Inclusion & Diversity Flashcards
Competencies
Defensive behavior that occurs when an organization recruits a diverse workforce but, consciously or otherwise, promotes assimilation rather than inclusion.
Covering
Refers to a workforce that approaches problems using different conceptual thought approaches that may stem from atypical brain structure, for example, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anything categorized as existing on the autism spectrum (autism spectrum disorder, or ASD)
Neurodiversity
Extent to which each person in an organization feels welcomed, respected, supported, and valued as a team member.
Inclusion
A feeling that one’s success is due to luck, not hard work or skill; can lead individuals to feeling unfit for their curren role.
Impostor syndrome
The similarities and differences between individuals, accounting for all aspects of one’s personality and individual identity.
Diversity
Voluntary group for employees who share a particular diversity dimension (race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.); also known as affinity group or network group.
Employee resource group (ERG)
Additional workload that is generated for members of an underrepresented group due to their requested participation in inclusion and diversity efforts.
Cultural taxation
Zanda, a retail clothing chain, is a family-owned business that recently saw its two founders retire. Under the founders’ leadership, the organization’s culture did not encourage dissent, and I&D was not emphasized or even discussed.
To replace the founders, the organization hired someone from outside of the family and the organization. The new CEO has replaced most of the senior leadership/executive team; you were hired as the new chief human resources officer (CHRO). Your mandate is to transform the culture into one that encourages employees to be their authentic selves and supports open conversations about I&D.
First, you suggest creating an I&D council made up of employees from various units to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging. In the first few meetings of the council, many employees seem reluctant to speak about their experiences or discuss I&D-related issues. One council member, a middle-level manager who belongs to an underrepresented group, privately shares with you that they think the old culture is still alive and is a barrier to open discussions and some are afraid it might negatively impact their career prospects.
What is the best way to encourage better, more open participation in the I&D council meetings?
Organize anonymous I&D experience-sharing sessions and encourage senior leaders to share their own stories and show commitment to I&D.
Zanda, a retail clothing chain, is a family-owned business that recently saw its two founders retire. Under the founders’ leadership, the organization’s culture did not encourage dissent, and I&D was not emphasized or even discussed.
To replace the founders, the organization hired someone from outside of the family and the organization. The new CEO has replaced most of the senior leadership/executive team; you were hired as the new chief human resources officer (CHRO). Your mandate is to transform the culture into one that encourages employees to be their authentic selves and supports open conversations about I&D.
First, you suggest creating an I&D council made up of employees from various units to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging. In the first few meetings of the council, many employees seem reluctant to speak about their experiences or discuss I&D-related issues. One council member, a middle-level manager who belongs to an underrepresented group, privately shares with you that they think the old culture is still alive and is a barrier to open discussions and some are afraid it might negatively impact their career prospects.
The CEO, who is a white male, thinks that it is important for other white males in the workplace to be actively engaged in I&D and serve as allies. The CEO asks you for your thoughts on leveraging these individuals to advance I&D as allies. What is the best way to respond?
Conduct research on how to institute an I&D education and allyship program for everyone, including white males, to be better allies and advocates.
Zanda, a retail clothing chain, is a family-owned business that recently saw its two founders retire. Under the founders’ leadership, the organization’s culture did not encourage dissent, and I&D was not emphasized or even discussed.
To replace the founders, the organization hired someone from outside of the family and the organization. The new CEO has replaced most of the senior leadership/executive team; you were hired as the new chief human resources officer (CHRO). Your mandate is to transform the culture into one that encourages employees to be their authentic selves and supports open conversations about I&D.
First, you suggest creating an I&D council made up of employees from various units to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging. In the first few meetings of the council, many employees seem reluctant to speak about their experiences or discuss I&D-related issues. One council member, a middle-level manager who belongs to an underrepresented group, privately shares with you that they think the old culture is still alive and is a barrier to open discussions and some are afraid it might negatively impact their career prospects.
In conducting research on I&D initiatives, you find a SHRM survey showing that 20% of workers have experienced poor treatment at work due to their political views. The founding executives are known as major donors to one of the political parties, which many employees silently feel uncomfortable about. How should you move forward with regard to the potential inclusion of political diversity and inclusion in the company’s I&D plans?
Recommend policies to senior leadership to promote civility, respect, and nondiscrimination based on political beliefs.
GreenLeaf Tech, a company specializing in sustainable energy solutions, has 20 locations across the United States. You, the HR director, recently conducted an equity assessment as part of the company’s I&D commitment. This process involved reviewing HR processes and policies and conducting interviews with employees.
