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What to do When Employees Claim Religious Exemption From Vaccine Mandates

Although most employers were hesitant to implement vaccine mandates after the initial rollout of the COVID-19 shots the still-surging pandemic driven by the highly contagious delta variant has caused many companies to rethink their position Exemptions may be available however to those who can demonstrate a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief barring them from complying with any mandate Determining an exemptions exact parameters can be tricky and employers can expect challenges as recent headlines show In one case several former Washington Nationals employees stated they planned to file discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC after being fired for refusing the vaccines allegedly based on their religious beliefs Keeping in mind the benefits of a vaccine mandate versus the risks of managing one lets look at how to respond to employees religious objectionsvaccinehttpsnewsblrcomappuploadssites3202012COVID19-vaccinejpgSource solarseven ShutterstockHow We Got HereHospitals and airlines led the way with employee vaccine requirements They were soon joined however by employers in a variety of industries announcing phased-in mandates for applicants and employees as well as programs designed to reward vaccinated workers while penalizing those who choose not to get the shotsAfter the Biden administrations announcement of its Path Out of the Pandemic initiative even employers still hesitant about enacting vaccine mandates may be required to join the club Under the new approach announced on September 9 2021 many federal contractors must enact immediate mandates while many healthcare providers will likely be required to do so shortly after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS issues guidanceAnd in the biggest change of all it looks like all employers with 100 or more employees soon may be required to implement COVID-19 vaccine mandates or conduct weekly testing of their workforces Given the logistical difficulties and potential costs for the testing it seems likely many employers falling under the new law will prefer to implement vaccine mandatesReligious Exemptions to Vaccine MandatesRegardless of the reason for a vaccine mandate at your company and whether the rule is a voluntary initiative or imposed by applicable law youre required to provide reasonable accommodations absent undue hardship to employees claiming their religious beliefs conflict with getting the shots Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on religion The EEOC has statedThe law protects not only people who belong to traditional organized religions such as Buddhism Christianity Hinduism Islam and Judaism but also others who have sincerely held religious ethical or moral beliefsIn other words you cant necessarily require employees who object to vaccines on a religious basis to get the shots if reasonable accommodations are available Or if you do require vaccination as a condition of employment you must make sure you have a solid basis under the applicable law for your decisionTo avoid running afoul of federal law if you are enacting a vaccine mandate or any protocol under which vaccination status materially affects the terms and conditions of employment you should develop a system for considering and responding to religious objections And rest assured those who oppose the shots are well aware of the Title VII religious exemption and will be prepared to put your mandate to the testWhat is a Sincerely Held Religious BeliefUnder Title VII employers must accommodate an employees sincerely held religious belief observance or practice Religious beliefs dont include political or social philosophies or mere personal preferences or fears about the vaccine The Act doesnt protect someone who is simply an anti-vaxxerThe EEOC defines religion broadly and cautions you should generally assume an employees religious accommodation request is based on a sincerely held religious belief You arent without options however and may question the sincerity of an employees purported religious belief when you have an objective basis to do soThe EEOC has identified four factors that can create doubt in an employers mind about the sincerity of the employees belief- The employee has acted in a way thats inconsistent with the claimed belief- The individual is seeking a benefit or exception thats likely to be sought for nonreligious reasons- The timing of the request is questionable for example it follows closely on the heels of the same employees bid for the same benefit for different reasons and- The employer has other reasons to believe the employee is seeking the benefit for secular reasonsWhen you have an objective basis for questioning the employees stated religious belief you should request more information before deciding whether to grant the religious accommodation Use a standardized form to ensure a consistent approach If the employees objection to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine isnt rooted in a sincerely held religious belief no accommodation is necessary and youre free to enforce the mandatory policyUnlike the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Title VII doesnt impose an interactive process requirement Nevertheless you and the employee should share information necessary to evaluate the accommodation requestFailure to confer with the employee isnt a violation of Title VII itself but the lack of any discussion will make it difficult to establish other defenses such as the undue-hardship defense