Inclusion in Progress

This month, we're hosting a mini-series on "Hybrid Work & Company Culture'' where we'll be sharing what we've learned from speaking to tech companies like HP and HubSpot on whether or not hybrid work is killing company culture. 

Over the next three episodes, we will be discussing the importance of equity in a hybrid workplace, how to equip leaders for remote-first or hybrid teams, and how flexible working and company culture strategies go hand-in-hand with DEI, plus actionable ideas we've been sharing with our client partners to support employees in a remote or hybrid work environment. 

In this episode, we'll be talking about some of the findings from a virtual roundtable we hosted with DEI practitioners in the tech industry to discuss how they were adapting and building upon their differentiated people strategies to serve diverse groups working remotely. 

If you want to follow along with the Hybrid Work & Company Culture mini-series on the podcast this month — and get access to inclusive insights from our team in your inbox — head to the link in the show notes or go to https://inclusioninprogress.com/podcast-miniseries-2023 to sign up.

In This Episode:

[3:45} What is company culture today vs pre-pandemic?

[5:27] How flexible work continues to be a top priority for organizations.

[8:53] How can tech companies benefit from supporting flexible work?

[12:15] Empowering managers to lead remotely active campaigns.

[13:13] The importance of equity when designing a hybrid workplace.

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Roundtable Findings: Is Hybrid Work Killing Company Culture?.

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company's DEI and remote work initiatives.

Learn more about Why D&I Only Works With Equity in Episode IIP029.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

Most people think DEI is a nice-to-have for their organizations — and they're often one of the first programs to go in recessive periods.

But DEI is not only a way to keep your best people and ideas and support your bottom-line, it's actually non-negotiable for employees. And it influences their decisions around who they work for and the type of performance they will give while they're there. 

In this episode, we'll be talking about some of the findings from a virtual roundtable we hosted with DEI practitioners in the tech industry in April 2023 to discuss how they're expanding their strategies while considering employees' desires for well-being and flexible work.

We also announce our upcoming mini-series in July 2023 on "Hybrid Work & Company Culture" where we'll share more about our roundtable conversation. 

In This Episode:

[2:08] The difference in company culture today vs pre-pandemic.

[5:21] The importance of understanding the needs of remote employees for DEI.

[7:47] What is the actual cost of poor mental health to employers in 2023?

[11:51] How the conversation around work-life balance and well-being in the tech industry are redefining company culture.

[13:36] How to help remote teams in self-identifying and managing mental health.

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Sign up for our July 2023 podcast mini-series: "Hybrid Work & Company Culture".

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company's DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, activism and DEI work are actually extensions of one another.

For us at #TeamIIP, we know that historically excluded or marginalized groups simply *can't* check their identities at the door when entering a professional workplace. To those we've spoken with and worked alongside, DEI is not just about fighting for equal opportunities in the workplace — it's about their lives and their livelihood. 

But that doesn't mean that implementing DEI policies (such as inclusive language) at work isn't without its complications.

One one side, we've witnessed facing pushback over the years from those who think that the use of inclusive language is tone policing.

On the other end of the spectrum, we've witnessed those who all too freely shame someone for their mistakes (sometimes fellow DEI practitioners) when the audience fails to meet an ever-evolving standard for inclusive language.

Inspired by our 2020 episode with Michelle MiJung Kim, we revisit the idea of inclusive language three years on and discuss:

• What inclusive language is, what it is not, and who it ultimately benefits

• How implementing inclusive language can be done with intentionality (without gate-keeping or shaming others in the process)

• Why it's less about saying the "right thing" and more about respecting the nuances of identity that language brings

• Our take on how to guide inclusive language in 2023 for more equitable workplaces

In This Episode:

[7:41] The origin and evolution of the word "woke".

[12:42] What is inclusive language and why does it matter?

[15:36] How are people responding to inclusive language guidelines?

[31:49] How to be more inclusive in day-to-day communication.

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Ready to renew your commitment to greater equity and inclusion? Get in touch today to learn more about working with us in 2023.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

With a recessive period upon us, we've witnessed a growing trend of corporate leaders (particularly in the tech industry) embracing "bossism": a leadership style that emphasizes a top-down approach to management.

Sadly, that means the first programs on the chopping block are viewed as the nice-to-haves, including the DEI initiatives that many pledged to uphold following George Floyd's murder. It also means that the people these programs were aimed at supporting are also at risk, at a time when employees and employers need inclusion-focused programs the most.

While those who practice bossism would claim to favor the bottom line, they do so at the expense of the people who are responsible for creating the bottom line in the first place. 

In today's episode, we'll share the reasons why we can't undo progress on DEI with the likes of bossism in Big Tech, including:

• Why investing in DEI supports teams during times of change and uncertainty

• Why an inclusive workplace supports post-layoff survivors' productivity and morale

• Why ongoing DEI initiatives can support today's and tomorrow's teams

In This Episode:

[1:15] Is the recessive period creating a trend in which leaders are resorting to bossism?