The results reveal disparities in career advancement and development opportunities for underrepresented groups. Employees report feeling disconnected from the corporate culture and decision-making processes. They also feel that they lack visibility and contact with senior executives at the headquarters. In addition, employees with disabilities report being undervalued and underused, complaining that they are never given complex or high-visibility roles and that the company doesn’t appear to trust their ability to succeed despite the challenges posed by their disabilities. You find that none of the employee newsletters or images on the career website include employees with disabilities.
You have been tasked by your manager with incorporating the results of the equity assessment into your organization’s HR strategy and programs.
How do you address the employees feeling disconnected from corporate culture and decision making?
Provide more opportunities for employees to express their voice and provide input to decision-making processes by leveraging technology.
GreenLeaf Tech, a company specializing in sustainable energy solutions, has 20 locations across the United States. You, the HR director, recently conducted an equity assessment as part of the company’s I&D commitment. This process involved reviewing HR processes and policies and conducting interviews with employees.
The results reveal disparities in career advancement and development opportunities for underrepresented groups. Employees report feeling disconnected from the corporate culture and decision-making processes. They also feel that they lack visibility and contact with senior executives at the headquarters. In addition, employees with disabilities report being undervalued and underused, complaining that they are never given complex or high-visibility roles and that the company doesn’t appear to trust their ability to succeed despite the challenges posed by their disabilities. You find that none of the employee newsletters or images on the career website include employees with disabilities.
You have been tasked by your manager with incorporating the results of the equity assessment into your organization’s HR strategy and programs.
What is the most effective way to present your plan to senior leadership to ensure alignment with the company’s I&D goals and gain leadership support?
Provide a data-driven presentation that includes the equity assessment results and an objective-aligned HR plan.
GreenLeaf Tech, a company specializing in sustainable energy solutions, has 20 locations across the United States. You, the HR director, recently conducted an equity assessment as part of the company’s I&D commitment. This process involved reviewing HR processes and policies and conducting interviews with employees.
The results reveal disparities in career advancement and development opportunities for underrepresented groups. Employees report feeling disconnected from the corporate culture and decision-making processes. They also feel that they lack visibility and contact with senior executives at the headquarters. In addition, employees with disabilities report being undervalued and underused, complaining that they are never given complex or high-visibility roles and that the company doesn’t appear to trust their ability to succeed despite the challenges posed by their disabilities. You find that none of the employee newsletters or images on the career website include employees with disabilities.
You have been tasked by your manager with incorporating the results of the equity assessment into your organization’s HR strategy and programs.
How should you handle disability inclusion complaints?
Further engage employees with disabilities to find ways in which the organization can make the workplace more equitable and inclusive for them.
CapitalBank, a small financial institution, was forced to go remote for nearly a year during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since invested in cutting-edge technology to automate processes and allow more work to be performed remotely. Post-pandemic, most employees have been allowed to continue remote work or hybrid work (two or more days in the office), with about 30% remaining fully remote, about 40% moving to hybrid, and 30% fully in-person.
Under the remote/hybrid program, financial performance has been good and no productivity decline has been observed. However, the chief executive officer (CEO) thinks that the remote-first workplace decision has negatively impacted company culture, collaboration, and innovation. Bank leadership is also concerned about retaining unused office space, most of which is in premium locations.
The bank has offered several incentives to bring people back to the office, but this has not had a significant impact. As a result, leadership is considering a punitive approach. Under this proposal, employees who don’t return to in-person work will face reduced bonus rates and penalties during performance appraisals.
Senior leadership organizes a virtual town hall where the CEO announces the proposed changes. Meeting feedback features are inundated with pointed questions and negative responses, but the CEO appears to ignore it.
Many employees indicate that they will refuse to return to the office. In response, leadership threatens that they will introduce a no-exception return-to-office mandate for everyone. You, the chief human resources officer (CHRO), are startled by the sudden aggressive tone and are concerned about the negative feedback employees are sending to HR.
What should you do with regard to leadership’s chosen direction and the response from the workforce?
Analyze the potential impact of a return-to-office mandate on the engagement and retention of employees and discuss your findings with leadership.
CapitalBank, a small financial institution, was forced to go remote for nearly a year during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since invested in cutting-edge technology to automate processes and allow more work to be performed remotely. Post-pandemic, most employees have been allowed to continue remote work or hybrid work (two or more days in the office), with about 30% remaining fully remote, about 40% moving to hybrid, and 30% fully in-person.
Under the remote/hybrid program, financial performance has been good and no productivity decline has been observed. However, the chief executive officer (CEO) thinks that the remote-first workplace decision has negatively impacted company culture, collaboration, and innovation. Bank leadership is also concerned about retaining unused office space, most of which is in premium locations.
