Workrowd

It’s been a while since we posted an update about the Global ERG Network here, and with a jam-packed new cohort launching soon, we figured it was probably time to change that. For those of you who are new to the Workrowd world, the Global ERG Network is a cross-company community of diversity, equity, and inclusion champions working to drive measurable change within their organizations. Oriented around employee-led collectives including employee resource groups, business resource groups, diversity councils, and sub-committees, the Global ERG Network, or GEN as we call it, provides 24/7 networking and knowledge sharing with peers alongside best practice templates and toolkits, monthly educational events, and much more.

We’ve got our largest group of new members yet coming onboard in just a few weeks so there’s still time to get involved. While we do have the option for new members to sign up at any time, joining this new cohort will mean you and your resource group and council members can hit the ground running with all of the onboarding activities we have in store. You’ll be in good company with fellow members including Philip Morris International, Experian, and more. If you don’t want to get left behind on diversity, equity, and inclusion this year, read on to learn more about this growing movement and check out the tips we’ve included at the end to supercharge your resource groups regardless of whether you decide to join GEN.

Why outside support for employee resource groups is so important

The superheroes who lead and support resource groups and councils typically do so on a volunteer basis on top of their primary job responsibilities. They toil off-hours, on nights and weekends, rushing to squeeze prep work in between back-to-back meetings, and generally put in a lot of time that goes unacknowledged by the company. This of course presents a number of issues, including being overlooked for promotions due to having commitments external to their role, and being at significantly higher risk of burnout. Through our conversations with DEI champions across the globe, we’ve learned that the average tenure for resource group and council leaders is just 1-2 years.

Add on top of this the fact that underrepresented employees are already saddled with an additional ‘emotional tax’ in the workplace, and it’s easy to understand why providing support for resource group leaders should be top of mind. A Bloomberg article from last month defines this ‘tax’ as “the heightened experience of being treated differently from peers due to race/ethnicity or gender, triggering adverse effects on health and feelings of isolation and making it difficult to thrive at work.” A Catalyst survey found that 3 out of 5 men and women of color have experienced this burden. Black employees and employees with multiple intersecting identities are especially at risk of suffering from this emotional tax. Combining the increased workload mentioned above with the emotional tax, othering, microaggressions, and general bias that employees from underrepresented backgrounds experience makes the need for the Global ERG Network all the more urgent.

How the Global ERG Network is helping companies better support resource groups

Knowing the toll that running an employee resource group or similar effort takes on employees, we knew we wanted to do something to help. We had a number of companies ask us for help in starting employee resource groups early on in Workrowd’s history, and since we didn’t have the expertise for that we set out to find people who did. In the course of our search, we found an organization similarly looking to help companies supercharge their resource groups. We decided to team up, with Workrowd covering the technology side, and our partner bringing their diversity, equity, and inclusion expertise. Together, we launched the Global ERG Network earlier this year.

Based on our market research with DEI leaders, resource group leaders and members, HR professionals, executives, and other stakeholders, we’ve equipped the Global ERG Network with the following features:

1. Best practice templates and toolkits. Today, most resource group and council leaders are effectively stuck reinventing the wheel when they want to do something. They have to search around on the web for activity ideas, recreate documents that their predecessors made but may not have saved properly, and try to stay up on language and law changes as well. They have to do all of this in a very limited timeframe as we explained above, so it only made sense to build a central repository of resources for them to refer to and draw upon.
2. Monthly webinars and activities. GEN is not just for group and council leaders, though; it’s for everyone involved in employee resource groups in their various forms. Accordingly, we’ve got monthly webinars and activities to keep all members engaged and learning. Spanning career development, DEI and ERG-specific topics, and more, these sessions are designed to provide additional, specialized support for employees from underrepresented backgrounds that they may not be receiving through their companies.
3. 24/7 networking and knowledge sharing. The experience of being in a minority group in your workplace can be a draining and isolating one. This is especially true when you’re dealing with a problem and you’re not sure any of your coworkers will understand. Luckily, GEN is here to help on that front as well, connecting individuals across companies so that at any time, members can pose questions to the collective brain trust. Particularly after a year that was so challenging in so many ways, having access to a focused community of peers can be a big help.
4. Analytics dashboards for administrators. For some reason, there’s still debate over whether investing in DEI delivers value to the business. Anyone involved with resource groups and councils is hopefully well beyond the point of asking that question, but as long as there are doubters, DEI leaders will be asked to demonstrate the ROI of their work. For those situations, we give you on-demand analytics dashboards that show members’ usage alongside metrics like engagement and employee Net Promoter Score. Want a clear-cut investment that will show you the value being delivered? GEN’s your buy.
5. On-call support. If we have learned anything from the box-ticking efforts of the preceding decades, it’s that a one-size-fits-all approach to DEI doesn’t work. While we are doing our best to build up a flexible repository of materials to support a wide variety of organizations and situations, we know that there will inevitably be things we didn’t cover. For those instances, we have easily locatable request buttons for users to let us know what resources they need and events they would like to see. This makes GEN akin to a concierge service for your ERGs, BRGs, diversity councils, and sub-committees, and ensures that the value of the community continues to increase and evolve well into the future.