[4:43] How is the rise of bossism affecting DEI initiatives?

[8:23] Why investing in DEI supports diverse teams during times of uncertainty

[12:34] The impact of bossism in Big Tech on psychological safety and how it affects morale and productivity (even beyond the tech industry)

[14:31] How investing in DEI initiatives can support today's and tomorrow's teams

[15:59] Why cutting back on DEI initiatives today will ultimately lead to difficulty retaining and hiring talent in the long run

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Ready to renew your commitment to greater equity and inclusion? Get in touch today to learn more about working with us in 2023.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

Often when we discuss supporting women in the workplace, the conversation immediately turns to maternity leave and motherhood. But more millennials and Gen Zers are choosing to be child-free by choice. This poses a challenge for employers to be more creative about how they approach supporting women's ability to achieve and advance in the workplace — beyond simply offering maternity leave and family planning.

Rather than associating women with the gender role of childbirth, we need to be more intentional in creating workplace strategies to support all women — regardless of their background, abilities, age, race, ethnicity, country of origin, native language, economic, marital or parental status.

Gender equity is something organizations should care about beyond International Women's Month. So in this episode of Inclusion in Progress, we take a look at how employers can support women at work who are either childless or child-free, especially as these circumstances and choices become more common for professionals from younger generations who are already stepping into our workplaces. 

In This Episode:

[2:33] Why is it hard for women to discuss being child-free by choice?

[6:58] Why are more younger Gen Z and millennial professionals choosing to opt out of having children, and how will that affect gender equity initiatives at work?

[11:14] What is the major difference between child-free by choice and childless?

[16:02] How well-educated, single, non-parent women are evaluated differently at work than both women who have children and their male peers.

[21:30] How to make your work environment psychologically safe for child-free and childless women and why that matters for employers designing gender-inclusive workplaces.

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Ready to renew your commitment to greater equity and inclusion? Get in touch today to learn more about working with us in 2023.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Read more of Pew Research Center's 2021 study on US childless adults. 

Listen to our podcast guests speak on Miscarriage, Menopause & More: Uncovering Real Experiences of Women at Work.

Read more about the current state of millennial debt in the Wall Street Journal article.

To learn more about Jennifer Merluzzi's research, check out how single US women say they face workplace penalties.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

March is officially the start of International Women's Month. 

But as our latest episode goes live today — do women really have something to celebrate? 

Considering the uphill battle women face in their personal and professional lives?

And considering how gender equity in the workplace seems to be backsliding?

In fact, according to LeanIn.Org & McKinsey's 2022 Women in the Workplace Report, for every woman at the director level who gets promoted to the next level, two women directors are choosing to leave their company.

We don't just lose ideas, perspectives and talent when women leaders leave — we also lose our best advocates for equity and inclusion.

With that in mind, Inclusion in Progress takes a look at The Great Breakup, the consequences of women leaving the workforce en masse, and how to keep progress on gender equity moving forward by working to retain women on your teams.

In This Episode:

[5:36] What is possible if more legislation were designed with women in mind?

[7:16] What are the consequences of women leaving the workforce?

[9:06] Why are women leaders demanding more from work?

[13:51] How can organization leaders navigate the issue of women leaders leaving the workplace? 

[16:30] What are some solutions to support women in leadership positions? 

[18:23] How can you keep women leaders on board within your organization?

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Ready to renew your commitment to greater equity and inclusion? Get in touch today to learn more about working with us in 2023.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Read the full Women in the Workplace report by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company.

Check out our discussion on The 3 Hidden Biases of Hybrid Work & How to Avoid Them.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

Meta. Netflix. Amazon. Spotify. Google. We've been watching as some of the biggest names in tech have implemented mass layoffs for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began. And while it's easy to look at the headlines in numbers, there is a very human cost that our teams face. Both for those who are laid off and those who are left behind. 

In the wake of these layoffs, how do organizations maintain employee morale for those left behind? Especially when everyone's now working in a distributed environment?

In this episode of Inclusion in Progress, we'll be discussing what workplace survival syndrome is, how it affects employee morale post-layoffs, and what you and your company can do to support remaining team members after they watch their colleagues leave.

Here's what we will explore:

• What is workplace survivor syndrome?

• Who is affected when companies engage in layoffs?

• How workplace survivor syndrome impacts psychological safety

• How employers can best support their teams after a downsizing

In This Episode:

[5:58] What is workplace survivor syndrome and why does it matter to employers?

[7:58] What are the consequences of workplace downsizing or restructuring on those left behind?