The bank has offered several incentives to bring people back to the office, but this has not had a significant impact. As a result, leadership is considering a punitive approach. Under this proposal, employees who don’t return to in-person work will face reduced bonus rates and penalties during performance appraisals.
Senior leadership organizes a virtual town hall where the CEO announces the proposed changes. Meeting feedback features are inundated with pointed questions and negative responses, but the CEO appears to ignore it.
Many employees indicate that they will refuse to return to the office. In response, leadership threatens that they will introduce a no-exception return-to-office mandate for everyone. You, the chief human resources officer (CHRO), are startled by the sudden aggressive tone and are concerned about the negative feedback employees are sending to HR.
With regard to the manner in which the CEO and senior leadership have decided to communicate this program, what is the best course of action?
Provide feedback to leadership on the importance of bringing empathy and inclusion into communication with employees.
Cappa & Maggi is a large law firm with 10 offices and nearly 2,000 employees across the United States and Canada. The firm has a solid reputation and prides itself as an employer of the best and the brightest in the industry. You, the firm’s new chief human resources officer (CHRO), come from a competing law firm that has made considerable I&D progress, and you have served on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, an industry initiative created to promote the hiring, promotion, and advancement of diverse lawyers and diverse law students.
Like the legal profession in general, Cappa & Maggi has been strongly committed to the principle of meritocracy, where success is measured based on individual performance, law school prestige and GPA, and law review participation. The firm does not have formal I&D policies, procedures, or processes. While the organization has made a lot of progress in the hiring of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) employees and women, retention has remained a struggle.
You have been asked to give a presentation on I&D issues to the senior partners, who have largely been skeptical of I&D initiatives.
What would be the most effective way to present your case for I&D to the senior leadership team to ensure their support for launching formal I&D programs?
Generate a business case showing how I&D is important to employment brand in a competitive employment market.
Cappa & Maggi is a large law firm with 10 offices and nearly 2,000 employees across the United States and Canada. The firm has a solid reputation and prides itself as an employer of the best and the brightest in the industry. You, the firm’s new chief human resources officer (CHRO), come from a competing law firm that has made considerable I&D progress, and you have served on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, an industry initiative created to promote the hiring, promotion, and advancement of diverse lawyers and diverse law students.
Like the legal profession in general, Cappa & Maggi has been strongly committed to the principle of meritocracy, where success is measured based on individual performance, law school prestige and GPA, and law review participation. The firm does not have formal I&D policies, procedures, or processes. While the organization has made a lot of progress in the hiring of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) employees and women, retention has remained a struggle.
You have been asked to give a presentation on I&D issues to the senior partners, who have largely been skeptical of I&D initiatives.
If approved, what is the first step you, the CHRO, should take in creating a comprehensive I&D strategy?
Meet with and understand the concerns of the BIPOC employees and women in order to create policies that will directly impact retention.
Cappa & Maggi is a large law firm with 10 offices and nearly 2,000 employees across the United States and Canada. The firm has a solid reputation and prides itself as an employer of the best and the brightest in the industry. You, the firm’s new chief human resources officer (CHRO), come from a competing law firm that has made considerable I&D progress, and you have served on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, an industry initiative created to promote the hiring, promotion, and advancement of diverse lawyers and diverse law students.
Like the legal profession in general, Cappa & Maggi has been strongly committed to the principle of meritocracy, where success is measured based on individual performance, law school prestige and GPA, and law review participation. The firm does not have formal I&D policies, procedures, or processes. While the organization has made a lot of progress in the hiring of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) employees and women, retention has remained a struggle.
You have been asked to give a presentation on I&D issues to the senior partners, who have largely been skeptical of I&D initiatives.
If you discuss the issue with the partners and they refuse to permit the creation of a formal I&D program, what should you do?
Focus on improving retention of employees and consider I&D-related ways to do so, without creating a formal plan at this time.
Omega Health is a health-care provider with three hospitals and over 500 staff. You are the director of two separate departments: human resources and the office of corporate social responsibility.
The organization does not currently have any formal workplace I&D strategy or policies, though you have organized several annual events recognizing socially important causes (for example, International Women’s Day). Recently, through discussions with other members of the senior leadership team, you have been given resources to make a major advancement toward a strategic goal originating from one of your two departments.
Working with the heads of both offices that report to you, you have been presented with two options. The head of HR wants to formally implement I&D initiatives company-wide, which would include hiring a new I&D manager to oversee the program. The CSR leader wants the organization to fulfill one of its CSR goals related to reducing health inequities by signing up for a government initiative to reduce health inequities among historically marginalized populations, older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income households. This initiative would also require hiring a new manager, though it is accompanied by grant money to help (but not fully pay for) the efforts to fulfill the initiative’s goals.