As part of the consideration process the EEOC says you should at least consider whether measures such as masking or social distancing may permit the unvaccinated worker to be in the workplace safelyWorkplace Safety Can Take PriorityAs weve suggested you arent required to accommodate an employees religious beliefs and practices under Title VII if doing so would impose an undue hardship on your legitimate business interests EEOC guidance has established you can consider workplace safety as part of the analysis in denying a religious accommodationTitle VII doesnt require you to prioritize an employees religious beliefs above workplace safety Courts have stated- Safety considerations are highly relevant in determining whether a proposed accommodation would produce an undue hardship on the employers business- Undue hardship can exist if the proposed accommodation would either cause or increase safety risks or the risk of legal liability for the employer and- Title VII does not require employers to test their safety policies on employees to determine the minimum level of protection needed to avoid injuryGiven the current explosion of COVID-19 cases you may have good legal grounds to deny employees claims for an exemption from the mandatory policy Carefully consider the request if it places you andor other employees at risk for contracting or spreading the virus therefore compromising workplace safety and resulting in an undue burden on the businessThe nature of the job and the workplace will certainly be in play in making the assessments For instance if the employee can perform the job effectively by telework youll likely have a tougher time showing workplace safety concerns preclude a vaccine exemption for herIts also interesting to think about how a COVID-19 testing alternative may play into a religious exemption request particularly as the Biden administration initiative apparently blesses weekly tests as an acceptable alternative to a vaccine mandate On the other hand depending on who will bear the testing costs which isnt yet clear it could be argued that maintaining weekly testing for an unvaccinated workforce could pose an undue financial hardship particularly for smaller companiesUnder Title VII courts define undue hardship as having more than minimal cost or burden on the employer Notably its an easier measure for you to meet than the ADAs standard which applies to requests for accommodations because of a disabilityAt the end of the day in each situation you must balance Title VIIs requirements for religious freedoms against the need to engage in the continuing battle against the COVID-19 pandemicTakeaways for EmployersIdeally you should think through the issues and have a system in place for processing religious objections before you enact a mandate When presented with a request for a religious exemption from a vaccine mandate evaluate the employees sincerely held religious belief You arent required to blindly accept the belief You may request more information to evaluate the requestAdditionally during the COVID-19 outbreak workplace safety is a serious concern Many safeguards such as a vaccine mandate can be effective counters to the effect the pandemic is having on your workplace You may have a defense that exempting an employee from the program creates an undue hardship for your company based on safety andor financial concernsCarefully review the issues continue to monitor the developments including how the EEOC and the courts respond to the religious exemption challenges and confer with experienced employment law counsel to ensure ongoing compliance as the situation evolvesH Rowan Leathershttpswwwbutlersnowcomattorneyrowan-leathers and Kara E Sheahttpswwwbutlersnowcomattorneykara-shea are members of Butler Snow LLPhttpswwwbutlersnowcoms labor and employment practice group in the firms Nashville office You can reach them at rowanleathersbutlersnowcomor karasheabutlersnowcomThe post What to do When Employees Claim Religious Exemption From Vaccine Mandateshttpshrdailyadvisorblrcom20211021what-to-do-when-employees-claim-religious-exemption-from-vaccine-mandates appeared first on HR Daily Advisorhttpshrdailyadvisorblrcom

Thu, 21 Oct 2021

Faces of HR: Gia Ganesh Talks the Importance of Transcending Stereotypes and Small Ripples Making Big Waves

As a self-described people nerd Gia Ganesh is passionate about unleashing peoples potentials However that wasnt her focus at the start of her career Like other HR professionals in the industry Ganeshs career did not start in human resources She first made a career in tech as an engineer and eventually segued to the people function after noticing her passion and excitement for developing coaching and growing peopleI very quickly knew that engineering problems were not the kind of problems I like to solve Ganesh recently shared with HR Daily Advisor The way I think about trying to understand what youre passionate about trying to see what problems you want to solve daily what problems can you continue solving day after day and not feel like Oh my God I cant take this anymore As a result I quickly realized that the kind of problems I want to be solving daily are people problems And when I say problems I want to talk to people I want to deal with everything related to people and keep them happy in their professions thats all I want to live in httpsnewsblrcomappuploadssites3202110Gia-Ganesh-HeadshotjpgFor more than two years now Ganesh has served as the Vice President of People Culture at Florence Healthcarehttpswwwflorencehccom a healthcare tech company focused on advancing clinical trials through its software products