DEI Boosts Employee Satisfaction, Business Growth

TRSA recently held the first of a two-part diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) webinar series titled Racial Equity & Workplace Culture. Jejuana C. Brown, M.Ed. CDP, served as the featured speaker for the program, which included data from McKinsey & Co. on workplace diversity trends. The one-hour webinar – sponsored by TRSA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee – drew more than 30 attendees from the linen, uniform and facility services industry. TRSA’s Salita Jones moderated the program.

Initially, Brown served up intriguing insights into her life and background before addressing her first topic, “shared language.” In this segment, Brown discussed terms that are or should be used regarding DEI in the workplace. She offered definitions and examples for each, including diversity, inclusion, equity, race equity, race-equity culture, race-equity lens, racism and structural racism. Brown said it was important to understand what these terms mean when talking about DEI, so that no one’s confused about language.

Brown also addressed the business case for DEI, showing how it benefits a business’s bottom line to have a diverse and inclusive workplace. She cited multiple statistics and metrics from McKinsey to make her case, including higher gross and net margins, market value, return on assets, revenue and more.

Brown next explained why companies should invest in DEI, irrespective of the economic benefits. In a segment she titled “Workplace Culture,” Brown highlighted how and why businesses need to make their culture inclusive to enhance morale and team unity.

Workplace culture is a critical asset for any company, Brown said, noting that it can either help or hinder employees and the organizations they serve. She discussed how having a supportive and inclusive culture helps to ensure that your employees thrive and are highly motivated to do their best. She cited the four keys for an inclusive workplace culture as: “respect, responsiveness, resources and resistance.” To maximize success, a company’s culture must make everyone feel welcome and valued. This requires allowing employees to openly discuss ideas or problems, knowing that supervisors will listen and do their best to understand.

Lastly, after outlining how DEI and workplace culture go hand in hand, Brown fielded attendees’ questions on a range of DEI issues in their workplaces. One attendee asked about promoting people into management with a focus on DEI. Brown suggested that executives examine the “pipeline” for preparing employees who’ve shown the potential to succeed in management posts and to focus on DEI as part of their process of cultivating candidates for promotion.

Part 2 of the Racial Equity and Workplace Culture series is slated for 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 13. Click here to learn more or to register.

TRSA offers more than 100 industry-specific programs that provide professional development and training on a range of issues, including regulatory/compliance matters, safety, best practices and strategies for enhancing productivity. Go to www.trsa.org/ondemand to visit TRSA’s On-Demand Learning Portal to view this webinar and more.