You must chart a path forward given these two competing options.
Attempting to win your support, the CSR leader reminds you of your company’s stated goal of improving health across the country, showing how the health inequity program would closely align with that. Countering that, the HR leader reminds you of how important internal equity is to the ability to compete for and retain talent, which enables the company to achieve that same goal more sustainably. How should you respond to this point of contention?
Recognize the validity of both arguments and consider which of the two is likely to achieve a better cost-benefit ratio.
Omega Health is a health-care provider with three hospitals and over 500 staff. You are the director of two separate departments: human resources and the office of corporate social responsibility.
The organization does not currently have any formal workplace I&D strategy or policies, though you have organized several annual events recognizing socially important causes (for example, International Women’s Day). Recently, through discussions with other members of the senior leadership team, you have been given resources to make a major advancement toward a strategic goal originating from one of your two departments.
Working with the heads of both offices that report to you, you have been presented with two options. The head of HR wants to formally implement I&D initiatives company-wide, which would include hiring a new I&D manager to oversee the program. The CSR leader wants the organization to fulfill one of its CSR goals related to reducing health inequities by signing up for a government initiative to reduce health inequities among historically marginalized populations, older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income households. This initiative would also require hiring a new manager, though it is accompanied by grant money to help (but not fully pay for) the efforts to fulfill the initiative’s goals.
You must chart a path forward given these two competing options.
Which approach should you take to resolve this dilemma?
Identify the feasibility of pursuing both options under a single unified approach, as they are interrelated concepts and you may be able to use grant money to offset costs.
LaMaX is a clothing retailer with 50 stores nationwide. It recently committed to making I&D a cornerstone of its culture. The CEO knows much work is required and has reached out to you, an HR consultant, to help their HR department incorporate I&D goals and best practices into all HR programs and policies.
The CEO’s impression is that the focus should be on addressing diversity and lack of representation of women and other minorities in management. The CEO wants to immediately start diversity-oriented hiring practices and is interested in creating and mandating diversity training for all employees.
What first steps should you advise the company to take?
Conduct a thorough assessment of the organization’s current HR programs and policies to identify opportunities for embedding I&D.
LaMaX is a clothing retailer with 50 stores nationwide. It recently committed to making I&D a cornerstone of its culture. The CEO knows much work is required and has reached out to you, an HR consultant, to help their HR department incorporate I&D goals and best practices into all HR programs and policies.
The CEO’s impression is that the focus should be on addressing diversity and lack of representation of women and other minorities in management. The CEO wants to immediately start diversity-oriented hiring practices and is interested in creating and mandating diversity training for all employees.
You realize that the CEO’s initial recommendation was based on what the CEO thought were I&D best practices. How would you explain the meaning and relevance of “best practices” in the context of I&D best practices?
Best practicies should be evidence-based; research evidence should demonstrate that these practices achieve results.
LaMaX is a clothing retailer with 50 stores nationwide. It recently committed to making I&D a cornerstone of its culture. The CEO knows much work is required and has reached out to you, an HR consultant, to help their HR department incorporate I&D goals and best practices into all HR programs and policies.
The CEO’s impression is that the focus should be on addressing diversity and lack of representation of women and other minorities in management. The CEO wants to immediately start diversity-oriented hiring practices and is interested in creating and mandating diversity training for all employees.
What should you do regarding the CEO’s specific focus on diversity?
Explain the relationship between equity and inclusion and employee retention, showing that if diversity alone is pursued the company will lose whoever it attracts.
A new knowledge management effort has lost traction. Senior employees are not motivated to train their replacements, and the younger employees resent not getting the training. Which potential solution should HR recommend to help both groups gain better understanding and demonstrate empathy with one other?
Establishing intergenerational mentoring programs throughout the organization.
Intergenerational mentoring programs will best enable better understanding and empathy between generations. Both generations can learn from each other and invest energy in each other’s success.
When implementing a policy to allow employees to participate on management committees in each of a company’s global locations, which outcome should most be considered?
Employees in some cultures may not participate fully.
There are challenges to implementing policies across a diverse organization, including remaining aware that the organization’s cultural assumptions may not be universally shared.
A senior HR professional is making the case for more diversity in the sales force as the organization expands overseas, saying that diversity will provide a strategic benefit to the bottom line. The sales executive is skeptical and says that the current sales force is top notch. What can the senior HR professional say to help convince the executive?
Local salespersons would know what sales pitches are bound to fail with their local audience.
