Black employee

6 Ways 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 Can Combat Loneliness in the Workplace

2024-12-04T07:00:04-05:00

New research shows that culture plays a crucial role in whether employees feel lonely at work, and how those feelings impact bottom line business results.

One in five employees worldwide is lonely at work, per Gallup. And you might not know who those employees are in your organization.

“One of the things that people are getting wrong is they think it’s rare to be lonely at work,” says Constance Noonan Hadley, associate professor at Boston University Questrom School of Business and the founder of the Institute for Life at Work. “People don’t talk openly about their loneliness due to stigma, and they also don’t show up in a way that signals to others, ‘I'm lonely.’”

Because there are clearly established norms around workplace behavior, it’s more likely for employees to hide their true feelings to conform to their company’s expectations.

Hadley’s latest research, co-authored with Sarah Wright at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, suggests that not only is loneliness a common issue in the workplace — it’s something that companies can address through changes to jobs and work environments.

It’s clear that companies should be invested in tackling this problem. “There’s lots of building evidence about just how damaging it can be for the bottom line of the company,” Hadley says.

"It shouldn’t be assumed that if you’re in the office you’re not lonely, and if you’re working remotely, you are lonely. It's much more complicated than that."

Leaders can expect higher healthcare costs due to loneliness. “Medical research shows high rates of illness and early mortality associated with loneliness, everything from cancer to dementia,” she says. “If you’re an employer paying healthcare costs, then you’re going to be spending more to cover all the medical bills.”

Hear from leaders of the Fortune 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For® at the For All Summit™ April 8-10 in Las Vegas!

Loneliness also poses risks to productivity, performance, and employee turnover. Great Place To Work® research shows the importance of meaningful connections with colleagues for employee well-being, and highlights the impact of these experiences with employee retention, agility, and more.

What is loneliness in the workplace?

The scholarly study of loneliness in the workplace is only a few decades old.

Most of the previous research has been into general loneliness, such as among older people, and not people’s experience in the workplace. In their latest study, Hadley and Wright examined 1,000 knowledge workers who were either low, moderate, or high in loneliness to understand the personal and job features that set apart the highly lonely employees.

Which employees are most likely to be lonely?

“Some have said this is a young person’s problem, they grew up on social media or they’re just new in their career and they’re working remotely, so of course they don’t feel connected. That’s not what we’re seeing in our data.”

While personality traits like introversion increased the likelihood that employees were lonely, there are high numbers of lonely employees for every personality type.

Hadley and Wright’s research found that role level and work style both had an impact on loneliness. More junior employees were more likely to say they were lonely and fully remote workers were also more likely to be lonely.

Age was not a factor, Hadley says. “Some have said this is a young person’s problem, they grew up on social media or they’re just new in their career and they’re working remotely, so of course they don’t feel connected. That’s not what we’re seeing in our data.”

Gender also didn’t make a difference, but there was evidence than non-white employees were a bit lonelier than white employees.

Even though full-time remote workers were at higher risk for loneliness, a return to the office won’t solve the problem. “It shouldn’t be assumed that if you’re in the office you’re not lonely, and if you’re working remotely, you are lonely,” Hadley says. “It’s much more complex than that.”

There are large numbers of employees from all work styles and demographics who report being lonely.

For companies, this requires a similarly universal approach to the issue with remedial programs that connect with every employee.

What companies can do to fight loneliness

"If there’s no slack in the system, you are really asking a lot for people to figure out how to bond when every second of their day is supposed to be productive."

As part of their research, Hadley and Wright have six suggestions for companies to reduce loneliness in their workforce:

1. Start with a baseline of measurement. Before taking action, make an effort to measure how your workforce is doing. Employee surveys with a validated tool or model are crucial.

“You have to take care to make sure you use good practices, such as making sure confidentiality is assured, clarifying what you’re going to do with the data, etc.,” Hadley says. Hadley and Wright created the Work Loneliness Scale to help companies measure loneliness effectively.

2. Identify the drivers of loneliness in your workforce data. The exact population of workers that struggle the most with loneliness will be different for every company, Hadley says. However, leaders should expect to find core elements of their workplace culture to play a prominent role.

One common example is when workers don’t have downtime or space for activities like a virtual coffee with a colleague. “We say if there’s no slack in the system, you are really asking a lot for people to figure out how to bond when every second of their day is supposed to be productive,” Hadley says.

3. Make building bridges part of performance reviews. Time spent connecting with co-workers is often considered “non-promotable” and therefore is not prioritized. This comes down to what leaders say is valuable to the company and how those behaviors are tracked and rewarded in annual reviews.

Hadley recommends adding a simple question to performance reviews: “Did you build bridges and foster relationships this year?”

4. Invest in your social calendar. While there is no one kind of social event that dramatically tips the scales, a regular calendar of events does reduce loneliness. Hadley says, “You need to build organization-sponsored social activities into the rhythm of work. People that were lonely worked in jobs where there were occasional social opportunities, but not at the same scale or frequency as those who were not lonely.”

5. Offer more than one kind of employee group or program. While Hadley and Wright didn’t ask specifically about employee resource groups (ERGs), Hadley warns that companies should not rely on only one group to provide belonging for employees.

ERGs can have immense value for underrepresented groups and provide quick integration for employees joining an organization, but the goal over time is to achieve a broad base of relationships in the organization. “I don't think you can drive up belonging-based productivity and job satisfaction if your social group is very delimited by one particular factor,” she says.

6. Define leadership participation. How leaders participate in programs to build community in your organization makes a big difference, Hadley says.

“Leaders have responsibility not only to show up at these events and help host them, but also to actually be humble enough to say, ‘Maybe I need more networks, too,’” she says. The best leaders won’t expect to show up and dispense wisdom but will see value in building new relationships, even for themselves.

How Artistic Expression Can Create Belonging in the Workplace

2024-02-15T00:55:09-05:00

The national theme for Black History Month in 2024 is “African Americans in the Arts.” Here’s how that theme can inspire workplaces looking to celebrate the Black experience.