aimed at providing research teams access to digital workflow and remote site monitoringIn our latest Faces of HR profile meet Gia GaneshHow did you get your start in the HR industryI kind of made my way through a jungle maze to get here I think this goes back a little bit to my upbringing and culture as well I grew up in India and like most stereotypes I was expected to either be in engineering or be a doctor or an attorney I knew that none of those things held my attention or passion at that point But like a beautiful daughter I did go down the path of engineering and got my degree in engineering and started my career in engineering Ultimately I took a long circuitous route to getting here But the way I describe it is moving away from what I dont want to do one step at a time Like No I dont want to do this And I transitioned to many different roles within the engineering space to see if there was more opportunities to deal with people And finally I reached a point where I didnt want to do anything more in engineeringSo I quit my job went to school and received my masters in business administration from Georgia Tech here in Atlanta That opened my doors to the business world where again I got to deal with different sides of people I was lucky enough to pave my way into People Project a leadership development project at the consulting firm that I used to work for and that I think really blew open the doors for me I knew I had arrived where I needed to be Since then Ive been in different facets of the people business And this role my current role has kind of been a culmination of all that in terms of giving me the ropes to handle everything people related and I love what I do todayI love how you knew that engineering wasnt for you from the very beginning And like we all do we move forward doing what we feel is best The great thing is that you made a conscious effort to get where you wanted to be Thats a beautiful example of being intentional and having the self-discipline to make what you want happenAbsolutely Even when I did my MBA I gravitated towards the people business kind of courses tried to find every opportunity I can to be in the people side of things So when that opportunity arose at the consulting firm I was not hired to do people business But an opportunity arose I raised my hand and said Hey I want to do this Although it was a completely new world for me I took it on figured things out and got my foot in the door So I think theres an aspect of being intentional about what you want to do and trying to pave your way in there with divine intervention of courseYou also mentioned that where you are now VP of People and Culture at Florence Healthcare it kind of encapsulates everything that youve wanted to do as far as helping people Could you further enumerate on that for me pleaseI think when I started with Florence I was the 20 or 21st employee Today we are at 135 employees and I feel proud to say that Ive been able to take care of all those employees right from identifying employees and bringing them in to helping them grow and develop and then retaining them Its been the whole gamut of experiences that you can get Ive been blessed to have it here Because its one thing to attract talent but growing talent is not easy and retaining talent is not easy So definitely Im constantly learning And all of us know how things have changed for the whole world in the past year and a half which has caused all of us to rethink the way we look at the way we conduct business or what we need to offer And especially for this role that I play today thinking about the right way to keep people engaged keep peoples wellbeing at the forefront keep people motivated making sure we acknowledge and hear aspects of burnout etc theres so many things which may not have happened if the situation in the world didnt occurI feel like Im blessed in that Ive been given opportunities to grow myself and my skills in extraordinary ways here I also strongly believe that my prior experiences in the past helped me get here I can have a comfortable discussion with the technical person on the engineering side because of my experience in engineering in the past and because Ive played different roles in other organizations I understand how organizational design is very critical to a companys growth and development as well Ultimately I feel like all those things that I took for granted in my prior roles Im like What am I even going to do with all that Its all coming together in many ways For example I did a brief project on sales enablement in some part of my previous life and lo and behold it comes really handy here when Im listening to my sales leader talk about building out the sales enablement team I know automatically Oh this is the kind of skillset he wants So I feel like Im really blessed to be able to rely upon the experience in my past that shapes my role here today and being able to perform in a decent way in this roleWhat is your best mistake and what did you learn from itI dont know if I have a particular instance but I think the thing that bubbles to the top of my head is not giving into stereotypes of people The world stereotypes people in many ways There are different attributes that stereotypes can apply to whether its by nationality gender race or any different kind Early on I learned that its important in the people business to not immediately revert to a stereotype Ill use myself as an example Just because Im a woman from the Asian continent XYZ stereotype typical attributes apply to me But that doesnt mean I have not transcended those stereotypes Its very easy especially when