Gardenswartz and Rowe describe this strategic value as “capturing talent, understanding markets, utilizing diverse perspectives for innovation, knowing how and how not to pitch products, and, ultimately, how to generate employee commitment.” While branding to indicate the organization’s diversity can have bottom-line benefits, it isn’t the best answer because it is not as directly related to the salespersons and is less likely to convince the executive due to the difficulty in showing proof. A specific example of how a local salesperson would know how to avoid a common faux pas for a region would be a powerful argument.
Which step might address an organization responding to concerns about too few minority applicants?
Targeting recruiting efforts at urban colleges and universities.
One approach to increasing the diversity of the applicant pool is to recruit from institutions that serve minorities. Urban areas have larger concentrations of minorities than do non-urban areas, and urban colleges and universities have higher percentages of minority enrollees than do other higher education institutions. Using more minorities in marketing does not ensure success in recruitment. Creating a mentoring program and increasing salaries for minorities may help in retaining minority employees, but likely has little impact on recruiting.
An organization with workplace flexibility policies has been accused of providing more access to these benefits for parents than for non-parents. Parents get time off for child sick days and appointments, while non-parents are expected to work longer hours. Which is the best course of action to address this issue?
Validating the claims and then revising and communicating policies to ensure that they are applied equitably to all employees.
The best course of action is to review related policies, revise them, and communicate the changes. Matching time off for childless employees is impractical and logistically problematic. Offering concessions to the whistleblowers amounts to unethical behavior. Requiring parents to make other arrangements imposes a hardship that could cause turnover.
The VP of HR is pleased that the numbers of women acting as senior account managers in the organization has increased, but at regional sales meetings the VP notes that all of the regional sales managers and their assistants are men. How should the VP of HR proceed?
Promote diversity in succession plans for the sales division to senior management.
The best tactic here may be to focus on making sure women are in the pipeline for future management positions—in other words, making sure they are included in succession plans. Offering leadership training could be seen as offensive to women who have reached this position. Encouraging the women to go around their regional managers to the CEO could sabotage their careers. Discussing reasons will not necessarily lead to change.
An organization has had difficulty sustaining its inclusion and diversity effort during economic downturns and has experienced resistance from managers and employees alike. What might be recommended to help this organization?
Increased of alignment between business strategy and diversity initiatives
Inclusion and diversity initiatives will falter unless they are aligned with business strategy
What business case would an organization use to align inclusion and diversity with its supply chain policies?
Suppliers that embody diversity strengthen ties to a diverse customer base and strengthen recruitment/retention efforts.
The business case for promoting supplier diversity includes strengthening the organization’s appeal to its own diverse customer base and to those customers who support supplier diversity practices as well as assisting in diversity recruiting efforts within the organization.
Salomon Industries Automotive is an auto parts manufacturer and supplier to several major auto companies. The 60-year-old company is in the middle of a transformation project as it restructures to become more globally competitive, and it is keen to build a much more productive workforce. During the project, the company has experienced serious challenges in filling positions due to significant competition for talent, and it is exploring participating in several initiatives to bring diverse talent into the workforce.
One issue the company is grappling with is increasing resentment among lower-skilled assembly-line workers toward office-based salaried employees. In just two decades, the assembly-line workers have gone from representing about 60% of the workforce to about 45%; their overall wage growth has also been much slower. Moreover, since the COVID pandemic, the company has offered remote and hybrid work options for office-based employees, while the assembly-line workers must work on-site at factories, given the nature of their jobs.
With the rise of automation, most of the new office-based jobs that are created require a bachelor’s degree. This also represents a change, as in the past many people rose from assembly-line jobs to senior managerial positions, and this is no longer the case. As the vice president of human resources, you want to ensure that HR programs, policies, and practices advance opportunity, inclusion, and equity for all.
During a meeting, several assembly-line workers demand to be provided with opportunities to apply for technical and managerial jobs. They also request that the organization create pathways and invest in their development instead of bringing in new, more-educated workers. What should you do?
Have a discussion with technical leaders to identify which roles should actually require or prefer a bachelor’s degree and to create a development program for assembly-line workers.
Salomon Industries Automotive is an auto parts manufacturer and supplier to several major auto companies. The 60-year-old company is in the middle of a transformation project as it restructures to become more globally competitive, and it is keen to build a much more productive workforce. During the project, the company has experienced serious challenges in filling positions due to significant competition for talent, and it is exploring participating in several initiatives to bring diverse talent into the workforce.
One issue the company is grappling with is increasing resentment among lower-skilled assembly-line workers toward office-based salaried employees. In just two decades, the assembly-line workers have gone from representing about 60% of the workforce to about 45%; their overall wage growth has also been much slower. Moreover, since the COVID pandemic, the company has offered remote and hybrid work options for office-based employees, while the assembly-line workers must work on-site at factories, given the nature of their jobs.