Art has always been an important part of how I understood my identity. It has become a powerful tool for sharing my authentic voice and full self in the workplace.

My aunt Patricia is a photographer, and from an early age, my brother and I had a camera around our necks as she taught us the fundamentals of taking photos. She served in the miliary, worked for a major telecom company, and took photos in between. We spent much of our childhood looking through the lens or being subjects.

Attend our annual company culture conference May 7-9, 2024

She also worked in downtown Seattle eight hours a day for a Fortune 50 company. She was a black woman in the early 80’s working in corporate America. I can only imagine what having a creative outlet meant to her.

As a creative worker, I’ve come to appreciate her position and what it means to cultivate your creativity, and why creative expression is such a vital practice for folks who look like me.

In the workplace, where logic, directives, chain of command, and process often rule, being an artist at work can be difficult to balance. Add being Black into the equation and it can be hard to find your space, or even know how to act.

Art expresses identity

I didn’t consider myself an artist until moving to San Francisco in the mid-90’s and being immersed in college life, Haight Street, and the general diversity of the city. I found a niche in poetry and music, where I joined a band, became an emcee, grew my hair out, and played shows.

I brought with me the spirit and influence of the artists whose experience of being Black in the world shaped my perspective and my expression. Writers like Richard Wright exposed me to Chicago in the 40s. James Baldwin took me to France in the 70s. Musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, and James Brown made it OK to be Black and proud. I learned I had a duty to express myself, on behalf of myself, and in concert with my Black community.

The workplace was no different.

Early in my work career, I challenged myself to show up authentically. I rely on my values and my lived experience to strike a balance between my work life and my personal life. Using the voice I honed as an artist, I learned the power that just being present can have in an important meeting or when working with business leaders at some of the biggest brands in the U.S.

How sharing creates belonging

At Great Place To Work®, we know a core tenant of trust is a sense of respect: Do you feel respected by leaders in the organization and by your peers? 카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 Trust Index™ Survey measures if employees feel they can be their full self at work, and if they believe leaders show a sincere interest in them.

When a manager knows more about their employee — their hobbies, passions, favorite foods, etc. — they are able to reinforce this sense of belonging.

After my first 90 days at Great Place To Work, my people manager presented me with a “gold record” to celebrate the milestone. The gesture demonstrated she saw my true identity, my passion for music, and my history as an artist — and she made it feel OK to bring those parts of myself to the job. That simple recognition was an early sign that I could be my authentic self, and leaders at the company would not only accept that unique perspective, but value and honor it.

How you can encourage artistic expression

Nurturing your employee’s creativity, whether they identify as an artist or not, is good for people. Authentic expression is a foundation for employee belonging — a crucial piece of the puzzle for workplace culture. Here are a few ways you can help employees bring their creativity to the work they do at your workplace:

1. Show sincere interest in your employees in a psychologically safe environment. Create a welcoming place for employees — some who may have experienced a stigma when bringing their “personal” life into the workplace — to let others know about their creative interests.

2. Bring art and creativity into the workplace. Have your next offsite or gathering at an art gallery, museum, or other culturally relevant location, or partner with local artists to showcase their specialty in relation to your work. Find opportunities to talk about problem solving through the lens of creativity and inspiration.

3. Embrace deep work. Most employees need space to engage deeply with their work, and this can be often for self-described creatives. “No meeting days,” “no distraction days,” or “flow mornings” can help minimize disruption and help employees find the space to innovate and create.

Subscribe to the Great Place To Work newsletter and learn how to create a high-trust workplace regardless of where, when or how your employees work.

How Employee Resource Groups Can Create Belonging for Black Employees

2023-02-23T11:49:43-05:00

You need more than an affinity group to help your people feel included.

Before Great Place To Work®, my experience with employee resource groups (ERGs) was a mixed bag.

I worked for an organization that had multiple offices, and ERGs were present at each location. I made connections and received informal mentoring, and that helped me feel welcome. But the ERG at my location lacked the “resources” in its title. There was no formal programming, no development opportunities, no resources curated for folks of a similar background.

In other words, it was an affinity space — not a place for professional development.

What is an ERG?

ERGs are spaces where people of similar background or experience come together in community.

These groups, sometimes called business resource groups, have been around for decades. However, they’ve erupted in popularity over the last handful of years as organizations have made diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging (DEIB) a strategic priority.

Just because you have an ERG doesn’t mean that you are having the desired impact. A successful ERG needs engaged executive sponsorship, active membership, and an appropriate budget, according to Great Place To Work research. ERG leaders often take on added responsibility on top of their day-to-day work, often without additional compensation.

In a 2021 case study, three out of five ERG leaders were individual contributors, having no formal management position or authority within the organization. Roughly half (51%) reported an annual budget of $5,000 or less. In written comments, ERG leaders said time, money, dedicated support, and recognition of their contributions were top ways to improve the effectiveness of the ERG within their organization.

Black Resistance

The theme for Black History Month in 2023, Black Resistance, asks us to reflect on the oppression African Americans have endured historically and continue to experience today — and how Black folks have overcome that oppression.

When thinking about “resistance,” we may think of protests as acts of resistance, but knowledge transfer is also an act of resistance. Black literacy was once punishable by death, and it was an act of resistance to teach others how to read and write.

In the workplace, ERGs are also an act of resistance — a knowledge transfer to help each other bolster careers — but only when an ERG offers more than an affinity space, such as tools for professional growth.

We are early in our ERG journey at Great Place To Work. BERG, our ERG for Black employees, was the first ERG at the company, founded at the end of 2020. Still, we have been able to impact Black employees at the organization.

Here’s what we’ve learned, and how you can develop your own meaningful ERG:

1. Get a baseline measurement.

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 BERG co-founders made the case to start the group after reviewing our own Trust Index® data. There was a marked difference between Black employees’ scores and other races/ethnicities, and an even more pronounced one for Black women. Without this data, we wouldn’t have a companywide view of the Black employee experience.