GEN is a dynamic, first-of-its-kind community dedicated to helping every company move forward on diversity, equity, and inclusion faster by connecting internal DEI champions to a vast ecosystem of resources and support. New companies are reaching out to join every week, so if you want to establish your organization as a DEI leader and ensure your employees from underrepresented backgrounds have what they need to succeed, there’s no time to waste. Visit us at globalergnet.com, or reach out directly to info@globalergnet.com to learn more today.

As the George Floyd trial gets underway in the wake of the first anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s murder, it’s important that we take stock of how much progress we have and haven’t made since last summer’s widespread uprising against systemic racial injustice. While we saw marches and protests on an unprecedented scale, and more people than ever before took up the mandate to educate themselves about the history and continuing struggle with racism in the U.S., what has actually changed? One positive is that we saw more companies step up and take concrete strides to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organizations, including creating or increasing their DEI budget.

While it is likely too soon to tell if and how this shift will impact the workforce, especially as organizations seek to emerge from remote working, prioritizing additional funds for DEI is a critical step in the right direction. Unfortunately, figuring out how to spend those precious dollars is far from straightforward. Our post from late last year on budgeting for diversity and inclusion in 2021 has seen consistently high traffic from those looking to make the most of their DEI budget. Seeing as that post is more of a high-level overview rather than a guide per se, we felt it was time to offer something a bit more concrete to support those looking to drive real impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Why diversity, equity, and inclusion will be more important than ever post-COVID-19

Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and discussions have historically centered primarily around two issues: race and gender (and typically only cis). These are undoubtedly both very important. On the subject of gender, while women make up 48% of entry-level employees, just 38% of managers are female, and the gender gap only widens as you move further up the seniority scale. Moreover, 64% of women face microaggressions in the workplace, and they’re also twice as likely to be mistaken for someone in a junior position. On the race front, 42% of American workers say they have experienced or seen racism at work, which is 12% higher than the average when comparing France, the U.K., Germany, and the U.S. Furthermore, more than three-quarters of jobseekers now report that having a racially diverse workforce is important when evaluating potential employers and job opportunities.

Gender and race remain extremely important pieces of the diversity, equity, and inclusion equation. However, as we emerge from the pandemic, there are numerous other identities that should be incorporated into DEI efforts. Child and elderly caregivers have had an extremely difficult time during the pandemic and will need additional support to be able to bounce back and succeed in the workplace. Additionally, more people than ever live with a person with a disability, or now have a disability themselves after COVID-19 left many with chronic health issues. Last but certainly not least, those with mental health challenges, or who developed them for the first time during/as a result of the pandemic, will have special needs as well. All of these groups deserve to be factored into your DEI programming, as many of these roles and struggles are especially prevalent among people who are already marginalized due to race, gender, or both.

How to allocate your DEI budget to drive maximum impact

None of the information in the previous section should have come as a surprise to those tasked with managing a DEI budget. Regardless, it is important to ground this discussion in both the full breadth and depth of the issue, as well as the crucial importance of this task. We know that DEI budgets can vary wildly in size, so in efforts to make this list relevant to most readers, we’ve limited our recommendations to efforts that are applicable across a variety of circumstances:

1. Invest in employee resource groups. We cannot stress this enough. If you can only put your DEI budget towards one initiative, it should be this. Employee resource groups should be the lifeblood of your DEI program, and can help you drastically increase the impact of your dollars. Employee resource groups are voluntary, employee-led collectives organized around identities or affinities (e.g. Veterans at Initech). Conduct a survey and organize focus groups to determine which group or groups you should start with, and identify your employee champions. Then invest in them. Give your employee leaders a budget to run events, trainings, etc., and watch your DEI program take off.
2. Explore ongoing, behavior-based training options. One-off trainings don’t work as a way to sustain DEI impact over time. You can’t pay for an unconscious bias facilitator to come in and do a presentation once per year and expect your workforce to be transformed. In order to see progress, you need actionable DEI training delivered on an ongoing basis. There are a number of DEI services and tools currently on the market that deliver bite-sized lessons and nudges, so do a bit of research and see if any of them might be right for your organization.
3. Make sure managers are on board. Our workplaces are a reflection of society at large, which means that systemic prejudice pervades our conference rooms just as much as our town squares. In many ways, managers can be the key or the curse when it comes to DEI. Requiring managers to undertake training above and beyond what the average worker receives will help guard against biased and toxic supervisors who, whether they mean to or not, create exclusive and at times outright hostile experiences and environments for employees from underrepresented groups. Investing in training and support to get managers up-to-speed on DEI and encouraging them to set a strong example will help to distribute the benefits of your funding across the entire organization.
4. Transform your hiring & promotion practices. The average hiring and promotion processes are riddled with bias and other built-in issues that prevent people from marginalized communities from succeeding at stepping onto and climbing the corporate ladder. If you have additional funds left over after addressing the first three points on this list, consider investing in software to help you eliminate bias from the recruitment and interview process, hire an outside party to review your hiring and promotion practices, or even simply assemble an employee task force to highlight issues of equity and propose solutions. Striving for inclusive practices during the early touchpoints of the employee journey will provide a strong foundation for any other DEI efforts.

Determining how to allocate your DEI budget can be difficult, especially when we know there is so much work to be done on this front. Luckily, there are some proven strategies that can help you magnify the impact of your dollars, several of which we’ve listed above. If you’re wondering how to get started in pursuing these efforts, we hope you’ll check out Workrowd, as well as the Global ERG Network for some tips. We’re building the future of the employee experience grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and we’d love to welcome you as a valued member of our knowledge-sharing community. Reach out to hello@workrowd.com if you’d like to connect and learn more.

Next Monday marks the first day of March, and with it comes the start of Women’s History Month. What began as a local ‘Women’s History Week’ in 1978 in Santa Rosa California has now been a federally-recognized, dedicated month for more than three decades. In contrast to years past however, women’s participation in the labor force is currently experiencing a significant decline. In January, it hit its lowest level in 33 years due to the layered impacts of the pandemic. This makes celebrating Women’s History Month at work in 2021 more important than ever.

Simultaneously, as organizations work to step up their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, championing women represents a crucial piece of the puzzle. While social distancing rules continue to present challenges to those trying to organize employee initiatives, there are still many opportunities to acknowledge the crucial role that women play in your company and rally around the cause of advancing women’s issues worldwide. Check out this list of ideas for celebrating women’s history month at work in 2021, and every year.

Why it’s important to celebrate women in the workplace

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.2 million fewer women in the workforce in October 2020 than at the same time just one year prior; 865,000 left in September alone. Moreover, women accounted for 100% of job losses in December. While 156,000 women lost their jobs in the last month of the year, men actually gained 16,000. With women shouldering the overwhelming brunt of the additional housework and childcare brought on by the pandemic, experts suggest that this crisis could erase a full generation’s worth of progress on gender equity.

Given the fact that women had not nearly achieved parity to begin with, this consequence of COVID-19 would simply add insult to injury. Women still earn just $0.81 for every $1.00 a man earns, and that disparity is exacerbated further by race. This isn’t just a problem for women though; it’s a drag on the economy overall. McKinsey & Company estimates that if gender parity were to be achieved by 2025, the U.S. economy would grow by $4.3 trillion. The exodus of women from the workforce hurts everyone. Accordingly, it’s crucial that workplaces champion women early and often. One easy way to do so is to celebrate Women’s History Month at work in 2021 in a highly visible way that drives real impact.