With the rise of automation, most of the new office-based jobs that are created require a bachelor’s degree. This also represents a change, as in the past many people rose from assembly-line jobs to senior managerial positions, and this is no longer the case. As the vice president of human resources, you want to ensure that HR programs, policies, and practices advance opportunity, inclusion, and equity for all.
You quickly realize from the conversations with the assembly-line workers that the organization has a social class diversity challenge, as many of the issues they raise are concerns that others from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face. This is also an issue among some recently hired employees in other areas who represent different dimensions of diversity. What, if anything, should the organization do?
Conduct more research on how social class background impacts workers and methods to address it.
Salomon Industries Automotive is an auto parts manufacturer and supplier to several major auto companies. The 60-year-old company is in the middle of a transformation project as it restructures to become more globally competitive, and it is keen to build a much more productive workforce. During the project, the company has experienced serious challenges in filling positions due to significant competition for talent, and it is exploring participating in several initiatives to bring diverse talent into the workforce.
One issue the company is grappling with is increasing resentment among lower-skilled assembly-line workers toward office-based salaried employees. In just two decades, the assembly-line workers have gone from representing about 60% of the workforce to about 45%; their overall wage growth has also been much slower. Moreover, since the COVID pandemic, the company has offered remote and hybrid work options for office-based employees, while the assembly-line workers must work on-site at factories, given the nature of their jobs.
With the rise of automation, most of the new office-based jobs that are created require a bachelor’s degree. This also represents a change, as in the past many people rose from assembly-line jobs to senior managerial positions, and this is no longer the case. As the vice president of human resources, you want to ensure that HR programs, policies, and practices advance opportunity, inclusion, and equity for all.
Regarding the differences between employee class eligibility for remote work, flexible hours, and work/life balance policies, you are exploring what recommendations to make to the CEO. What is the best option?
Work with business leaders to identify additional remote/hybrid-eligible roles and explore ways to offer more flexible work shifts/hours to those in other positions.
In a targeted effort to attract more diverse talent, a global organization is sponsoring after-school training that prepares any at-risk student for entry-level internships. Which potential dynamic is the most likely to work against this initiative?
Majority backlash from parents of students who are not at risk.
Because this is a targeted effort to attract at-risk students, students who are not at risk will not qualify, and their parents may feel that their children should not be excluded from the benefits of this initiative. Since at-risk students are the target audience, similarity bias doesn’t apply; neither does bias-based exclusion. Although students (rather than parents) might engage in “covering” behavior, it is not the dynamic most likely to work against this initiative.
During an exit interview, a woman who has put in her notice says that she is leaving for work/life balance issues. However, a few of her other answers make it clear that she feels that her views have not been given credibility even though some of them were later enacted after being suggested by someone else. What might be an underlying cause for this employee’s departure that should be explored more?
Whether the systemic culture of the organization unconsciously has gender-based discrimination bias.
Donovan and Kaplan indicate that women may leave the workforce due to gender-based discrimination, which may take the form of systemic unconscious bias, such as when an individual doesn’t recognize the credibility of the information presented by a member of one gender but does when similar information is presented by an equivalently (or less) qualified member of another gender.
A hospital has a higher turnover of male nurses than female nurses. Since male nurses are in the minority, overall turnover is at acceptable levels. Many of the departing male nurses reported feeling unvalued. What should HR investigate in this regard?
Whether there is an in-group/out-group bias related to gender at the group level.
An ingroup/outgroup bias is a group level bias in which the ingroup tends to be the more strongly represented experience, so in a female-dominated workplace, such as the nursing staff at the hospital, females would be considered the ingroup. Members of the outgroup may perceive this bias in, for example, microaggressions that can make the members of the outgroup feeling unwanted or unvalued.
An employee who chooses to dress more conservatively at work due to pressure to fit in with their peers and as a result is not sharing their true style is demonstrating what type of “diversity without inclusion” phenomenon?
Covering
Covering is when an organization recruits a diverse workforce but either consciously or unconsciously promotes assimilation rather than inclusion. This would force people to reject their regular appearance and try to blend in.
Fave, a regional restaurant company, is committed to building a diverse and inclusive work environment and is trying to understand the current state of I&D in the organization. As HR director, you are responsible for the necessary I&D assessment and ask the analytics team to help.
In reviewing some key I&D metrics, you find that while there has been an increase in the hiring of diverse talent, the retention rate for diverse talent is significantly lower than that of the rest of the workforce. An employee engagement survey shows that underrepresented groups rate the company much lower on inclusion as well. You want to present your findings with recommendations to senior leadership.
What is the most effective approach to presenting your findings and recommendations to the senior leadership team?