No matter where you are in your journey, measuring the experience of underrepresented groups is the first step.

2. Establish your ERG’s guiding principles.

At the outset, our founding members established a charter for our ERG. This document informs our members and the larger organization of what we are about and what they should expect.

BERG’s most important community agreement in the charter is confidentiality. 카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 membership is confidential, except for BERG’s leadership, to protect Black employees and create a safe space for their growth. While individual members are more than welcome to self-identify, there is no list of members anywhere, and we never record BERG-sponsored meetings. This allows members to be fully present and psychologically safe — what is shared within the ERG stays there.

Here are some questions to ask group members when forming an ERG:

What is our purpose, vision, and mission?
Who can be a member? Is membership private or public?
What are our expectations, both for ourselves and for each other?
What is our leadership model?
What is our recruitment and retention strategy?
What is our decision-making process?
What is our budget? How will it be used?

3. Seek meaningful executive sponsorship.

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 ERG leadership meets with our executive sponsors biweekly to ensure that our programming is in lockstep with the overall organization. 카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 mission is to be an accountability partner, working with company leaders on strategies to support both Black employees and our broader business goals.

Engaged executive sponsors also provide visibility, growth opportunities, and relationship building for BERG members.

When meeting with executive sponsors, here are some questions that have been effective:

How can we support the larger objectives for the fiscal year?
What can we do to help the business in the next 90 days?
Are we off-base in our programming? What can we do to get back on track?

When asked what sets BERG apart from other ERGs, one company leader shared: “A clear commitment to supporting the overall goals of the business.”

4. Offer opportunities for professional development.

Your ERG should create a safe space for folks in underrepresented groups. You can take it a step further by providing access to senior leaders, offering personalized support and development, and creating leadership opportunities. When folks can bring their full selves to the ERG — and get professional support from people who are going through the same things — there is no limit to what can happen for your people and your business.

What resonates for BERG members

Here’s how some members say BERG has changed their experience in the workplace:

“The best part of being a BERG member is the focus on personal development. I love that many of us are truly focused on career progression and share advice and resources. BERG has provided resources and guest speakers to help me frame my goals and my participation has demonstrated my leadership ability to my manager.”

“Intention sets BERG apart. Here, you can be inspired by the experiences of not just your peers, but your leaders. Here, you can feel empowered because your unique gifts can be used. Here, you have plenty of mentors to choose from who are transparent and eager to offer you guidance and a listening ear.”

“Resistance has been an ongoing theme in my life. My father is African American. My mother is Native American. I grew up on the Navajo reservation and lived there my entire life. It wasn’t until the fourth grade that I began to realize I was different. My hair was different, my skin was darker, and there were not many people in class who looked like me. When I would speak my Navajo language, people would laugh because to them, I am a ‘black girl speaking Navajo.’ On the other hand, when I wanted to celebrate my African American heritage, I would get comments that I am not fully Black or do not act “black enough.” As an impressionable teenage girl at this point, how was I to comprehend this?

The feeling of being ‘different’ continued throughout college and into adulthood. It seemed that no matter where I went there was always a silent impression of what Black people should be. When I did not fit that mold, I was treated differently. I always wondered, ‘At what point will I be accepted for simply being me?’

It took joining BERG to begin to fully accept and appreciate my identity. 카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 leaders are proud of their blackness and seeing that pride being displayed at all levels of the company gave me the permission I didn’t know I needed to be proud too! I cannot change who I am, but to have a sense of community that understands and can relate is exactly what I had been searching for.”

Understand Your Employees

Compare the experiences of your employees with the most credible benchmark data available, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to access information on this and other topics essential to company culture.

Op-Ed: The Human Case for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

2023-01-16T10:00:00-05:00

As Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I have been reflecting on the fact that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington where Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to more than 250,000 attendees.

Such a notable milestone begs the obvious question: How much progress have we made over the past 60 years?

It’s often overlooked that the official title was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Blacks must still overcome significant barriers to reach equity in employment and income.

Last year closed with a December unemployment rate of 2.9% for whites compared to 5.3% for Blacks. In 1964, the figures were 4.6% and 9.6%, respectively.

Lest you believe that a nearly double rate of disparity in employment has persisted for more than 60 years due to lack of effort, consider that at every level of education, the gap is evident. At lower education levels, for example, Blacks with some college, but no degree have a higher rate of unemployment than whites who haven’t graduated high school.

The same unfortunate pattern holds true for wages, with Blacks earning less than their white counterparts at every level of educational attainment. Notably, a white high school graduate earns more than a Black person with an associate degree. Education has not been the “great equalizer.”

Despite the increased attention to diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging (DEI&B) in corporate America, the higher the job level in an organization, the greater the disparity in attainment between Blacks and whites.

Blacks represent a mere 5.9% of all chief executives in the U.S., including just over 1% of Fortune 500 CEOs, despite a recent study indicating that the market capitalization of companies with a Black chief executive increased within three days of the CEO announcement, compared to a decrease over the same time for companies announcing a white chief executive.

The market reaction is a consequence of the fact that Black CEOs are appointed with more years of education, advanced degrees, and elite education than a comparable group of white CEOs. Merit matters, but it matters a whole lot more if you are Black.

The market reaction to the appointment of Black CEOs is just one of many examples arguing a strong business case for DEI&B. My friends at Great Place To Work have mounds of data indicating that the most successful companies prioritize and embrace DEI&B — in good times and bad. We hope that data compels executives and investors to launch company-wide diversity programs and double-down on their public relations messaging.

Researchers have found that 80% of Fortune 500 companies use some form of business case as the rationale for valuing DEI&B compared to just 5% who use a fairness case, touting the importance of equity and equal opportunity.

While the business case may resonate in the C-suite, it doesn’t always inspire main street. It will require more than the business case for DEI&B for Blacks to experience significantly more progress over the next 60 years than the past 60 years. The fairness case does a better job at that.

