowledge about their culture on their first day. You should feel free, however, to let your new team member know that you’re open to new information they may choose to provide about their community or themselves in general. Always remember that your new employee is both a member of a community as well as an individual and may not adhere to all traditions or taboos that are true for the culture at large. The ability to adapt Often, an unspoken rule dictates that members of minority cultures should assimilate to the larger culture they find themselves in — that is, to let the larger culture replace their own. Usually, this assimilation happens to at least a small extent. However, the leader who is a true champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) also strives to adapt their own behaviors when necessary. For instance, if you have members on your team who were born and raised in India, they may be extremely uncomfortable disagreeing with you, their leader, in public. You may believe that dissent is a necessary part of innovation. You can ask these employees directly to act in direct opposition to their culture, but a better course of action is to keep your own opinions to yourself in large team meetings so that your Indian employees can speak authentically without worrying about contradicting you, and to thank the entire team for its robust contributions. What cultural competence isn’t Understanding the aspects of cultural competence in the preceding sections is one thing. Know what cultural competence doesn’t include is equally important: Learning everything about every culture Cultures are fluid and changeable. And if cultural competence were defined as knowing everything about every culture on earth, no one could be considered competent. There’s simply too much to know. Being able to unconsciously assimilate As I noted earlier, assimilating to another culture means letting go of your own cultural identity so that another can replace it. Being culturally competent doesn’t require you to lose any part of who you are, but the goal is to adapt. Being above or without culture Even you could be above or without culture (which is impossible), you probably wouldn’t want to. Rather, you should experience cultural competence as a process, one that you must repeat at each interaction across difference. Code switching Code switching is often defined as freely moving between two languages or dialects, but the modern definition encompasses not only the words a person uses, but also the tone of voice, physicality, and other culturally based behaviors. It sounds a lot like cultural competence, right? But the key difference is intention. Code switching usually isn’t performed by leaders, or people with power, with the goal of being more inclusive of others. Rather, the people without power code switch so they can fit in with the larger power structure. What I’ve learned is that code switching is a survival technique, a tool to help you fit into different social and professional settings — particularly when you’re part of a marginalized community. As a woman of color and often the “only one” in the room with my male (mostly white) colleagues, I remember many occasions when I code switched to fit in. I’d tone down my voice when offering ideas or giving feedback so that I wouldn’t be perceived as the aggressive or “angry Black woman.” I’d listen to all of the buzzwords they were using and inject them into my speech when I could even when I didn’t know what all of them meant; I pretended to know. I dressed the way they did to fit in and went out to the bars after work with them, even though I don’t like that scene and didn’t drink. I had to pretend to like certain sports or other activities so that I’d be seen as “one of them.” The point is, I didn’t feel that I could be my true and authentic self and be accepted. The culture didn’t give me a sense of belonging or safety to be myself. Truthfully, everyone code switches to a certain degree. Even people who belong to nearly every dominant group behave differently at work with their colleagues than they do on the weekend with friends. But unlike cultural competence, repeated and necessary code switching involves a denial of self and can take an emotional and psychological toll. If you’re adapting to cultural norms to create a more inclusive environment for staff, that’s cultural competence. If you’re shielding your own culture from view because it’s unwelcome at work, that’s code switching — and a sign that your organizational culture needs work.

Article / Updated 04-13-2023

When deciding to make large-scale change, people from Western cultures often think in terms of what they must build to create the change they want to see. In the case of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, this approach may mean setting up an Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; hiring a chief diversity officer; conducting diversity and inclusion training; setting up a diversity council; and so on. People from Eastern cultures have a different view of change. They believe that change is inevitable and not for humankind to make. The best we can do is influence the change. If you think about it, the world is changing — becoming more diverse, more global, more interconnected. And companies and teams certainly feel these changes each and every day. So why don’t diversity, equity, and inclusion just happen naturally? Why is the change so slow, and why does the work feel so hard? Perhaps, in addition to the changes you build, you can also approach change another way: by removing the barriers to the changes you want to see. This isn't entirely about the things you can start doing; it's also about the things you can stop doing, or at least do a little differently. That doesn’t mean it's easy; breaking an old habit is sometimes even harder than starting a new one. But some of your old habits may be getting in the way of allowing your organization to move in the direction of greater diversity, an experience of equity, and the feeling of true inclusion for your employees. Looking for the 'culture fit' When evaluating job seekers or candidates for promotion or career-enhancing opportunities, people are often more comfortable with some than with others. This comfort encourages them to afford greater opportunity to those "comfortable people" — usually, those who have a lot in common with them. When they don’t feel an immediate ease with an individual, they experience that feeling as though something doesn’t quite fit together. And it’s that very notion of “fit” that stands in some people’s way. Obviously, when those who seem to fit are also those who primarily belong to dominant identity categories (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and so on), this reliance can send your organization’s DEI efforts