Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in Real Life

More recently I joined leaders from Unilever Citi and the NBA for a conversation at MediaVillage39s Advancing Diversity Week moderated by Shelley Zalis from the Female Quotient We had a candid discussion on the impact workplace culture has on an individual39s sense of belonging Beyond what I shared in that conversation I wanted to dive a little deeper into some of the specific things we are doing at Comcast Advertising to evolve our programsThe examples were built over our years of commitment to DEampampI There is still a lot of work to do and like many organizations we are on a journey I hope together we can make the ecosystem better for our employees customers and partners Not just because it39s the right thing to do but also because it39s good businessA 2020 McKinsey study validates this view McKinsey found the likelihood of financial outperformance as measured by EBIT is 25 percent higher for companies with gender diversity and 36 percent higher for companies with ethnic diversityThis insight makes sense After all if our colleagues and employees feel included and valued they39re likely to do work that makes our customers and partners happy And if our customers feel valued and included they39re more likely to want to do business with us and to recommend us to othersAll these reasons and more are why we39ve invested in multiple initiatives intended to foster and increase belonging at Comcast and within the communities in which we live and do businessPerhaps the most visible of these is Comcast RISE quotRISEquot stands for quotRepresentation Investment Strength and Empowermentquot Launched in 2020 Comcast RISE has helped nearly 4700 small businesses owned by people of color with monetary grants technology makeovers and marketing services And as I mentioned during the Advancing Diversity Week panel by the end of 2022 we39re committed to supporting 13000 such businessesAnother effort we39re proud of is our Culture Conversations This webcast series features advertising and marketing thought leaders who share their insights on issues and opportunities affecting diverse communities We39ve produced six so far on topics ranging from Supporting BlackOwned Businesses to Changing the AAPI AsianAmerican and Pacific Islander Narrative They39re all available on demand at httpcomcastadvertisingcomcultureconvosWithin Comcast itself we know our greatest strength is a diverse talented workforce We39re committed to being a workplace that reflects the world around us and the customers and partners we serve We39re constantly looking for ways to enhance our recruitment practices hiring development and advancement strategies And as of the end of 2020 people of color accounted for more than 44 percent of our global workforceFortunately we39ve found things we can do some of which we think almost any organization can do to foster a greater sense of belonging without launching complex programs or hiring expensive consultants Here are a few examplesEmployee Resource Groups ERGs ERGs include employees from all backgrounds They are proving to be a great way to fully engage with Comcast and gain exposure and experience within all levels of the organization We have nine National ERGs Asian Pacific Americans Black Employee Network Indigenous MyAbilities Network OUTComcast Unidos Veterans Network Women39s Network and Young Professionals Network Some of these have international chapters and chapters specific to Comcast Advertising as wellDiversity AdvisoryCulture Boards Made up of employees from across the company these Boards provide fresh perspectives on our strategies and efforts and challenge our practices to help ensure they are providing a path to greater inclusionInclusive Learning We have launched several learning journeys focused on having a growth mindset including sessions on unconscious bias and allyship the practice of creating trusting relationships with and in support of marginalized individuals and groupsCoaching Pods These are virtual diverse collaborative communities of leaders who meet bimonthly to discuss how to apply leadership principles to foster belonging amongst their colleagues and teamsListening Forums We launched these in the summer of 2020 in response to protests and violence triggered by highprofile episodes of police brutality and racism The sessions offer employees a safe space to express our feelings listen to each other and share ideas on how we can make a differenceA critical lesson we39ve learned is that creating a diverse inclusive workforce begins with recruiting and interviewing In March of this year we launched a program called quotInterview Alliesquot Those are people who sit in on and monitor the candidate interviews to mitigate any bias that may creep into that selection processInterview Allies challenge what we39re asking of candidates from the earliest stages of the process beginning with the job requirements and continuing through to the selection evaluation The goal of these efforts is to ensure that all our candidates have equally good chances of being hired whatever their backgroundOf course the pandemic upended many traditional workplacerelated behaviors In response we39re now expanding our Interview Allies program into an Ally Network The goal is to create safe spaces in which Interview Allies and other quotfriendliesquot can help candidates and employees achieve equity inclusion and belonging as they navigate their work environments This objective is especially important and especially sensitive as employees return to shared workplaces and reconnect with others in person Allyship involves an ongoing spirit of vulnerability awareness listening and education A team of allies can help continue this evolution and engagement throughout the organizationDEIampampB begins grows and is nurtured by one simple driving force humantohuman communication Some conversations may begin awkwardly and some may be uncomfortable But with a commitment to open dialog that discomfort and awkwardness will quickly give way to shared experiences and bonds of common interest And these will lead over time to a greater sense of belonging for allClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in Real Life

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