[11:47]  How embracing empathy and modeling vulnerability impacts psychological safety, productivity and engagement for workplace survivors

[20:15] The benefits of opening a dialogue with your employees and listening to their feedback after a reorg or similar organizational change

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Ready to renew your commitment to greater equity and inclusion? Get in touch today to learn more about working with us in 2023

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

Quiet quitting was the buzzword of 2022. And although 2023 has barely begun, yet another phrase has surfaced as a potential solution: quiet hiring. Essentially, quiet hiring leans more toward developing the talent already within an organization or seeking specialists in the form of external contractors — instead of hiring and training new personnel. 

But in the wake of many organizations restructuring, downsizing or laying off teams — what could quiet hiring actually look like for your company? Could quiet hiring help you expand your talent pool? Or could quiet hiring negatively affect employee morale for your distributed workforce?

While the goal is to ensure psychological safety within your teams while continuing to meet business priorities, we at Inclusion in Progress want to help you examine the potential impact quiet hiring can have on your organization — and which strategy would work for your teams.

Here's what we will explore:

• What is quiet hiring in a distributed workforce?

• How can quiet hiring be of immediate benefit to your distributed workforce?

• How to manage the social and emotional aspects of hiring contractors to your team.

• How can you respectfully engage in quiet hiring practices for your organization?

In This Episode:

[3:42] What is quiet hiring?

[10:43] How does quiet hiring work within organizations?

[12:57]  How to avoid burnout with a quiet hiring strategy.

[20:15] The benefits of bringing on external suppliers and short term contractors.

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Ready to renew your commitment to greater equity and inclusion? Get in touch today to learn more about working with us in 2023

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

Work culture used to be defined by shared physical spaces. Now it's about the people, the ideas, shared values and the behaviors you model. Almost three years after the pandemic started, work culture continues to evolve and shift. With so much going on in the world, your team has become your constant as a proxy for the organization you work for. Which means the line between personal and professional has become increasingly blurred for a distributed workforce. 

For those from historically marginalized or excluded backgrounds, it's even more important to feel supported by your work community, both personally and professionally. So in a time when distributed teams are becoming the norm, how can we build a healthy, connected work culture that meets all of these different needs? 

In today's episode of Inclusion in Progress, we'll be:

• Sharing examples of good practice we've observed in the tech industry around building a healthy, connected work culture for distributed teams
• Discuss how to account for newly emerging biases in the current workforce
• Creating an environment in which people feel comfortable to show up
• Examples of how to create an environment that encourages sharing ideas and equal involvement

[1:17] How does  redefining spaces impact your organizational values and behaviors in a world of distributed workforces and blurring work-life lines?

[4:28] What does it mean to model psychological safety with asynchronous communication channels that establish trust and connection for distributed teams?

[7:07] How do we  dismantle the misconceptions that persist around flexible workforces and highlight opportunities for companies to implement DEI strategies?

[9:07] How Spotify and Dropbox invested in career advancement and retention without compromising their employee expectations.

[12:01] What types of unforeseen biases may surface in a distributed workforce that would not apply in a  shared office environment?

[17:18] What does a healthy connected work culture look like for distributed teams in 2023?

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Ready to renew your commitment to greater equity and inclusion? Get in touch today to learn more about working with us in 2023

Listen to Team IIP reflect on Our Top 3 Episodes of 2022 & What's Next for the Podcast 

Check out more of our distributed work case study discussions with  Dropbox, Quora & Spotify: 3 Hybrid Workplace Models that Are Working 

Check out our previous episode on The 3 Hidden Biases of Hybrid Work & How to Avoid Them 

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.

It's hard to ignore the pandemic's impact on the increase of distributed workplaces, whether companies chose to institute hybrid or fully-remote work. But while remote-first workplaces have offered many benefits for both employers and employees, they've also brought challenges to teams' connectivity, collaboration, and psychological safety.

As we head into 2023, organizations now face a new challenge: with an uncertain economy and labor market, they have to set up  a standard for flexible work in a way that balances business outcomes with employee expectations. In today's episode, we're going to look at some of the ways DEI can support psychological safety for employees in 2023 and beyond.

Here's what we'll cover in today's episode: 

• Key post-pandemic work trends (and what this means for DEI) 
• The key challenges for psychological safety within distributed teams 
• Supporting psychological safety for DEI practitioners (and why it matters) 
• Examples of good practice to build psychological safety in distributed workforces

In This Episode

[1:16] Which major themes around work culture, DEI and talent retention did we observe in our 2023 whitepaper?

[10:54] What challenges have presented themselves with the rise of remote work in 2022?

[13:03] Why does the tech industry have the capacity to shape all future workplaces?

[17:48] The benefits of doubling down on creating a psychologically safe environment for distributed teams and what that looks like in practice

[25:23] Why lone DEI practitioners cannot be the only solution for all marginalized experiences in the workplace

Links:

[email protected] 

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress

Download our 2023 Future of Work Culture whitepaper.

Ready to renew your commitment to greater equity and inclusion? Get in touch today to learn more about working with us in 2023

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Inclusion in Progress disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Disclaimer: Some of these links are for products and services offered by the podcast creator.