sliding backward. Whenever I hear the words culture fit, I immediately have questions. So often, the term has nothing to do with organizational culture at all but is instead all about comfort. Remember, a little bit of friction creates sparks — and those sparks may yield the creativity and innovation that your company needs to outperform the competition. Doing things in a new way isn’t supposed to be comfortable! And always doing things the old way won’t get you very far in today’s competitive marketplace. This isn’t to suggest that “culture fit” isn’t a valid concept. But when determining culture fit, be aspirational. In other words, look for the people who fit the culture you aspire to, not necessarily the culture that you have today. In fact, some companies speak in terms of “culture add” to establish this philosophy in daily practice. For instance, if your team’s future success relies on teamwork and collaboration, then perhaps the hard-charging, independent thinker (who may be fantastically successful elsewhere) isn’t the best person for your team. Or, if you work in an environment where safety is vital, you may be correct to promote those who can work in a routine of checking and double-checking rather than those whose spontaneity borders on recklessness. Finally, if you want your team to be open-minded, creative, willing to take calculated risks, then perhaps the best “culture fit” you can hope for are those who have viewpoints, areas of expertise, and opinions that aren’t already represented on your team. Rather than using “culture fit” to screen out candidates for jobs and promotions, consider being proactive about finding individuals who indeed fit the aspirational culture of your workplace. You can do so by: Clearly defining your culture, both in terms of your organization’s values and the day-to-day behaviors that you believe will lead to business success Communicating these norms and values as a part of your company’s brand Making your company’s aspirational culture a key part of the onboarding process Talking about your organizational culture with your team and letting employees know exactly what’s expected of them Rewarding employees who exhibit the organization’s norms and values and providing constructive feedback when employees fall short Resisting the value and need for DEI Often, the biggest barrier to diversity, equity, and inclusion is simply an unwillingness to change. This desire to cling closely to the status quo sometimes shows up as overt hostility to DEI work, but more often, appears in the form of skepticism (“Do we need to do this?”) or pessimism (“Might this make us worse rather than better?”). According to the classic Beckhard-Harris model of change, for any change initiative to succeed, the level of dissatisfaction (D), along with a clear vision for the future (V) and defined first steps (F), must be greater than the resistance to change (R). To put it in math terms: D x V x F > R. Handling resistance People generally experience skepticism about DEI work as a feeling of contentment about the way things currently are: “If nothing is broken, why fix it?” Of course, the idea that “nothing is broken” is usually demonstrably untrue to the marginalized people within your organization. But if they don’t exist in sufficient numbers or aren’t present in enough positions of power, their dissatisfaction with the status quo may not be enough to spur change forward. Pessimism is a resistance to change that must be reduced for any change initiative to succeed. The basis for pessimism about DEI work is most often a misplaced belief that increasing diversity in an organization automatically means lowering standards of quality. Quite frankly, this belief is offensive to many (including me) because the only way to justify it is through believing that people who belong to dominant groups (white people, men, heterosexual and cisgender people, able-bodied people, people who practice the dominant religion, and so on) are smarter and more talented than those who don’t. However, even those who don’t overtly believe in the supremacy of dominant groups can find themselves feeling pessimistic about DEI work based on a belief that the work is simply too difficult. “We can focus on that next year,” some say, after another important goal has been accomplished. Because skeptical and pessimistic arguments are often phrased as pseudo-intellectual debates, perhaps the first best tactic to counter both is data. You can find a wealth of research that proves that the combination of a diverse workforce and an inclusive work environment yields substantial benefits, including greater profits, lower turnover, more innovation, and higher quality. Having this data at your ready disposal is invaluable to you when you encounter skepticism or pessimism from others in the organization. Overcoming fear No matter how the arguments against DEI are framed, they’re never entirely scientific. What underscores most skepticism and pessimism regarding DEI work (see the preceding section) is fear. An intellectual argument may win a few battles, but it will never end the fight unless you also take steps to address the fears that many powerful people harbor about creating a more diverse and inclusive organization. Here are few examples: Fear of change: There’s an old saying that only wet babies like change. And in truth, even wet babies who love their dry diapers typically don’t enjoy the process of change much. Change can be difficult, and a few mistakes along the way are certain; those who are highly invested in a self-image of competence and success can be very threatened by even the idea of large-scale changes and the gaffes and blunders that inevitably follow. Fear of moral judgment: In her famous work, White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo points to a very curious phenomenon among (mostly, but not exclusively, American) white people: that for many, being called a racist is far worse than participating in a racist system. The same dynamic is likely true among many other dominant groups. Not embarking on DEI change initiatives keeps conversations about power, privilege, and the “isms” (such as racism, sexism, and ableism) at bay and allows those in dominant groups to continue seeing themselves as pillars of morality, without privilege or bias. Fear of hardship: Although people who advocate for DEI often say that “everyone wins” when opportunities for all are increased, the detractors of the work envision a future where people are hired, promoted, and appointed to leadership roles simply because of their identities, resulting in discrimination against privileged groups. These cynics are mistaken about the nature of future opportunities, but they’re correct when they suppose that they, with their privileged identity, may have less of a chance of being CEO