What can you do to build inclusive employment this year?
All too often we are keen to point a finger of blame on why our society struggles with inclusive employment, but at Deb Russell Inc, we prefer to offer solutions! So, we’ll highlight easy action steps you can take each week to positively affect employment and inclusion this year. Try all of them or choose just one or two and see what an enormous difference you can create with surprisingly little effort. Let’s see what can change with 2020.
Stop equating the employment of people who are different or experience barriers as charity–When you work with or hire a person who is different or comes from a different background, has experienced barriers, they may need more information, more chances, more time, or different mechanisms to learn and excel. Let’s look at 2 sides of the same coin., We can refrain from assuming that simply because someone faces barriers, they can’t offer value equal or above their pay. Just because someone is different, or experiences barriers doesn’t mean they are incapable of completing tasks and meeting the standards everyone else meets. They may need training or coaching that is atypical, but it doesn’t mean they can’t do it as well as you or I. And on the flip side of this- don’t keep someone who isn’t performing only because they are different, and you feel pity for them. Give them a chance, but if they can’t contribute to the overall bottom-line of an organization, then they are bringing down others. Loyalty and pity are the biggest reasons that companies keep the colleagues who underperform. But consider all aspects of value before letting them go. Are they someone who contributes to the overall morale of the organization? Do they offer to help others? Regardless of how much we like someone or feel bad for their situation, we aren’t helping anyone who isn’t offering value to our workplace. And it doesn’t help them if retained if everyone else is resentful. Give people an opportunity and offer supports that may differ from typical, but after a reasonable amount of time and a fair chance, your pity isn’t worth the impact to all.
Comments