The Role of Corporate Organizations in Fostering Equity
As the world wraps up celebrating International Women’s Month, we reflect on this year’s theme; Embracing Equity. The spotlight is not just on women, all other corporate stakeholders should be actively involved in spreading this message. Organizations should provide opportunities to educate employees about workplace biases, inclusion, and empower their workforce to speak out against any type of bias. This action must be embraced by all stakeholders.
The first step in embracing equity is acknowledging that individuals have different starting points as a result of societal, physical and biological differences. Economic background, disability education, or even work experience could cause these differences. As a result, corporate communities must fairly assess starting points for each individual. This is so they can add value to the organization, identify investments needed for employees to excel and be their best selves.
A needs assessment of the employees is another step in embracing equity. In today’s corporate environment, this element is often overlooked. Understanding employees’ needs is essential to creating diverse customised starting points. Corporate stakeholders should be able to address these questions; Is there a clear picture of employee goals, expectations, values, and challenges? What are the methods for sharing knowledge and documenting best practices. Knowledge of this enhances employee experiences and allows all stakeholders involved to get the most value
Embracing equity is also about amplifying diverse voices, recognising exceptional contributions, and rewarding them. Essentially, it is creating an environment that boosts confidence, healthy competition, a sense of belonging and growth. Employees are corporate currencies, as such a system that is designed to facilitate ideation, encourage transparency and accountability for the ideas created is one well on its ways to success.
Embracing equity also requires a community of allies with men who are invested in understanding what diversity and inclusion requires, can use their influence to engineer change and are willing to learn from women or others whose realities are not the same as theirs.
Finally, to embrace equity one must be self-aware, as this is imperative in critically assess knowledge and skill gaps to proactively to ask for help. Close mouths do not get feed.
Let us Embrace Equity, Show Equity and Value Equity.
