The Ins and Outs of Building a Diverse Workforce 

March 7, 2022 – Many organizations now realize how critical diversity is to high performance – and various data points suggest that companies are more successful when they adopt more inclusive hiring strategies. According to recruiters, DE&I should be made a priority and an integrated part of every company’s strategic, talent, and leadership goals. Part of building strong, diverse hiring teams means asking yourself: “Who is my company culture going to attract – and how will it engage people who are here?” These questions can be difficult to answer if you assume everyone feels welcome already just because you do. Fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within organizations is more than just the right ethical decision.

ZRG Partners is partnering with Hunt Scanlon Media tomorrow to discuss a wide range of topics around DE&I – and how new views are impacting company culture from the C-suite down to entry level positions. Zing Shaw, president of TurnkeyZRG, will be joined by industry leaders including Wendy Murphy, chief human resources officers practice leader at ZRG; Natosha Rice, global diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Habitat for Humanity International; and Lisa Bettinger-Buckingham, founder of Lisa Buckingham Consulting.

Deloitte research recently identified ‘cultural intelligence’ as a signature trait of inclusive leadership. “With the abundance of podcasts, books, and articles available, it’s easy to find information on most DEI topics,” said Ms. Shaw. “Instead of waiting for others to send resources – or leaning too heavily on the women, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBT individuals in your workforce can educate you.”

In the podcast, she plans to ask: ‘What do you recommend for leaders who are motivated to be proactive in reshaping how they lead people with a DE&I lens?’ … ‘What do we want leaders to know about microaggressions?’

“There have been some unfortunate and inauthentic displays of companies showing support for social/racial justice,” Ms. Shaw said. “Taking a thoughtful approach to how you commemorate marginalized communities will help to stay clear of a shallow display of support that can be translated as performative.”

She said that is has been suggested that when highlighting minority cultures, the questions to ask include: ‘Are we capitalizing off of this?’ …  ‘Are we engaging in cultural appropriation?’ … ‘How can we ensure that the community featured profits?’

“For many professions, corporate America can be traditional and hierarchal,” said Ms. Shaw. “Imagine working with no one that looks like you, didn’t go to the same schools, pledged a sorority or fraternity but have never heard of your school or your fraternity. My point is that companies underestimate the importance of a sense of belonging which their minority employees desire.”

The Speakers

Zing Shaw is an experienced C-suite executive whose extensive understanding of contemporary business issues spans change and crisis management, human capital management, employee relations, talent acquisition, organizational and strategic planning, branding, community engagement, and DE&I. She is known for her pioneering DE&I work with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, launching the MOSAIC symposium (Model of Shaping Atlanta through Inclusive Conversations) and making the Hawks the first professional sports team to celebrate the LGTBQ community.

Wendy Murphy, managing partner of ZRG Partners chief human resources officers practice leader, has been involved in executive search and management consulting for over 25 years and has personally completed hundreds of senior-level executive searches. Prior to executive search, she was involved in assessing executive leadership teams to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in leading and driving strategy throughout the world and is a sought-after speaker on the topic of “Talent as a Competitive Advantage.”

Natosha Rice, global diversity, equity, and inclusion officer of Habitat for Humanity International is a mother, a wife, an ordained minister, inspirational speaker, life coach, and attorney. She serves as vice president of global diversity, equity and inclusion for Habitat for Humanity International. Previously, as an associate general counsel for real estate and finance for the organization, she managed financing programs and strategies to generate sources of capital that enabled Habitat affiliates to provide decent, affordable housing to families throughout the country. Ms. Rice is a frequent speaker and facilitator for community/civic organizations, churches, colleges, and corporate events on topics such as the intersection of faith and justice, race and gender justice, leadership development, and community empowerment.

Lisa Bettinger-Buckingham, founder of Lisa Buckingham Consulting, served as chief people, place and brand officer for Lincoln Financial Group from 2008 until her retirement in 2021. During her tenure, she was responsible for all human resources practices and policies, and for overseeing the corporation’s brand and advertising, enterprise communications, consumer insights, and corporate social responsibility activities, as well as foundation, facilities, aviation, and corporate strategic real estate areas. Ms. Bettinger-Buckingham also led Lincoln’s business continuity and enterprise crisis management initiatives. A member of the senior management committee, she reported directly to president and chief executive officer Dennis R. Glass.

Join us Tuesday, March 8 at 12 p.m. EST to listen in – attendance is free! To register for this event, click here!

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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