Inclusion Keys to Success - Chantalle Couba
What are some of the ways you can keep employees and individuals engaged in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion? When WealthManagement’s Diana Britton asked me this question at a recent forum, my immediate reaction was that the answer is multi-faceted.
First, we need to look at the different ways in which people prefer to work; to be aware of how they make connections and network with others. Some people really prefer working with early talent; others focus on intentional practice development; still others are interested in marketing or the sponsorship of events. There are many areas where we can engage employees. By targeting their individual interests, we can create strategies that will keep them invested in promoting the company’s DEI initiatives.
Next, there’s always an opportunity to help your organization identify prospective recruits, whether they’re early talent or, even more importantly, experienced executives. This is true regardless of your company’s size. A common theme to justify the lack of diversity in business is that there is a lack of senior talent when it comes to women and racial and ethnic minorities. The fact of the matter is that’s not the case. You may not know where to find them; you may have to reach into spaces and places that your organization doesn’t naturally come across; but there is a means and a way to find them. Moreover, in today’s interconnected world this task is easier. For all of the downside and transition of the pandemic, there is far more virtual connectivity and access to groups. This gives us far more opportunities and spaces in which to build relationships.
Finally, my best advice to companies is to talk to their advisor resource groups and employee resource groups. Ask them what you should be sponsoring; where you should be posting jobs; where you should be showing up; and where you should be having virtual conversations that communicate a day in the life. This feedback is invaluable in your planning, whether it be for marketing, recruiting new talent, or retaining your current workforce.
To sum up:
· Focus on your employees’ interests.
· Expand your recruiting outreach.
· Survey your advisor resource groups and employee resource groups.
The most successful DEI strategies are those in which people are encouraged to engage in ways that are meaningful to them.
Chantalle is a motivated executive-level advisor with substantial in-house and advisory financial services experience within various industries within private equity investing. As a creative solution-oriented person, Chantalle is an expert of framing ambitious challenges into opportunities, creating organic growth for organizations. Also a leader in diversifying the workforce, Chantalle serves on the board for the nonprofit organization INROADS, and founded Namaste Consulting. All three organizations efforts go toward breaking barriers and giving diverse talent opportunities.