Yet neither approach — the business case or the fairness case — resonates with underrepresented job candidates as much as a neutral approach, which doesn’t provide a justification for why DEI&B is important in the same way that organizations don’t provide a detailed justification for why they value qualities such as trust, innovation, and integrity.

The neutral approach recognizes the inherent value of all humans. While the business case is clearly there, prioritizing DEI&B isn’t a tactical or strategic business decision like a merger or an acquisition. Human beings aren’t widgets. We aren’t new products or services. It’s the human case for DEI&B.

The government can’t (and shouldn’t) do it alone

If employers are to become truly employee centric, they will have to address the realities of many Black employees’ lives outside of work, as well as inside the company.

When their employees leave work, they may drive home to communities that are neglected. They may pick up children from under-resourced and inadequate schools. They may be a victim of humiliating and traumatic racial profiling while driving or shopping at a store. When they arrive at home, they may be paying a mortgage with a higher interest rate than charged their white counterparts with the same credit score.

Much of the public expects businesses to take an active role in addressing social issues, viewing the media and government as divisive forces in society. Businesses leaders have an outsized influence in daily life in America far beyond the products and services they deliver. They influence politicians through funding political campaigns. They shape and reshape the culture through messaging and advertising.

From the sports and entertainment industry to food and beverage, they don’t merely respond to human behavior; they drive human behavior. These leaders must accept some accountability for DEI&B at work and in the society where their businesses have thrived.

Race in the Workplace: What Would Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Say Today?

2023-01-13T16:00:00-05:00

How has race in the workplace changed in the 60 years since Dr. King’s famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, what progress have we made? What needs to change?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to reflect on the state of racial equity.

What has changed in the 60 years since Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Capitol?

The election of President Barack Obama felt like a mark of significant progress in the centuries-old struggle for racial equality in the U.S. But the changing political climate, racial reckoning of 2020, and subsequent racially motivated violence have left many discouraged.

The workplace isn’t exempt from the push for racial equity. Quite the opposite. Workers expect leaders to make public statements against racism and for inclusion. And people who don’t feel they can be their authentic selves at work are quitting.

“If I think about Dr. King's words and the manifestation of them, if he could project forward, how would that show up in business? It would be in trust,” says Brian K. Reaves, chief belonging, diversity, and equity officer at UKG. “Trust is the ultimate currency.”

That starts with high-trust leadership behaviors: treating everyone with fairness and respect.

We all want to be seen for who we are, not how we look. And that points directly to the most famous line in Dr. King’s speech: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

“To me, that's the bar. Whether it's in business or life, that's the metric by which I view progress,” Reaves says. “Am I seen for me, or is there some other attribute that will then lead people to some determination of who I am and what I'm capable of?"

How would Dr. King grade the workplace today?

Average; a solid “C,” Reaves says.

“Have we moved forward? Absolutely, but at a slower pace.”

The Black and white experience at work remains divided

Great Place To Work® research shows that white executives are five to eight times more likely to believe that people are treated fairly by race. At a typical workplace, 73% of white employees believe all people are treated fairly, compared with 57% of Black employees. It’s better at the Fortune 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For®, where 97% of white employees believe people are treated fairly, regardless of race, compared with 84% of Black employees.

What can close the gap? When employees believe management’s actions match their words, that people care about each other, and they can be themselves, 99% of white employees and 97% of Black employees believe employees are treated fairly regardless of race.

That happens when companies take the extraordinary effort to put diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) at the core of how they operate.

“It really comes down to how and why a company would prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging,” Reaves says. “For many, they have to first see the business value: greater innovation, greater employee engagement, greater retention. Those things you know are a great benefit to the top and bottom line of a company, so in a business, those are very motivating factors … but what are you willing to do to be better?”

It takes more than appointing a chief diversity officer or setting up employee resource groups (ERGs) as checklist items. Progress is made through intention and action at the highest levels, which penetrate every level of the organization.

“The C-suite can’t leave this to somebody else,” Reaves says. “If they lean into it, those are the companies that are moving. If they're apathetic and they leave it to an HR exercise, then they’re not moving very much. And for those who don't even value it on any level, those are the companies that aren't going to move at all.”

"MLK Day can't just be about Black people. It has to be about all of us acknowledging the important role we as advocates and allies play in change. And that's what Dr. King wanted." - Brian K. Reaves, chief belonging, diversity, and equity officer at UKG

Where DEIB goes wrong

A stumbling block for many, even the most well-intentioned leaders, is the difference between diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, Reaves says.

Many companies confuse diversity with inclusion. They are not interchangeable. As diversity advocate Verna Myers famously says, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”

In the workplace, you might hire more workers who are non-binary, but what happens after they’re hired? Are their opinions asked for, heard, and included?

“I can include you in a meeting, and never ask your opinion,” Reaves says. “I’d say I included you, but I didn’t.”

Equity also isn’t interchangeable with diversity and inclusion, and Reaves says it requires an ecosystem of support.

“Equity is really where everyone has access to the same treatment opportunities and investments,” he says. “You need equity of representation, opportunity, compensation, and well-being. You have to have all of them.”

Following in Dr. King footsteps

A change in the workplace that Dr. King would likely welcome is the increased recognition of allyship. It’s important to remember that the majority of people in the March on Washington — estimated to be about a quarter of a million in number — were not Black.

“Change only happens, or most typically happens, when the majority gets into the game, meaning they begin to lean in and advocate for topics that are important to the minority,” Reaves says. “Those Civil Rights Acts would've never gotten passed if, in this particular case, white men in government had not said, ‘This is wrong and therefore we will have laws that protect this minority.’”

The importance of allyship in the workplace cannot be understated.

“MLK Day can't just be about Black people,” Reaves says. “It has to be about all of us acknowledging the important role we as advocates and allies play in change. And that's what Dr. King wanted.

"It's not about the color of your skin. It's the content of your character. And if the content of your character is such that you want better, you want fairness, you want equity, and you want everyone to be as privileged as you are, then that's when change will happen.”

Learn how to create an award-winning company culture. Subscribe to the Great Place To Work company culture newsletter and join 100,000+ other leaders learning how to create a great workplace.

