Advice from next-generation diversity and inclusion leaders
Next-gen diversity and inclusion leaders are emphasizing one main strategy to build more equitable workplaces. Focus on inclusive hiring practices and look to the next generation to make workplaces more equitable, advises Shaina Riley, Partner Growth Lead and Black Googler Network Canada Lead. When “those who are doing the work are also diverse and they come from different backgrounds,” she says, “that will open up more opportunities for those in the future to bring their own experiences and to really build environments within corporations that are diverse and inclusive.”
Riley is an emerging leader -- a changemaker recognized as a Catalyst Champion for inspiring the tech industry to break down barriers. She recognizes the impact that the next generation can have if given the chance. “I really implore those who are in a position to do so to look at your diverse hiring practices, looking at your biases, doing as much outreach as you can to universities, to high schools,” she says, so organizations can “build diverse workplaces based upon the future of our businesses.”
The people coming into organizations now and in the future are critical. “We have an opportunity, and I think we have a responsibility, quite frankly, to look to young people who are coming into our businesses now, because they're the ones that are going to really drive the change next,” Riley says.
Representation is key
Concentrating on workforce representation from diverse genders, races, and other groups is often an organization’s first step in diversity and inclusion work. “There's not enough of us in the room and at the table to get our voices heard,” Riley says.
Catalyst CEO Champions For Change companies are ahead of other companies in moving the needle on representation. They are building strong pipelines of people from diverse backgrounds who will be able to move into senior leadership positions with the right development opportunities, as discussed in Aligning Action to Values.
“I think this is really important work,” Riley says, “especially in a time where we still find that women are often last to put their hand up, the last to get the support that they need; and within the Black community, that's even more amplified.”
Representation is also critical when deciding strategies or policies for groups, says Marie Sunjka, Law Clerk, National Legal Claims Project Department, Intact Financial Institution. She cautions organizations to include people from those groups in the decisions.
Specifically for her company, it’s important that leaders are “making sure that decisions that are made about Indigenous people…and what we're doing inside the walls of Intact and outside the walls in our communities is reflective of reconciliation.” It’s also critical that leadership is “making sure we're honoring our Indigenous peoples in a manner that's suitable to Indigenous people,“ she says.
Training could be the missing piece
Sunjka points out that training can play a crucial part in recruiting people from underrepresented groups. Sunjka, who identifies as Indigenous, says that “Many of our Indigenous youth are without a lot of the support that they need, and we are trying to make that change. A lot of corporations have that ability to have in-house training -- you know, grow your own.”
Sunjka herself benefitted from training, which gave her the skills she needed to become a valuable member of her company. She now guides other members of the Indigenous community through the often-foreign process of applying to and advancing in corporate jobs. “Those are opportunities that a lot of our community are not aware of,” she says.
Riley cautions “If we aren't looking to build diverse workplaces based upon the future of our businesses, we're going to get stuck in a spot where we're just going to repeat the same things that we've been doing again and again.” To fully understand an organization’s progress in representation, there need to be accurate measurement tools.
This conversation was part of the session “Champion Spotlight: Emerging Leaders, Lasting Impact: Elevating DEI Through Next-Generation Champions” at the Catalyst Honours Conference in Toronto on 7 October 2024. Want to know about this year’s Catalyst Honours? Sign up now and we’ll email you when registration goes live.