Ideas for celebrating Women’s History Month at work in 2021

In an ideal world, every company would celebrate every employee every day, regardless of gender, race, age, role, title, department, etc. In reality, we know that doesn’t happen simply by looking at the data in the paragraph above. While getting to this point will require deep and sustained work on issues of bias, sexism, racism, classism, etc. over the long-term, it can begin with relatively simple efforts. Celebrating the achievements of individuals from underrepresented communities through events such as Black History Month this month, or Women’s History Month starting next week, can help companies begin taking strides towards their ultimate inclusion and belonging goals. Consider implementing one or more of these ideas to acknowledge Women’s History Month within your workforce:

1. Profile underappreciated women in your organization. While women in positions of power in your organization may have a high degree of name recognition amongst your staff, there are droves of others making a substantive difference to the company every day who deserve similar attention. Select a handful of women across different departments and interview them, then publish the profiles through your internal and external communications channels. Showing appreciation for more female staff and leaders beyond those who are typically recognized will help to build a more welcoming and supportive environment for all women.
2. Hold a panel discussion with women leaders. Highlighting female employees who have successfully climbed the career ladder can provide others with role models and crucial lessons around how to advance within the organization. Make sure that in addition to sharing advice for how to follow in their footsteps, you also make space for the panelists to describe the challenges they’ve come up against, so other women understand that they’re not alone in what they’re facing. Of course, gauge and confirm interest in participating rather than expecting or requesting that people join the panel. Just as with our recommendations for Black History Month, it is not these women’s job to speak for everyone or do more work than they already do.
3. Offer a training on gender equality. As we discussed earlier in this post, gender inequality is still a very real issue, with very real consequences. There are a number of training providers that focus on working to combat gender bias and build more inclusive workplaces, so consider it an investment in your company’s future and hire one to engage your workforce next month. If done right, your people and your bottom line will thank you.
4. Build a strategy to advance women in your workplace. There are many ways to celebrate Women’s History Month, but one of the most valuable steps you can take is to assemble a committee to identify areas for improvement around gender equity, and establish a plan to address them. This could include setting goals around how and when you’ll reach gender pay equity, expanding your benefits packages to better support working mothers, evaluating and remedying any disparities in promotion rate, etc. Building a strategy for the long-term will make a much bigger difference than simply making superficial efforts for a month.
5. Partner with a women-focused nonprofit to drive change. Another more significant way you can recognize Women’s History Month is by supporting women and girls with your company’s dollars and time. Find a nonprofit that aligns with your company’s mission and lay out a plan to partner and assist them. There are myriad issues impacting women and girls both worldwide and right here in the U.S., as well as many ways to engage with them, so figure out what’s right for your company and get started on making it a reality.

Celebrating Women’s History Month at work in 2021 is crucial as women continue to suffer disproportionate effects from the pandemic. Determine ways to better support female employees both during March and all year-round, and watch as your employer brand and bottom line enjoy the benefits of your efforts. Building more robust employee support networks through initiatives like employee resource groups for women and/or parents can go a long way towards improving life for female employees. If you could use some help in identifying what programming would be the best fit for your organization, come visit us at workrowd.com or drop us a line at hello@workrowd.com; we’d be happy to connect and see how we can best support.

The diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) landscape has changed significantly over the last year, but we still have a long way to go. If you’re advocating for greater investment in DEI at your company, or if you’re trying to help them execute on newly established commitments, it can help to be armed with concrete data to back up your ideas. While the importance of a strong DEI strategy may seem obvious to some of us, including those who see it as simply the right thing to do, others still require a bit more convincing. Luckily, we’ve got your back with some compelling statistics about diversity and inclusion to help inform your efforts in 2021.

Ultimately, we all know that the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion extends far beyond what any numbers can convey. It is about treating everyone, regardless of their race, religion, nationality, gender, age, sexuality, ability, or any other singular aspect of their personhood, with dignity and respect. Furthermore, it is about making sure everyone feels that they belong, and that their ideas and opinions are welcome without reservation (unless of course those ideas are grounded in the persecution of others). DEI is about building engaged workplaces where innovation flows, and everyone gets a seat at the table and an equal voice in the discussion.

Key data points in support of investing in diversity and inclusion

Use these diversity and inclusion statistics to help elevate your conversations around DEI in 2021.

1. Companies with inclusive cultures saw 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee over a three-year period.

There’s been a lot of focus on the benefits of diversity in recent years, but ultimately, diversity without inclusion is akin to a puzzle that’s missing a piece. You can visually see the picture, but it will never feel complete. Make sure you can access the full benefits of any diversity efforts by coupling them with a strong focus on inclusion.

2. Companies with higher-than average levels of diversity saw 19% higher innovation revenues.

Having an array of different perspectives at the table results in more lively discussions that churn out more interesting and innovative ideas. Only exchanging thoughts with people who have similar backgrounds and experiences can create an echo chamber in which there’s no room to challenge the standard ways of thinking, thereby limiting your company’s potential.