youre growing talent and when you are attracting talent to look at a name and say Oh okay Shes Indian so I guess she has A B C or D However giving people a chance and understanding the human behind that stereotype label that youve attached is very important So I dont know if its a mistake but I definitely learned that earlier on in my career and I take that into consideration every single day on my roleWho is your biggest influence in the industryI feel like I learn from everybody that I meet For example even you with and the five minutes that we chatted before it was amazing to learn that you have this passion that youve been pursuing for the past 15 years Its amazing Its very inspiring So I feel like the learning moment is with everybody that I chat with or come across The biggest influence to give you a name Ill say has been Josh Bersin Hes a big voice in the HR industry And I think of late some of the thought materials that hes been putting out has been shaping my thoughts I will point out that he has been one of my latest influencesWhat is your favorite part about working in the industry Whats your least favorite part and how would you change thatI think my favorite part is truly being able to connect with humans as humans I strongly believe that all of us as humans have the need to be seen as who we are as our authentic selves And I love that the HR industry offers me the opportunity to be able to be a proponent of that idea with my team and with people at my organization So basically small ripples hopefully itll become bigger ripples So I start small maybe with just a 100 people in my company is fine Hopefully itll ripple across and we can all take the message to see people for who they are recognize them without labels just as humansMy least favorite part is the fact that and I may sound controversial saying this even with diversity equity inclusion initiatives we are leading with stereotypes This means we are leading with labels Today we are all fighting for Black American representation or Hispanic or Asian and so on and so forth We are leading with the label and I dont think its anybodys fault Its just the world has evolved to that state and we are now having to kind of revert back our ways Because at the end of the day what everybody is asking for is for all of us to be recognized and included for who we are Look at most of the messaging that comes from all these groups I want to include them for who they are them as humans rather than a label Ultimately I want to peel the label If theres one thing that I could do if you gave me a magic wand I want to remove labels as much as I canHow can company leaders make HR value within their organizationsOh thats interesting one Its also a tough one because I think honestly it depends on the industry as well a little bit Tech seems to be very progressive on that front I feel like some of the other industries are playing catch up a little bit But like you said COVID has opened everybodys eyes to that situation So back to how HR can add value to their organization irrespective of industry its being able to show the value they add in meaningful ways Meaning organizations know that they cannot exist without people and we are in the business of people we are in the business of taking care of these peoples that make or break the organization An organization succeeds reaches whatever IPO or you name it doesnt happen without the people that are employed thereSo obviously HR is the person department team that takes care of these people so showing leaders the value that they add by taking care of these people is important The world today talks about data and metrics and we have thousands of tools for gathering that data and metrics So if it makes sense if HR leaders can be proactive about using data and metrics to make a case thats definitely something we should be considering If possible getting the right leadership in terms of showing how HR is a strategic partner and not just an operational administrative partner I feel like for the most part weve gotten past that stage and most businesses recognize HR as a strategic partner and give them a place at the table But I think theres few organizations and industries that are still lagging So the key is helping business leaders understand the impact that people have on their business and how the business can be made or broken without these people I believe is the keyWhere do you see the industry heading in five years Or are you seeing any current trendsAll of us know that the shift that was going to happen a decade later has been accelerated due to COVID-19 for sure I mean we have all been talking about remote work for the past decade easily but the acceleration that has occurred in changing the future of workplace happened only because of COVID-19 So I want to say that maybe well all be in a better place in the next five years in terms of understanding what the future of the workplace looks like and it being really a fabric of society Right now we are all still trying to understand what does this mean What does hybrid work mean What does flex work mean What does completely remote work mean What are the implications If I have a remote employee do they get the same benefits as an employee that works in the office How do we communicate with them How do we make sure the remote employee has as many opportunities to succeed as the person whos working right next to the leadership team in the office Theres so many things that we are all trying to figure out I feel like in five years we would understand how this whole system works and be in a better placeI think the second part