Create a comprehensive overview of all the data gathered along with analysis and information that helps apply the data to company goals.
Fave, a regional restaurant company, is committed to building a diverse and inclusive work environment and is trying to understand the current state of I&D in the organization. As HR director, you are responsible for the necessary I&D assessment and ask the analytics team to help.
In reviewing some key I&D metrics, you find that while there has been an increase in the hiring of diverse talent, the retention rate for diverse talent is significantly lower than that of the rest of the workforce. An employee engagement survey shows that underrepresented groups rate the company much lower on inclusion as well. You want to present your findings with recommendations to senior leadership.
Senior leadership responds to your presentation by indicating that the metrics are focused too narrowly on race and gender, which are the two primary areas in which the organization collects data from employment data and employee surveys. What is the proper next step?
Encourage employees to provide more diversity data in the HR information system and surveys on a voluntary basis, and explain that the data will be used for inclusion and diversity advancement purposes.
DFC Publishing, a global publishing company, is conducting its first pay equity analysis for employees in the United States. As the senior VP for HR, you initiated the survey even though it is not currently required in the U.S. (in contrast to the UK and several European countries, where the company legally must report and publish gender pay gap information). You initiated this survey voluntarily but with the knowledge that several states in the U.S. are enacting or planning to enact pay transparency legislation that will eventually require similar reporting for the United States division.
Overall, you are surprised by the result. A significant gender pay gap among the U.S. workforce is discovered, with female employees earning an average of 15% less than their male counterparts in similar roles and experience levels. Additionally, female employees are underrepresented in senior leadership positions (less than 30%) even though they account for nearly 60% of the total workforce.
You decide to share the information with the international senior leadership team, with an intervention plan. What is the best way to present this to senior leadership?
Present key findings and explain the intervention plan along with data supporting the intervention strategy.
DFC Publishing, a global publishing company, is conducting its first pay equity analysis for employees in the United States. As the senior VP for HR, you initiated the survey even though it is not currently required in the U.S. (in contrast to the UK and several European countries, where the company legally must report and publish gender pay gap information). You initiated this survey voluntarily but with the knowledge that several states in the U.S. are enacting or planning to enact pay transparency legislation that will eventually require similar reporting for the United States division.
Overall, you are surprised by the result. A significant gender pay gap among the U.S. workforce is discovered, with female employees earning an average of 15% less than their male counterparts in similar roles and experience levels. Additionally, female employees are underrepresented in senior leadership positions (less than 30%) even though they account for nearly 60% of the total workforce.
What should you do with regard to a pay transparency approach for U.S. employees?
Conduct more research on the benefits of making pay processes and policies more transparent and consult with legal professionals on implementation challenges.
A local government agency that provides social welfare services to an increasingly diverse community is rapidly expanding its services, thanks to increasing funding for its initiatives. The city has become much more diverse over the last ten years along virtually every dimension of diversity but especially with regard to racial, gender, and disability dimensions. This diversity has carried over to the workforce in the city, although historically underrepresented populations continue to struggle to be equitably represented overall. As HR director of the government agency, you want to ensure that the agency leverages I&D to meet key business objectives.
One of your HR staff shows you data that breaks down the demographics of your community and of your workforce. What should you do with this information?
Incorporate it with your inclusion and diversity efforts, as the agency should attempt to mirror the society it serves.
A local government agency that provides social welfare services to an increasingly diverse community is rapidly expanding its services, thanks to increasing funding for its initiatives. The city has become much more diverse over the last ten years along virtually every dimension of diversity but especially with regard to racial, gender, and disability dimensions. This diversity has carried over to the workforce in the city, although historically underrepresented populations continue to struggle to be equitably represented overall. As HR director of the government agency, you want to ensure that the agency leverages I&D to meet key business objectives.
How can you best make the case for an I&D program to your agency director?
Emphasize the business benefits of achieving the agency’s goals of better serving the community.
An organization’s IT and HR functions both report a gender imbalance. How should the HR director approach this situation?
By analyzing representation, hiring, and retention as well as labor market data for these functions to benchmark gaps.
Different divisions within an organization may face very different staffing issues regarding gender. However, it is important to analyze representation, retention, and hiring to determine what is occurring. Looking at labor market data for percentages of women in IT positions, for example, could help determine what is available for hiring within the local labor market. You cannot determine if this is a glass ceiling issue without analyzing further, and a survey will not give you the data you need for a strategic plan.
An organization has offices in ten countries. A current priority is developing a reliable way to measure inclusion and diversity (I&D) across the offices. What is a best practice for developing these metrics?
Allow measurement specifics to differ by country.