On Equal Pay Day for Black Women, It’s Time to Take Action

2022-08-02T13:39:05-04:00

Supporting this neglected employee demographic has a profound impact on your business.

The numbers are wretched.

Equal Pay Day for Black women in 2022 is Aug. 3. That means Black women will work an additional 214 days before they catch up to the 2021 earnings of white, non-Hispanic male colleagues.

According to the National Women’s Law Center, Black Women only receive 63 cents for every dollar paid to white male workers. That gap adds up, coming to $24,110 dollars a year and almost $1 million over a 40+ year career.

According to Great Place To Work® research, inequality isn’t just bad for workers. It’s bad for business, too. In our For All™ model, companies that don’t maximize the human potential of all workers end up:

underperforming financially
being less resilient in economic downturns
innovating more slowly
losing top talent to the competition

If you aren’t paying Black women what they are worth, your business is in trouble. And according to the data, it’s likely you aren’t paying them nearly enough.

So, what can you do about it?

1. Audit your numbers—and ask the right questions.

What is the gender and racial makeup of your leadership team? How are different roles and pay scales assigned to different genders and ethnic backgrounds in your organization?

Look for telltale signs that women and women of color in your organization are being left behind.

2. Lead listening tours and build relationships.

The best leaders are curious about all the ways that can make their organizations better—more efficient, more profitable and more equitable. If you simply ask employees about their experiences, you might be surprised about what you learn.

Employee surveys can reveal gaps where targeted investment could make a real difference in helping all workers succeed. And building one-on-one relationships is a powerful way to make underrepresented workers feel seen and appreciated.

3. Follow through with action—and make sure any activity is communicated clearly.

When employees participate in listening sessions, they are taking a risk. They are sharing their personal thoughts with the hope that their work environment will change for the better.

When listening sessions don’t lead to tangible action, employees can feel betrayed. Instead of building trust in leaders, employees learn that leaders’ words don’t match their real priorities.

4. Be transparent when you don’t get it right.

Even the very best leaders make mistakes. It’s how mistakes are addressed that can make the difference for Black employees.

Closing the pay gap for Black women requires a multi-faceted approach. For companies to succeed, it’s essential to ask if workers are being paid what they deserve.

And if they aren’t? Start taking steps to put things right.

Get Started

Compare the experiences of your employees with the most credible benchmark data available.

Why the NFL’s Diversity Problem Is Every Organization’s Problem—and What You Can Do About It

2022-02-17T13:36:18-05:00

Black History Month kicked off this year with a landmark racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and three of its teams (with a fourth just added) filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores.

Flores alleges racism in hiring practices, calling out “sham” interviews to comply with the Rooney Rule diversity hiring policy.

The league initially said that Flores’ claims were "without merit," but days later, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted the league’s efforts to promote diversity among head coaches have been “unacceptable.”

But Goodell himself has been blamed for the NFL’s lack of diversity over the years, and we know that change—at the NFL or in any organization—starts at the top.

“You have to understand where the power sits within the National Football League,” says Tony Bond, chief diversity and innovation officer at Great Place To Work®. “It sits with the owners. Owners hold a tremendous amount of power from voting on who will be the commissioner, voting on new owners, and voting on league rules to the hiring of coaches. It’s going to take some major shifts there to see the kind of progress everyone is expecting.”

There are only two team owners of color and two Black head coaches in a league where 70% of its players are Black.

Goodell has promised that the NFL will “reevaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

But unless owners, who hold a disproportionate amount of the power are on board and committed, change will be slow—a common problem in even the most well-intentioned workplaces.

“When you think about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, the misalignment is that the people who want the change don’t have the power and the people who have the power aren’t motivated to make the change,” Tony says. “That’s where the misalignment is, and you have to work in that space.”

That’s the dilemma many organizations find themselves in. Diversity has to be a shared aspiration at the top that is cascaded to all levels of the organization.

“Everything starts at the top,” Tony says. “That’s the lever you can pull that will have the greatest impact. If you do all the other things right, but it isn’t a shared aspiration at the very top, then it’s hard to make those things work.”

The NFL’s diversity problem is complex—mired in money and power dynamics—but change can happen. Just look to the NBA and how late commissioner David Stern transformed the sport.

“He used his leverage and leaned on people and wasn't afraid to flex his muscle,” Tony says. “He got things done. How the league was redesigned under Stern is a great example of how organizations can redesign to achieve different outcomes.

“He transformed the league to be more fast-paced, open, inclusive, entertaining, socially conscious, less violent, more youthful and global.

“I’d argue that the inclusive and socially conscious parts are big reasons why the LeBrons and the Kevin Durants can be vocal and represent not just themselves as players, but as people in society.

“Stern was viewed as a demanding boss, not afraid to tick people off in pursuit of the league’s interest. It is possible for Roger Goodell to make change happen by his influence, similar to Stern. He wasn't the owner, but also wasn’t afraid to blow things up” says Tony

Here are some ways Goodell and any manager can flex their muscle to kickstart change.

Break down silos

CEOs, presidents, owners and other senior leaders must understand their employees and the challenges they face in and outside of work. They need to know: What does our workforce look like? Who are our people? What are their challenges? Too often, there’s a disconnect that organizations need to fix.

“It’s hard to not trust close up,” Tony says. “The closer you are to someone, the harder it is for you not to trust them. There’s an opportunity in the corporate and sports world for those at the top to create a stronger connection to the talent within the organization and close some of that uncertainty gap.”

That would go far in the NFL, where owners are probably more in touch with people in their own circles and less with diverse talent that could move into leadership roles.

“There is some diversity within the general manager ranks, and some great young position coaches—I don’t know if the owners spends a whole lot of time with them,” Tony says. “Spending more time building trusting relationships at this level might eliminate some of the uncertainty that exists in creating opportunities for diverse talent.”

Goodell could bridge that gap by facilitating the exposure of owners to emerging, diverse talent.