3. If just 1% more people with disabilities were hired, U.S. GDP would increase by $25 billion.

The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is 7.3%, more than double the pre-pandemic rate for the general population of 3.5%. People with disabilities have many valuable skills to contribute if companies and hiring managers would be more open-minded to bringing them onto their teams, with massive potential implications for the economy overall.

4. Companies in the top 25% for racial/ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to outperform their peers.

Racial and ethnic diversity is a critical element in the DEI equation and positions companies to exceed the performance of their competitors with less diverse teams. When paired with an inclusive culture, more racially and ethnically diverse companies are better positioned to succeed.

5. Despite the fact that 60% of companies have metrics in place to measure the success of their diversity and inclusion programs, 75% of employees from underrepresented backgrounds don’t feel they’ve personally benefited from the initiatives.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion has been on the radar of many large companies for decades now, so much so that the majority have systems in place to track their progress. Unfortunately, their efforts haven’t paid off as evidenced by the fact that three-quarters of underrepresented employees haven’t felt the impacts. That’s why it’s high time for a new approach.

6. Companies with inclusive cultures are twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets, three times as likely to be high-performing, six times as likely to be innovative and agile, and eight times more likely to achieve better business outcomes.

Inclusive cultures drive vastly better business outcomes across the board. This stems from inclusion’s strong positive impact on employee engagement, productivity, psychological safety, happiness, and more.

7. Having more women in C-level positions results in 34% higher returns to shareholders.

Greater representation of women in the C-suite yields higher earnings. It’s tough to argue with concrete financial data, and this point suggests that shareholders would be well-served to push for more gender diversity in the upper echelons of the company as well.

8. More than two-thirds of employment seekers consider workplace diversity to be an important factor when considering whether to pursue a job opportunity.

Even now, when unemployment has spiked due to the pandemic, employer brand matters. While some job seekers will take what they can get out of necessity nowadays, others who have a bit more flexibility know that it’s important to seek out a role they enjoy where the company culture aligns with their values. In many cases, this means prioritizing diversity and inclusion.

9. Cognitive diversity can enhance team innovation by 20%.

Neurodiversity is a relatively new term on the DEI scene, but it’s an important one. Ensuring diversity of thinking, and building inclusive environments for individuals who may have different cognitive abilities is one way to ensure that your teams stay on the cutting edge and maximize their chances of success in rapidly evolving markets.

10. Companies that have “two-dimensional” diversity (e.g. on the basis of both gender and race) are 45% more likely to capture a larger share of the market, and 70% more likely to have broken into a new market in the past 12 months.

Focusing solely on gender, race, LGBTQIA+ identity, or any other singular attribute sets you up for box checking, and will only go so far in helping your business and employees to thrive. Ensure that you’re welcoming team members as whole people rather than demographic check marks, and prioritize intersectionality to reap the full benefits of your DEI efforts.

Despite the ongoing debate and doubts, the business case for diversity and inclusion is clear. In fact, while we may be a bit biased, we would go as far as to say that with evidence like this, it’s undeniable. Use these diversity and inclusion statistics to help inform your internal conversations in 2021 around the true value of diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you need to talk through it with someone, feel free to ping us at hello@workrowd.com, and we’ll be more than happy to serve as a sounding board and help you craft your pitch.

If your company is already at the point where it’s looking to invest in more diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, check out the Global ERG Network where we’ve got extensive support for employee/business resource groups, diversity councils, and beyond. Alternatively, if you want to stick to just running things in-house, Workrowd’s platform can help. Regardless of what you do, the most important thing is that you do something. Diversity, equity, and inclusion can’t wait; not for your colleagues, and not for your bottom line, so get started and keep at it.

If your organization is one of the many taking a more active stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion in 2021, you hopefully already have a plan for how you’ll be honoring Black History Month in your workplace. Black History Month is an important time to actively acknowledge the pioneering African Americans and members of the Black diaspora who came before, and the crucial role they played in building our country and culture. February has been officially dedicated to this cause by every U.S. president since 1976.

Each year, the administration also designates a theme for Black History Month. This year’s theme is ‘Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity’. As remote working has given much greater insight into many people’s home lives than ever before, and as the needs of employee caregivers are being given more weight, this is an important topic to incorporate into the already crucial need for more DEI programming. How can you honor both this year’s theme and Black History Month in general in your workplace? We’ve got some dos and don’ts to help you plan a successful program.