In “Measure Global Diversity by Thinking Locally” by Martinez and Fineman, one guideline is to let go of the notion that each country must have the same I&D measures. Rather, the local staff should determine the “differences that make a difference.”
What could provide insight into the challenge of retaining women managers in an organization?
Turnover statistics for men and women in various business units.
Workforce data, including turnover statistics for various categories of employees, can constitute the core of an organizational assessment prior to developing and launching a diversity and inclusion initiative.
If the organization’s pay equity report indicates that its gender dimension has pay inequality for a given position, what additional analysis might be needed to determine if more than one gender equity initiative will be required?
Assess gender plus other dimensions such as race.
Pay equity reports disclose the results of a pay audit. Further analysis can reveal if certain combinations of other dimensions such as race result in further levels of disparity beyond that experienced by one gender overall.
An organization’s college recruitment effort has been unsuccessful in attracting minority candidates. Which step should HR consider?
Increase college recruiting at universities who have large percentages of minority students and alumni.
Most urban universities are more diverse than those in rural and suburban areas and are likely to be good sources for qualified miniority applicants
What guidance in the area of inclusion and diversity can HR provide?
Considering many diversity traits will create the most benefits
Organizations receive the greatest benefits from inclusion and diversity initiatives when those efforts consider multiple dimensions of diversity
The eight aerospace engineers who comprise a design group are of different nationalities and races. There are six men and two women on the team. The team has been asked to think outside the box and come up with some creative ideas to optimize some conflicting objectives but has been failing. What might help this team the most?
Include a non-engineer on the design team to encourage thought diversity
The one area of little diversity between the team members is that they are all aerospace engineers. A non-engineer with complementary skill sets for the task could bring some diversity to the team and help it think outside the box.
An HR Director comes to the VP of HR and complains that the organization has made a verbal commitment to diversity but will not take steps to change recruitment practices. How should the VP of HR approach this situation?
Propose to senior management that the organization develop an inclusion and diversity strategy.
The issue here is most likely that the organization has good intentions but lacks clear goals in the area of inclusion and diversity. This leads to a lack of focus on and prioritization of diversity. Creating an inclusion and diversity strategy would commit the organization to certain initiatives and measurable outcomes.
Which phenomenon is occurring when many of a global organization’s minority employees are avoiding other members of their minority group, adjusting their attire, matching grooming and mannerisms to the majority, and refraining from advocating for their minority group?
Covering
Covering occurs when an organization recruits a diverse workforce but promotes assimilation rather than inclusion. It affects workers’ behavior along four dimensions: appearance, affiliation, advocacy, and association.
The latest diversity reports indicate that an organization has become more diverse than ever. However, employee surveys still indicate that there is a gap in the inclusion area of their inclusion and diversity (I&D) goals. The budget for additional I&D initiatives is very small at this point in the year. What could the HR organization nevertheless take on to improve inclusion in this budget year?
Inclusive events calendars
Inclusive events calendars are organizational calendars that celebrate important holidays for all groups throughout the year. This helps avoid in-group/outgroup issues. Furthermore, calendars can be created without significant expense.
An organization launched its first diversity and inclusion initiative five years ago. Recently, there has been an increase in younger people resigning. In exit interviews, these employees say that they feel they were ignored by management. Which kind of data should HR collect to help measure inclusion?
Actual treatment of employees versus perception
To help measure inclusion, HR should collect data reflecting how the departing employees were treated and how they feel they were treated by management. This requires both objective and subjective data.
What are key reasons for approaching diversity and inclusion as a comprehensive, organization-wide strategic initiative?
Prioritizing to allow for its complexity and addressing organizational resistance to change.
Diversity and inclusion efforts require an organization-wide, comprehensive strategic initiative. Otherwise, they will always have a lower priority than more immediate concerns. Diversity and inclusion involves major organizational change, and change is hard.
What step mitigates the possibility of covering in an organization?
Promoting identify advocacy groups
Covering describes the phenomenon of an organization promoting assimilation rather than inclusion. Identify advocacy groups in an organization indirectly and directly promote diversity without forcing cultural assimilation.
Which inclusion and diversity challenges are most likely to involve issues that scheduling flexibility can address?
Family status, religion
Work/life balance issues, especially critical for parents of young children or for older workers caring for their parents, can be addressed with flexible work schedules. Schedule adjustments for religious holidays and/or daily prayer can also help balance work and religious obligations.
Which HR action best illustrates an attempt to establish equity in a workplace?
A recently promoted employee from a minority group is offered access to a manager mentor.
The goal of equity in the workplace is to use available support systems to help everyone achieve the same level of performance. A mentor program may give a new manager access to individualized coaching that can make up for the effe
