{"id":2406,"date":"2017-09-25T16:10:08","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T16:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mtwc.org\/?p=2406"},"modified":"2017-09-25T16:10:08","modified_gmt":"2017-09-25T16:10:08","slug":"multiple-di-strategies-work-in-sync-to-create-real-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mtwc.cee.wisc.edu\/index.php\/2017\/09\/25\/multiple-di-strategies-work-in-sync-to-create-real-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Multiple D&I Strategies Work in Sync to Create Real Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

She won\u2019t hesitate to admit that a big part of what makes the diversity and inclusion initiatives successful for her company is the support they get from high-level leadership. But, it\u2019s a multi-pronged approach, including both top-down as well as bottom-up strategies, that have defined Angela Russell\u2019s implementation of a D&I program over the last two and a half years.<\/p>\n

In the third installment of the D&I Virtual Roundtable Summer Series, \u201cTapping into the Power of Difference,\u201d Russell, who is Director of Diversity & Inclusion at CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, Wisconsin, shared the best practices she uses and lessons she has learned from her experiences.<\/p>\n

Setting the stage, Russell opened with a review of key concepts in D&I, such as the difference between equality and equity and what it means to have an inclusive workplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can give you an example that was eye opening to me,\u201d said Russell. \u00a0\u201cWe have interns every year. Last year, we had an intern in a motorized wheelchair. We had a push button to open doors to get into the building. But, what we didn\u2019t know was that we didn\u2019t have one to get from the lobby to our offices.\u201d It turned out that the setup was compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). \u201cDoing what is ADA compliant isn\u2019t always the same as doing what is equitable. We didn\u2019t know it had a differential impact on someone because we didn\u2019t have that same experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russell pointed out that being inclusive is not about doing things for people who are less fortunate or disenfranchised. Rather, it is about acting collaboratively. To do this, it is important to get input from people before making decisions that may impact them. \u201cWhen making policy decisions, ask the questions: Who\u2019s benefiting from this decision? Who\u2019s burdened? If you don\u2019t know who\u2019s burdened, go out and ask people who are not like you,\u201d said Russell.<\/p>\n

Diversity will not last if the corporate culture is not inclusive, according to Russell. CUNA Mutual Group utilizes a dozen Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs, to support employees with a variety of backgrounds, life circumstances or interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would ask you to think about some of the unwritten rules that you ask people to assimilate to in order to succeed at your organization,\u201d said Russell. \u201cDo you ask people to give up part of their identity to \u2018be like us?\u2019\u201d This is important to maintaining the value brought by a diverse workplace. \u201cWhen we build diversity, we want real innovation, we want those new thoughts and ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only are ERGs a best practice in the D&I space, they can also be strategic partners for meeting business goals. Identifying that there was a growing opportunity among African American consumers, the CUNA Mutual Group team responsible for products in this market space reached out to the African American ERG for help thinking through their strategies.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, when the current CEO took his position, one of the first things he did was roll inclusion into the corporate vision. The company has D&I council comprised of leadership at the Vice President level and above. The council helps lead cultural change from the top down. There is also a D&I Action & Change Team, a grass roots team that works to lead change from bottom up. \u201cI call that the big squeeze of culture change for D&I,\u201d said Russell.<\/p>\n

In her role, Russell has also worked on helping the company attract and hire a diverse workforce. One of the first projects she did when starting at CUNA Mutual Group was analyze the recruitment process. The company had a five-page algorithm of the entire recruitment process. Her team went through the algorithm looking at each decision point, evaluating it for any potential effects from bias. Bias can be institutional, individual or systemic. At each node, the team asked, \u201cWhat does bias look like, here? What are strategies to mitigate against those biases?\u201d These strategies to mitigate bias were formulated and put into an 11-page document. Then, they were boiled down to a one-page document that was provided to hiring managers as a tool to help them attract and interview a broader, more diverse pool of recruits.<\/p>\n

Another important part of attracting a more diverse talent pool comes from expanding personal interactions. To improve access, CUNA Mutual Group leaders are encouraged to participate with a variety of community organizations with which they partner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that, in general, getting a job is all about who you know. If you only know people who are just like you, those are the people who are going to have the awareness that a job is open at your organization,\u201d said Russell. \u201cWe encourage our executives and leaders of our company to go out in our community to meet people and connect with people who are different from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

In closing, Russell shared some common themes and best practices that she has encountered in her experience:<\/p>\n