Why it’s essential to honor Black History Month in the workplace

While it should come as no surprise to readers of this blog, inclusion is important. Josh Bersin found that inclusive companies had 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee over a 3-year period. He identified the embedded approach to diversity and inclusion at these organizations as one of the “magic practices” that drives the success of top-performing companies. The study furthermore found that the inclusive companies were 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their market.

These bottom line benefits are driven by the fact that inclusive environments set employees up to do their best work. From recruitment to retention, engagement to productivity, inclusion impacts every aspect of the employee lifecycle, and increases happiness and wellbeing. In addition, inclusivity creates a level of psychological safety that enables employees to focus on their work rather than on worrying about past or future attacks and slights. It also opens the door for them to bring novel ideas to the table without fear of ridicule or retribution, thereby driving the innovation revenues referenced above.

Setting aside time to authentically honor and acknowledge the contributions of leaders of color through events such as Black History Month shows employees that your organization is willing to put their money where their mouth is. Allocating resources to such programs, coupled with genuine, ongoing DEI efforts, lets everyone know that inclusion isn’t just a front at your company, but something that must be practiced by every employee every day. Highlight the achievements of Black and African American pioneers across U.S. history, but make sure that you’re doing the same for the Black and African American pioneers within your organization. Celebrating Black History Month in the workplace isn’t just about recognizing the past, but about looking towards and building for a future where we can achieve real equity for all people who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color.

Tips for authentically celebrating Black History Month in the workplace

The first and most important element when planning any Black History Month initiative is that February cannot be the only time that you recognize and champion Black and African American people. Your Black History Month efforts should be part of a larger coordinated strategy grounded in anti-racism and designed to build truly inclusive, equitable spaces for all people of color. Otherwise, anything you do will ring hollow. Make it clear to employees how any initiatives this month tie back to your larger focus on inclusion and belonging.

Once you’ve grounded your approach in your larger DEI strategy, consider these tips to ensure your efforts drive real impact:

1. Don’t reinvent the wheel. There are many organizations offering webinars and sessions that may be of interest to your employees. Tap into these networks. Research events happening near you, or being offered by organizations you partner with, and ensure your employees know about them. For instance, through the Global ERG Network, we’re offering a panel discussion tomorrow, 2/10 at 1pm Eastern entitled ‘Are You an Ally?’ focused around workplace responses to the Black Lives Matter movement (register here!).
2. Bring in the experts. If you have the budget, offering a relevant diversity, equity, and inclusion training during Black History Month is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to building a better workplace for African American employees. Many DEI trainers successfully transitioned their workshops to virtual formats earlier in the pandemic, so determine what you want the session to focus on, then find a practitioner to deliver a session to help you meet your employees’ needs.
3. Provide options. Not everything you plan will work with everyone’s schedule or will be something they’ll choose to participate in. Accordingly, it’s important to provide options to cater to different levels of knowledge, diverse learning styles, and varying schedules. For instance, if you’re planning a book club, consider providing a few different books for people to choose from, along with corresponding discussions. If you’re offering training, hold at least two separate sessions to help ensure everyone who wants to can attend.
4. Give back. Planning volunteer opportunities that support the Black community is a great way to honor those who came before in the effort to advance equity and social justice. Find a local organization that supports African Americans near your company headquarters, or partner with a national nonprofit and/or advocacy organization to provide your employees the opportunity to learn and to become an active part of the solution.
5. Hold space. It’s important not to put your Black employees on the spot as part of your Black History Month programming. Under no circumstances should they be responsible for planning or even participating in any initiatives, unless they have explicitly voiced interest in doing so. Allow and enable them to honor this month in their own way, and empower other employees with the space to stretch their boundaries and explore new topics in contexts where they’re supported to ask (non-offensive) questions.

Honoring Black History Month in the workplace is an important element of a holistic DEI strategy that actually drives inclusion and truly supports employees who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color. Ultimately though, Black History Month shouldn’t end on the last day of February, but should instead carry on year-round and through everything you do. Recognize and celebrate African Americans every day, those outside of your company, and especially those on your team, and strive to build a legitimately anti-racist organization. If you could use some help in creating inclusive spaces, we encourage you to check out the Global ERG Network and the Workrowd platform, both of which come stocked with DEI resources and support for building inclusive employee communities. As always, you can reach us at hello@workrowd.com.