Creating Inclusive Workplaces
Overview
In a 2011 survey by Forbes, 85% of large companies (those with revenues above $500 million), agreed with the statement, “A diverse and inclusive workforce is crucial to encouraging different perspectives and ideas that drive innovation.” Studies confirms that building inclusive work environments and recruiting diverse candidates improve organizational performance.
Global management and consulting firm McKinsey & Company, for example, has found that companies with diverse gender and ethnic representation in leadership were 33% more likely to earn above-average profits than organizations with less diverse leadership. The same study found that companies without diverse representation suffer a penalty: they are 29% less likely to achieve above-average profitability. Diverse working groups tend to be more innovative and are better at solving complex, nonroutine problems than groups that are more homogeneous in race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.
Creating inclusive work environments requires a multi-faceted approach, and involves factors both within and outside your organization. Participants joined Sustainable Pittsburgh for this workshop that took a deeper dive into the social equity side of sustainability. The workshop explored some of the methods organizations use to create more inclusive work environments as well as highlight external factors that may be limiting your organization’s candidate pool during hiring phases.
Featured Presenters
Patricia Bucek, National Director of Marketing and Talent Attraction, Vibrant Pittsburgh
Jamie Edwards, Assistant Director, Office of Title IX Initiatives, Carnegie Mellon University
Crystal Jennings, Transit / Housing Organizer, Pittsburghers for Public Transit
LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill, Change Agency's WE Challenge Consultant
Date
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Time
8:30 am - 9:00 am Breakfast and Registration
9:00 am - 11:30 am Program
Location
Energy Innovation Center, Room 115
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Agenda
8:30 am – 9:00 am Registration, Networking, and Breakfast
9:00 am – 9:05 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
Autumn Secrest, Sustainable Business Program Manager, Sustainable Pittsburgh
9:05 am – 9:20 am Equity: Sustainability’s Third Principle
Autumn Secrest, Sustainable Business Program Manager, Sustainable Pittsburgh
9:20 am – 9:40 am Workplace Equity Challenge: Real Tools for Making Change
LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill, Change Agency’s WE Challenge Consultant
9:40 am – 9:45 am WE Challenge Q&A
9:45 am – 10:05 am Attracting Diversity to the Pittsburgh Region
Patricia Bucek, National Director of Marketing and Talent Attraction, Vibrant Pittsburgh
10:05 am – 10:10 am Attracting Diversity Q&A
10:10 am – 10:25 am Break and Networking
10:25 am – 10:45 am Regional Influences: Transportation and Access to Housing and Employment Opportunities
Crystal Jennings, Transit / Housing Organizer, Pittsburghers for Public Transit
10:45 am – 10:50 am Regional Influences: Transportation, Housing, Employment Q&A
10:50 am – 11:10 am A Proactive Approach to Preventing and Addressing Sexual Misconduct and Domestic Violence
Jamie Edwards, Assistant Director, Office of Title IX Initiatives, Carnegie Mellon University
11:10 am – 11:15 am Sexual Misconduct and Domestic Violence Q&A
11:15 am – 11:30 am Closing Remarks, Networking, Program End
About the Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge
A yearlong, friendly competition for businesses, nonprofits, universities, and local governments, the Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge engages employees and measures improvements in the areas of energy, water, waste, transportation, social equity and more.
This workshop is open to all who are interested. SP Challenge participation is not required.
SP Challenge Actions
Participants in this workshop may gain sufficient information to complete the following actions in the 2018 Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge:
Q1: Adopt a broad and inclusive definition of workforce diversity (5 points)
Q2: Develop a vision for your diverse and inclusive organization (5 points)
Q3: Develop your organizational strategy to achieve your D&I vision (5 to 20 points)
Q5: Assess your organization for barriers to inclusion (1 to 20 points)
Q6: Assess your workforce diversity (10 to 50 points)
Q8: Write and implement a recruitment policy to encourage diversity and inclusion (1 to 15 points)
EA9: Advocate for sustainable policy locally and regionally (4 to 20 points)
EA30: Attend SP Challenge Workshops (1 to 50 points)