is maybe this is because I work in the tech industry a trend that will again be accelerated is data The influence of data in every decision we make itll be more profound Most organizations and most HR leaders that Im speaking to I already see that trend How can we leverage data to influence something For example most organizations asked employees to give them data in terms of whether they want to come back into the workplace because of COVID-19 Moreover throughout the world we are dealing with burnout as a big issue I feel like well get more clarity around burnout once we have more data points and how we can address it Most organizations and teams are addressing it individually but I feel like therell be a rapid shift even maybe from the government level where burnout is addressed in certain ways Maybe well get more guidance and mandates from that perspective as well Ultimately I feel like were headed in a direction where data is going to play a big part in our decision making as wellWhat are you most proud ofI am most proud of transcending the stereotype label that I was given and that maybe the world or the society expected me to be and moving into a place that I am passionate about I feel very proud of that Its not uncommon but it was not too common when I was considering options for my professional career So Im definitely proud of that But I also in my career at Florence I really believe in the mission of our company which is to advance clinical trials Im super proud of the moment when we signed with Pfizer and we helped bring the Pfizer vaccine to life We played a big part in that And being able to go to a workplace where we are working on something as impactful as that I feel very proud of being part of that teamYou just mentioned that youre proud to have transcended the stereotype labels that you were given From one woman of color to another how does that feel to have that experience Because a lot of us unfortunately dont have the opportunity or the experienceYes Theres a lot of catching up to do in society I guess bottom line is if through my work I can make a difference with the 100 200 or 500 people that I may work with and if they can take the message into the world and influence another 200 500 thats the way we make that ripple effect work I dont want to ignore or dismiss the fact that every person we impact can make a difference I think thats the way Im approaching this I dont know how to go make a change in society at large but I can do what I can with the small circle that I have So if I can exert influence with the small circle and they can exert influence in the small circle the ripple effect will hopefully take over somedayDo you have any advice for people entering the professionDont enter HR because you think its easy or you have a vision of it that may or may not be true Truly understand what youre getting into Every small thing you do impacts a persons life in HR so you dont minimize that fact Be aware that in HR you have the power and the ability to impact a persons life Its through the recognition programs you put on the benefits you offer the career growth opportunities you provide the leaders that you assign to people and so much more Every single decision you make impacts a persons life in many ways So be very cognizant of that respect humans for who they are And get into this profession if you truly subscribe to helping human notion And once you do then youll also have a fun and wonderful rideIs there anything else that youd like to add or talk aboutI kind of referenced this earlier but I do want to point out that mental health especially burnout is truly a part of all our lives The lines between personal and professional lives have blurred for most of us given the new situation with COVID-19 What maybe some of us dont realize or maybe we do is that burnout happens because of these blurring of lines Although we may express it at work and say Hey Im burnt out at work But what we dont realize is its everything Its the family its the dog its everything thats bleeding into this one life that we have Theres no clear boundary like we had before So just how can we as HR professionals be proactive about addressing burnout is something that I would love to urge all my fellow HR professionals to take into consideration I know we are doing many things in our own ways but if we can have a more global force that can impact this I would love to see something come of itThe post Faces of HR Gia Ganesh Talks the Importance of Transcending Stereotypes and Small Ripples Making Big Waveshttpshrdailyadvisorblrcom20211021gia-ganesh-talks-the-importance-of-transcending-stereotypes-and-small-ripples-making-big-waves appeared first on HR Daily Advisorhttpshrdailyadvisorblrcom

Thu, 21 Oct 2021

7 Strategies for Infusing DEI into Recruitment and Onboarding