“Allow them to have more exposure to Black players, to young Black coaches so that they feel more comfortable with turning over their team to some of these diverse people,” Bond says.

League owners are older white men–the average age is about 70–and that reality informs their worldview, as does their educational background and their community.

“I don’t know if there’s anything in their lifetime that prepares them to be the type of inclusive leader that we're expecting—leaders who really understand diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Bond says.

Great Place To Work research shows that white executives are five to eight times more likely to believe that people are treated fairly by race. At the average workplace, 73% of white employees believe all people are treated fairly, compared with 57% of Black employees. It’s only slighter better at the 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For, where 97% of white employees believe people are treated fairly, regardless of race compared with 84% of Black employees.

But when employees believe management’s actions match their words, that people care about each other, and they can be themselves? That gap nearly vanishes: 99% of white employees and 97% of Black employees believe employees are treated fairly regardless of race.

Break out of self-inflicted resource deficits

Another way to influence leaders is to change where and how they look for talent.

“카지노 커뮤니티 추천 have a hard time finding and attracting diverse talent because of the approach they use to find talent in general,” Tony says. “If a coach is looking for a new coach to coach his team, he’s looking for someone who has experience as a head coach; for someone that has certain credentials.”

Enter the Pittsburgh Steelers as an example of what happens when you break that pattern and give someone an opportunity that might look like a risk to others. The Steelers, owned by the Rooney family, hired Mike Tomlin as head coach in 2007 after only one year as a defensive coordinator in the NFL.

“He didn’t really fit the mold, but the Rooneys gave him the opportunity to interview thoroughly and he impressed everyone,” Tony says. “The Rooney Rule was in play and they really took it to heart and brought in Tomlin and gave him a full opportunity to interview and show what he was capable of doing.”

Tomlin became the youngest head coach in NFL history to both coach in and win a Super Bowl and he guided the Steelers to the playoffs nine times.

카지노 커뮤니티 추천, like the NFL, can create their own resource deficit because of their expectations of specific education and experience.

“People have to show up with certain credentials and a certain background. [Compare that to] Pittsburgh, who sort of took a risk on someone who was super impressive. That's a great example that we can carry into the workplace.”

Some organizations routinely look for candidates specific degrees and even scout from certain schools, but there are other schools, and even other ways to develop skills in a nontraditional way.

“If we want to diversify our talent pipeline, we almost have to reimagine what it takes to bring people on board. [We must] ask the questions: Do we really need people to have this? Is the job description really what people do? Eliminate some of the hurdles that get in the way of people outside of the norm.”

But it’s not enough just to hire diverse talent. You have to create a sense of belonging long after the honeymoon period fades.

“What causes that dissent where the coach no longer feels like they belong and the owner no longer believes in the coach? In the case of Black coaches, they appear much more likely to be fired with a winning record, so it’s not all about “winning.” There’s something you need to do almost like therapy on an ongoing basis to keep the relationship going,” Tony says.

The same holds true in the workplace when new hires are onboarded.

“We have to make sure that we’re aware there could be a place where belonging is challenged. It goes away and there’s a dissent. How you keep it going is everyone’s responsibility—teammates and leaders.”

How supported are your Black employees?

Learn how Great Place To Work can help you create an equitable and inclusive experience for employees of all backgrounds.

3 Meaningful Ways to Support Black Employees at Work

2022-02-09T13:22:53-05:00

To support Black employees, leaders must lead with trust, involve all employees in innovation opportunities and connect with both the past and present.

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans and an opportunity to recognize their important role in shaping U.S. history. As we acknowledge this, we must also remember the context of the past.

There is no shortage of wonderful stories about people with resilience and the ability to flourish in spite of racial inequities. People who navigated the unique historical barriers that come with being Black in America.

But while much has changed over the years, much remains the same. Black people continue to navigate historical and contemporary barriers in society. In many ways, organizational life can be a microcosm of society at large: Race matters in people’s experience of the workplace.

Reflecting on the events of the past two years illustrates how the consequences are felt differently depending on your status as individuals and members of society. In many ways, there has been a disproportional impact on Black people.

Building a more inclusive and equitable workplace must continue to be a top priority for leaders at all organizations; and belonging strategies have moved to the top of the leadership agenda.

So, as we pause to look back on history and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans this February, let’s also pause and reflect on the present by asking ourselves, “How can we make our efforts to improve the experience of Black employees more impactful?”

Here are three ways to build a more inclusive workplace; one that better supports Black employees.

3 ways to shift company culture to support Black employees

1. Lead with relationships and trust and the rest will follow

For over 30 years, Great Place To Work® has been studying the impact that trust has on creating a great employee experience.

Employees experience a culture of trust when they feel they are working for leaders that:

Are credible
Demonstrate a high level of respect
Create an atmosphere of fairness

While it’s important to design diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging strategies that incorporate initiatives such as training and leveraging Employee Resource Groups, we shouldn’t forget the power of one-on-one relationships to the overall workplace experience.

Purpose-driven leaders are conscious leaders. Now is the time for leaders to be curious about how Black employees are experiencing the workplace and the external environment:

“Is there anything I can do to support you?”
“Are there things I’m unintentionally doing that block you?”

These are simple but powerful questions all leaders can ask. They lead to insights that can help leaders become more fluent in conversations related to race and inequity.

Consider this: Great Place To Work data show that Black employees are four times more likely to experience the workplace as unfair, compared to employees of all other races.

While there’s inequities built into the “system,” the system is not separate from the individuals. Leaders are responsible for working on the system, but they are also a part of that same system.

Purpose-driven leaders know this and understand the influence their individual behaviors have on driving impact. Reflecting on what you are doing or not doing to create the sense of unfairness for black employees can be a good place to start.

2. Remember the past and talk about the present

With the focus of Black History Month being one of celebration, and rightly so, there’s also space for us to increase our awareness of present-day challenges.

Over the past two years, issues of policing in communities of color has captured everyone’s attention. And the pandemic continues to have a disproportionate impact on people of color.