one day. The hard truth is that not all straight white men benefit from the status quo, just the mediocre ones who may not rise as quickly or as high when more talent enters the pipeline and is taken seriously. Fear of failure: For some, DEI work feels scary simply because it isn’t always successful. For every organization that has invested in its workforce and its culture with tangible results, you can find another that tried but didn’t succeed. Some business leaders are naturally risk-averse, and the DEI journey is never without risk. The only thing certain about these programs is the eventual demise of organizations who don’t get it right — either because they fail or because they never even try. Assuaging deep-seated fears is never easy, but if too many people in your organization are allowing their fear to show itself as skepticism or pessimism about the work, then it can sink a change effort before it has even begun. If an organization isn’t ready for change, actions must be taken to both increase dissatisfaction with the status quo and lower the resistance to change. This shift can often take place simply through a force conversation. Diversity workshops that are highly interactive can give voice to those who are already dissatisfied, moving some skeptics to become allies. Town halls where senior leaders share their commitment to DEI, along with compelling arguments on why doing nothing isn’t an option, can convince some in an organization that they have more to fear from doing nothing than they do from acting. Many people, especially those in corporate, for-profit organizations, aren’t used to enacting strategies designed to create emotional shifts in their formal, buttoned-up workplaces. But contrary to popular belief, human beings don’t leave their emotions at home when they show up to work, and these strategies prove to be as important as any other in your DEI journey. Perpetuating microaggressions, stereotypes, and prejudices A particular barrier to DEI success takes the form of harmful attitudes and behaviors. People from marginalized groups experience microaggressions, stereotypes, and prejudices on a constant basis, and for them, hearing senior leaders tout their commitment to DEI can be very difficult to believe. For them, it’s often a case of their employer talking the talk, but not walking the walk — or living the company’s values. For example, when the CEO gives a speech about the importance of diversity but direct supervisors are still overlooking marginalized people for promotions, minimizing their contributions, or showing favoritism to those who are most like themselves, it undermines trust that the company is really committed to DEI. Ditto for running ad campaigns celebrating Black History Month, Disability Awareness Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month, and so on when colleagues are still allowed to crack jokes about a person or make insensitive comments with no real consequences. It contributes to a toxic workplace culture. Taking a closer look at microaggressions The term microaggression was first coined by Dr. Chester M. Pierce back in the 1970s. Psychologist Derald Wing Sue defines microaggressions as “the everyday slights, indignities, put downs, and insults that people of color, women, LGBTQ populations, or those who are marginalized experience in their day-to-day interactions with people.” The term may suggest that microaggressions are no big deal, but although each behavior may be viewed as a small thing, the cumulative impact of microaggressions over time can be very damaging. This effect makes combatting microaggressions especially difficult for the targets to do without being viewed as “overly sensitive” or “angry about everything.” In fact, microaggressions are often intended as compliments (telling someone they’re “articulate” as though it’s a surprise they speak English fluently or that they “don’t act gay”). Therefore, the organization is responsible for teaching its staff about microaggressions and making its expectations regarding treating others with respect clear. Expecting those who are already marginalized to police others’ well-intentioned behavior, possibly setting them up for further backlash, is unfair. The table below outlines common microaggressions I’ve seen and heard used on a daily basis (and many of which I’ve personally experienced over and over). As you look at this list, try to identify the ones you’ve heard used in the workplace. Have they been directed toward you? How did it feel to hear them? How did you respond? Common Microaggressions and the Messages They Send Microaggression (comments and behaviors) Message it sends “Where are you from?” or “You speak English well.” Assuming one doesn’t belong or is not from your home country “I don’t see your color.” Denying a unique attribute of a person “You are so articulate!” Assigning intelligence based on ethnicity “I’m not racist. Some of my best friends are Black.” Denial of racism and an attempt to justify it “Why do we have to lower our standards to hire more women and people of color?” The playing field is already level, and there is equal opportunity for all who work hard for it Continuously calling someone the wrong name (especially when they have corrected you) Devaluing the person’s origin/ethnicity Rolling your windows up or hitting the door locks when you see a Black male crossing in front of your car Assuming that they are dangerous Following a person of color around in the store, or assuming that they cannot afford an expensive item Assuming that they are a criminal; assuming they are poor Assuming an Asian person is good at math and science or being surprised when a black person is an engineer, scientist, or mathematician Assigning intelligence based on ethnicity Not promoting a woman because you assume that she will start a family A woman couldn’t handle the job or is not cut out to be a mom and a professional Dismissing or overlooking a comment made by a young professional, a woman, or a minority Minimizing experience based on age

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-22-2023

Let’s face it. Although the term diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) may be common knowledge, it’s not commonly understood. Moreover, as the workforce continues to be redefined by demographic shifts, this adds additional layers of complexities and responsibilities for leaders. You already have a lot on your plate, and with DEI becoming a greater focus for many companies, it can be daunting to be expected to know all that you should in demonstrating new behaviors and practices and making decisions. The following sections provide a quick reference to give you food for thought, best practices, and strategies on some key DEI considerations, as well as guidance on how to perform an aspect of DEI effectively.