Support organizational diversity efforts with knowledge management strategies.
It's no surprise that diversity, equity, and inclusion is front of mind for executives in today's business climate—after all, DEI affects engagement, company reputation, and the bottom line. Its organizational importance means talent development professionals should be focused on it as well—and not just from a training standpoint.
In "Advance DEI Using Talent Development Expertise," Ed Hasan and Ifedapo Adeleye guide talent developers to think about ways they leverage an organization's knowledge management strategy to improve DEI. Specifically, they should consider:
- Would a loss of institutional DEI knowledge create significant problems for implementing a DEI strategy?
- Do employees believe they have joint responsibility for advancing DEI in the workplace?
- What changes does the company need to make to its current approach to knowledge management to ensure it can achieve DEI goals?
The authors also provide questions TD practitioners can reflect on with respect to career development for employees of diverse races and ethnicities:
- What percentage of middle and senior managers are underrepresented minorities? How does that compare to competitors in the industry?
- Do TD and DEI staff have adequate knowledge and skills to use career development tools and methods to facilitate the career development planning process?
Talent developers can use multiple means to improve DEI, including leadership development initiatives for historically excluded groups, employee resource groups, and coaching.
These tips were adapted from the October 2021 issue of TD at Work. Learn more at td.org/TDatWork.