Two years in, we’ve started to normalize things and move back to “business as usual.” However, we should pause to remember that we continue to experience a time of great uncertainty.

Remote and hybrid work can make it harder to build connections and maintain a sense of well-being. The impact on working parents has been immense.

For example, 60 percent of parents in the workforce are Black and our recent working parents research shows that Black mothers are 47% more likely to be experiencing workplace burnout.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin.

There are issues inside and outside of the workplace that continue to make the experience of Black employees less than favorable.

We must continue to provide a safe space where topics of inequality can be brought into a discussion. Organizations move in the direction of the things we talk about, so having conversations around inequalities is a pathway toward change.

Let’s make Black History Month a time to celebrate but also honor the truth of our society, by being in dialogue around realities of the challenges Black people are facing and continue to face before our very own eyes.

3. Engage Black employees in your “post-pandemic” efforts

Dialogue is important, but so is data. Good decisions are made based on data. There are many opportunities for managers and leaders to analyze the organizational dynamics that create the barriers Black people must navigate in the workplace.

Having a systematic and continuous way of gathering feedback around the employee experience can provide the data and insights needed to create a roadmap for affecting positive change.

One story that data tells us – as businesses focus on rebuilding, post-pandemic – is that Black employees are 27% less likely to be involved in company innovation activities.

This is concerning because the pandemic has taught us that innovation is no longer a “nice to do,” it is a “have to do.” Because of COVID-19, businesses are having to ramp up the innovation engine and reinvent themselves. If the past behavior is any indicator of future behavior, Black employees will largely be left out of this innovation equation.

In the pandemic recovery period, we can support our black employees by making sure they are engaged in our reinvention efforts. Whether it’s through ERGs or involving individual contributors, we must adopt the mindset of Innovation by All™.

The upward voicing of ideas is vital to organizational performance and listening to black voices can ensure that valuable ideas are not overlooked.

While these three recommendations are not the be-all and end-all for improving the Black experience in the workplace, they can help us move one step closer to creating a great place to work For All™.

How supported are your Black employees?

Learn how Great Place To Work® can help you create an equitable and inclusive experience for employees of all backgrounds.

Why Hybrid, Remote & Flexible Work Appeals Even More to BIPOC Employees

2022-02-08T17:39:34-05:00

It’s no secret that in many industries, a permanent hybrid working model is strongly preferred by most employees. This model still comes with many challenges, but the past few years have taught us that working from home comes with many benefits, both for employees and employers.

What’s often overlooked is the role that hybrid, or even fully remote, working arrangements can play in organizations’ diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategies. Flexible and hybrid work – if done right – can be a vital tool in the quest for equity in the workplace.

Survey data suggests that Black knowledge workers strongly prefer hybrid arrangements, so understanding their reasons and providing them with that flexibility can help leaders recruit, retain, and encourage Black employees.

Start by understanding what employees like about working from home

Naturally, the advantages that all employees get from a hybrid arrangement also apply to Black employees. But when closely examining the benefits of a more flexible work arrangement, it becomes evident that these advantages apply even more strongly for Black employees.

One of the biggest perks of being able to work from home is the savings of both time and money that comes with not needing to commute.

While Black employees may have the same job titles and salaries as their white colleagues, they will still, on average, have significantly less wealth, because of disparities in generational wealth between racial and ethnic groups.

So, Black employees may live in further from their office, which means their commute times can be longer (in 2019, the average commute for Black workers was 12% longer than the average for White workers).

The costs associated with commuting – gas, paying for meals away from home, additional hours of childcare support – are also felt more acutely as overall wealth decreases.

Inflexible companies will miss out on millennial and Gen Z Black talent

Generational wealth – family wealth passed down from one generation to the next – can also play a major role in what cities employees live in.

Differences in generational wealth can be especially impactful for younger employees, as some millennial and most Gen Z employees still receive some form of financial support from their parents, either by living at home or receiving assistance with bills and rent.

Many young employees could not afford to live in the cities where many companies operate without their parents’ support. This means job seekers with less generational wealth are priced out of jobs that they’re otherwise qualified for.

This difference in generational wealth plays a huge role in why Black talent remains concentrated in certain parts of the country.

More flexible work arrangements can help companies overcome the issue, whether it’s by letting employees work from anywhere, or by reducing the number of days a week they need to be in the office. This allows Black workers to live farther from the office, in more affordable areas.

Black employees also may prefer to live in areas with more vibrant Black communities; a preference that flexible arrangements would also help accommodate. It’s much easier to find Black talent if your organization can recruit in locations that are rich with Black talent like Detroit and Atlanta.

Flexible work is better for employee health

Another favorite perk of remote employees is the ability to manage their own schedule. Research shows that low job control is one of the biggest causes of burnout.

Being in the office or the car for 10 or more hours a day places a huge limitation on how employees manage their mental and physical health, their caregiving responsibilities, their errands, and many other facets of their life.

While these benefits certainly help every employee, they are often appreciated even more by Black employees. Black people tend to have higher levels of stress, so having more flexibility to reduce that stress is even more valuable.

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 recent study on working parents revealed that Black mothers are at the highest risk for experiencing burnout. Hybrid and remote work makes managing childcare much easier, which can help address the risk of burnout.

Another consideration is the pressure Black employees, especially Black women, may feel to meet traditional “professional” grooming standards developed by White culture. Caring for Black hair takes a considerable amount of time. A more flexible schedule takes the pressure off the early morning routine, and may even reduce the overall pressure to meet this unwritten expectation.

Home is a safe space

Perhaps the biggest change introduced by remote work is that it fundamentally changes the way in which people interact and communicate with each other.

In this respect, remote work is a double-edged sword, which is why many employees and organizations strongly prefer a hybrid model rather than being fully remote.

Of course, Black employees feel the loss of in-person interactions just as much as everyone else, and in many cases may feel the isolation and loss of community even more acutely as members of a minority group.

While there are also biases and microaggressions that are unique to or exacerbated by remote work, the nature of remote communication and interaction can also help mitigate some forms of bias often experienced in the workplace.