Recruiting talent and continuing to innovate are two of the greatest challenges for any organization An organization cant function without talented people to do the work and it cant grow and adapt to changing conditions without innovation One way to shore up both recruiting and innovation may surprise you building a more powerful diversity equity and inclusion DEI program by including some key strategic steps in your recruitment and onboarding practices httpsnewsblrcomappuploadssites3202110shutterstock1702597033jpgAttracting a Wider Pool of CandidatesAt a time when employee attrition is growing attracting candidates has never been more important than it is today McKinsey researchhttpswwwmckinseycombusiness-functionsorganizationour-insightsgreat-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yourscidother-eml-nsl-mip-mckhlkid64137d76ae8b475897736045cbb2fb80hctky12528055hdpidc8974d15-e1ad-4857-b62f-43c26a47ae72 indicates that 53 of employers report experiencing greater voluntary turnover than they had in previous years and 64 percent expect the problem to continueor worsenover the next six months Recruitment practices that focus on DEI can reach and attract a larger talent pool and give you a better chance of finding and keeping the right person for the job when competition is tough According to a surveyhttpswwwglassdoorcomemployersblogdiversity-inclusion-workplace-survey by Glassdoor more than 3 in 4 employees and job seekers 76 report a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers And About 1 in 3 employees and job seekers 32 would not apply to a job at a company where there is a lack of diversity among its workforceStimulating Innovation Through DEIDEI can not only attract more candidates but also create higher-performing teams Research shows that diverse teams stimulate innovation in all areas of your business from operations to marketing A Forbes Insights reporthttpsimagesforbescomforbesinsightsStudyPDFsInnovationThroughDiversitypdf on diversity and innovation found that Multiple and varied voices have a wide range of experiences and this can help generate new ideas about products and practices The research found that among large companies 56 strongly agreed that diversity helps drive innovation In her Forbes articlehttpswwwforbescomsitesilanaredstone20210829how-dei-training-can-promote-innovation-by-fostering-respect-for-diverse-perspectivessh2f82d4023fe6 Ilana Redstone the founder of Diverse Perspectives Consulting and a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign adds Greater attention in DEI training to the diversity of perspectives in any workplace can improve morale and promote team building It can also enhance innovation After all innovation can only occur when employees have the humility to recognize that a product or service can be dramatically improved by thinking about it in a new wayDiversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does notColumbia Business School Professor Katherine Phillips How Diversity Makes Us SmarterhttpsgreatergoodberkeleyeduarticleitemhowdiversitymakesussmarterKey Strategic Steps to Include in Your Recruitment and Onboarding PracticesOrganizations focused on DEI attract wider candidate pools They also foster innovation by inviting diverse viewpoints which offers wider access to a range of knowledge and experiences But what specific steps can we take at the onset of the prospective employees journey that will make an immediate difference Lets look at some key strategic steps to include in your recruitment and onboarding practices Central to doing so is building an inclusive program designed around employee experiences starting from the very beginning of their interactions with the company- Target a recruitment pool that is reflective of diversity targets As part of your overall DEI program youll need to define DEI and assess your targets for establishing a more diverse workforce based on your organizations context That includes articulating your ambition and determining what you are trying to accomplish and why With that assessment in place develop a system for regularly tracking back to your plan to make sure your recruitment pool is reflective of those goals- Design appropriate methods to seek out and attract diversity Look at your recruitment methods and determine whether your efforts are set up to attract a diverse set of candidates One strategy is to post on job boards where diverse candidates are more likely to see your job ads such as LinkedIn groups or other job boards that incorporate a focus on diversity Also by having a diverse group of staff members involved in the job description development and interviewing processes you will reflect the value you place on diversity and may increase the likelihood of attracting a diverse set of candidates- Vet job descriptions to remove bias Job descriptions that reflect bias can inadvertently push away or screen out some of your best candidates Start by keeping both job requirements and language choices inclusive simple and specific For job requirements include only those skills and experiences that are truly essential to the job For language that means avoiding jargon corporate speak and trigger words that may be off-putting and exclusionary for some The Society for Human Resource Management SHRM has compiled a list of resources that can serve as a check on language style and approach to help make your job descriptions as inclusive as possible- Recognize and tackle interviewer-process bias Because weve all had different life experiences everyone has blind spots For interviewers that may mean they feel more comfortable with candidates whose life experiences are more similar to their own This may create a dynamic whereby they bring forward a homogenous group of candidates and inadvertently screen out candidates with identities that differ from their own Therefore aim for having a diverse group of interviewers who represent a range of identities and experiences Address biases through training that is nuanced relatable and conducted frequently with ongoing follow-up- Standardize processes and systems By standardizing interview and hiring processes you will ensure all candidates follow the same steps and that no one is expected to jump through additional hoops Consistency around questions evaluation techniques rubrics and criteria will level out the process giving diverse candidates an opportunity to be considered for the specific skills