Embracing a writing culture

Interacting with coworkers primarily online rather than face-to-face can make it easier for employees to curate their social groups at work. A colleague that makes you uncomfortable can be easily avoided if you no longer run the risk of bumping into them at the water cooler.

Having more conversations in writing rather than verbally can also help employees who are frequently talked over, or not asked for their input, have their voices heard.

Bolt, a Certified™ workplace, has a “writing over talking” policy that fosters an environment where every person can voice their ideas and be heard. It removes the influence of the “loudest voice in the room.” This policy is especially valuable in creating a successful hybrid workplace.

For some Black employees, advantages like these may outweigh, or at least help mitigate, some of the challenges that come with the social dynamics of remote work.

Considering all of these factors, it’s clear why most employees – and especially most Black employees – prefer a hybrid working model. It makes financial sense for them, it gives them more flexibility, it helps with mental and physical health, it helps them balance their work and personal lives, and it can even bring more equality to the work environment.

Many of the reasons that Black employees strongly prefer a more flexible arrangement also benefit other underrepresented or marginalized groups as well.

As organizations decide what the future of work looks like for them, it’s critical to consider the impact of those choices on their efforts to become great places to work For All™.

When you fight flexibility, your diverse employees suffer the consequences

Flexibility in the workplace is about much more than the ongoing debates surrounding in-person or remote work. True flexibility is about reimagining the future of work and fostering working environments where all employees feel safe to bring their full selves to work, regardless of how they identify.

If you are a leader who is struggling with the shifting landscape of the working world, as many are, consider how this type of innovation in the workplace can enhance the lived experiences of all BIPOC employees.

Learn how Great Place To Work® can help you create an equitable and inclusive employee experience from the Zoom screen to the office.

Curbing Workplace Burnout in Young Mothers of Color

2022-01-05T17:54:02-05:00

Young mothers of color are at the highest risk of experiencing burnout, and it’s high time that leaders lean in, listen closely, and help where they can.

This year, Great Place To Work conducted the largest-ever study of working parents to understand their workplace experience, the unique challenges they face and how leaders can support them.

Working Parents, Burnout and the Great Resignation provides data and insights to help organizations better leverage the experiences of their working parents and create great workplaces For All™.

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 2021 report revealed that while “pandemic burnout” is still impacting the well-being of working parents, Best Workplaces™ have managed to increase their level of care for parents in the workplace, leading to higher retention among working parents.

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly reshaped the way we view work. It has also led to heightened awareness of how structural racism impacts people of color, even in the workplace. Leaders from Best Workplaces have innovated to create more inclusive environments where employees can thrive, not despite their differences, but because of them.

For example, Best Workplaces began to create discussion forums for people of color to express their concerns and grievances to their leaders. Many of these companies have also created dedicated functions within their organization for combating workplace discrimination – something that might have been left up to the discretion of the individual a few years ago.

Mothers of color, however, are still facing unique challenges as working parents and their double minority status makes finding and asserting their voices in hopes of achieving structural change that much harder.

Young mothers of color in particular – between the ages of 24 to 34 – are even more susceptible to experiencing burnout than their White, male counterparts, and the pandemic has affected them disproportionately.

Here’s how you can help them defeat burnout:

Perfect your intersectional approach

Being a double minority myself, I know with some level of certainty that the intersections of my identity – as a Black Woman – act as fertile ground for sexism and racism alike.

Organizations often make the mistake of focusing on “categories” of gender or race and ethnicity and fail to recognize that the whole person is far more complex than a box on a survey.

An intersectional approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) is honoring the multiplicity of who we are as people.

Mothers of color are also diverse, and so are their needs, which vary based on their economic status, family structure, gender identity, and more.

Ensure pay parity for mothers of color

According to the National Fund of Workforce Solutions, median wages are higher for White workers with a high school diploma and no college ($19/hour) than for Black workers with an associate’s degree ($18/hour). Racial inequities in income already cost the U.S. economy about $2.3 trillion per year.

Many mothers of color act as the sole bread winner for their family and without intentional pay parity, they continue to stand at the fault line of society, failing to get ahead. Fair pay provides more for childcare expenses, resources for coping with the stresses of parenthood, and a heightened sense of belonging in the workplace.

The toll of racial inequalities in income will grow as the U.S. workforce becomes increasingly diverse. Pay parity for working mothers of color will serve the greater good and create a future where fair pay is not a “nice-to-have”, but an expectation.

Raise your awareness of inequities that exist outside of work for mothers of color

Decades of research suggest that mothers of color are more likely to be responsible for all childcare responsibilities and housework than White mothers are. In fact, Black mothers are more than twice as likely as White mothers to be managing these duties for their family.

This is not a new problem. Sociologist Anna Julia Cooper writes about women of color as wage-earners in the late 1800s, explaining that most of the productive labor of the world is in fact done by women, and that their unpaid labor is what makes for a productive society.

Cooper’s work holds true today, and I think we all understand that the labor done within today’s household has a great impact on labor outside the household.

Young mothers of color – many of them hourly wage earners – are often working long hours, day and night, to support their families. Pay parity can begin to lessen the burden. And Latinx, Black, and Asian mothers are also more likely to stay at a job when they have access to reliable childcare.

It’s clear that mothers of color need allyship more than ever before. They need their fellow employees and their leaders to stand up for what’s right and advocate for more inclusive workplace cultures, and benefits that better serve them.

Better workplaces for mothers of color means better workplaces for all

When you target mothers of color in your DEIB efforts, everyone within the organization will benefit. Supporting parents of color cannot be separate from you overall DEIB strategy. Instead, leaders can use the collective voice of their mothers of color – who are reporting higher rates of burnout than their counterparts – to foster workplaces that support equity and belong for all.

Learn more about how to support working parents, read our full report

Working Parents, Burnout & the Great Resignation. 490K+ working parents have spoken. Here are 5 keys to attracting, retaining, and sustaining them.

Download the report