knowledge and experience they can bring to the job- Demonstrate to candidates and new hires that they will be included and valued Work with leadership and employees to make diverse candidates feel comfortable and welcome That starts with conducting employee training that creates awareness around preexisting notions and behaviors thus helping to weed out any tendencies toward microaggressions Support constructive conversations by designing a companywide listening ear that encourages feedback and gives everyone an equal voice Promote advocacy and proactive inclusion to support candidates and new hires- Develop an onboarding plan designed to launch employees on a positive trajectory Ensure your onboarding plan is cognizant of dynamics and issues that underrepresented employees may face Bring everyone on board to focus and harness the value of diversity and its role in greater collaboration and innovation Pay particular attention to including managers input throughout the planning process as their support and participation will be essential to success Listen for feedback and let your plan evolve as you learn more Going further consider establishing career sponsors cross-cutting mentorship programs and affinity groups as part of your planIts important to acknowledge that this is not easy work and the starting point and definition of success will be different for every organization depending on existing dynamics history and overall context By infusing DEI into the recruitment and onboarding process youll be taking a crucial step that will set the groundwork for establishing a more diverse equitable and inclusive workforceWhen following up on the steps above ensure that advancement and promotion processes and systems are also designed to be equitable that all employees have an opportunity to succeed based on the value they create and that the company culture is adapted in a way that makes employees feel they can identify and belong to it In this kind of environment diverse viewpoints and a wide range of perspectives help create stronger teams drive unparalleled innovation and carve a path toward a brighter future for both your organization and its employeesNatasha Nicholson is the Senior Content Manager at Kantola Training Solutionshttpswwwkantolacom an innovative e-learning company focused on DEI and harassment prevention training solutions She is responsible for thought leadership content strategy and production Her background includes more than 20 years as a content leader a communication strategist and an editor Before Kantola she was the Content Director for the International Association of Business Communicators IABC and served as Executive Editor for Communication World and Catalyst magazinesThe post 7 Strategies for Infusing DEI into Recruitment and Onboardinghttpshrdailyadvisorblrcom20211021seven-strategies-for-infusing-dei-into-recruitment-and-onboarding appeared first on HR Daily Advisorhttpshrdailyadvisorblrcom

Thu, 21 Oct 2021

Why Hard Work Alone Isn’t Always Enough to Get Ahead

From a young age were taught that one of the best ways if not the best way to get ahead is simply to work hard Hard work pays off Much effort yields much prosperity And to a certain point this is true Those who put in the time and effort often succeed in academia securing useful degrees that help them land lucrative jobs With a foot in the door those who work hard tend to rise above entry-level positions at least initially httpsnewsblrcomappuploadssites3202110shutterstock547458892jpgFor Ladder Climbers Opportunities Become Fewer at the TopYet at some point hard work alone ceases to bring further success As the pyramid narrows at the top everyone at that level works very hard meaning this trait simply isnt enough to set one apart from the pack when it comes time for that next promotionSo yes its unfair the system doesnt simply value hard work flat outbut its an important reality for workers to grapple with especially if theyre struggling to climb the ladder writes Kate Morgan in an article for BBC Worklifehttpswwwbbccomworklifearticle20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead To really get ahead you need to be doing more than just your job Morgan adds more often than not those who rise are the ones willing to politick their way to the top while you were too busy just working hard to notice you should be working the roomAlthough its uncomfortable for many another necessary ingredient in the recipe for success may be to advocate for yourself pat yourself on the back and highlight your own achievements and admirable qualitiesImportance of Self-PromotionIn a crowded field of hardworking high achievers this may be the most realistic means of setting yourself apart from the pack This flies in the face of societal training that begins as early as primary school when students are taught that the quiet hard workers are those most likely to prosper writes Morgan Because teachers reward such qualities in early years we tend to expect our eventual bosses will too Its frustrating then to enter the working world only to discover this engrained lesson is often incorrectIts not incorrect to say that hard work pays off but perhaps that adage could be altered once employees reach a certain level at which they are simply some of many hardworking team members To stand out at this level its sometimes necessary to toot your own horn as uncomfortable as that may beThe post Why Hard Work Alone Isnt Always Enough to Get Aheadhttpshrdailyadvisorblrcom20211021why-hard-work-alone-isnt-always-enough-to-get-ahead appeared first on HR Daily Advisorhttpshrdailyadvisorblrcom

Thu, 21 Oct 2021