Category: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging

As I explored in last week’s post, AI gender bias is a major problem. It disproportionately impacts women because we do a lot of invisible labor, both at home and at work. That means we have less energy to learn new tools.

On top of that, AI is more likely to disrupt industries that are predominantly worked in by women.

Businesses therefore need to do more to support the women in their workplaces. Your most capable leaders could be buried under the weight of responsibility and you’ll never know without providing them with the support they need.

Don’t assume everyone starts from the same point

Our energy levels ebb and flow just like AI credits. And, just like AI companies change the rules over how many credits a task takes seemingly whenever they feel like it, so too, do our bodies.

Some days, we might fly through tasks within a few hours. Other times, what would normally come easily takes gargantuan effort. That’s not a problem with the person, but with the system being unable to adapt.

The pressure is always on to perform at work. But sometimes, when you’re juggling a gazillion responsibilities and you slept badly last night, and you’ve got no appetite because you’re worried about your dog at the vet, or waiting on a child’s test results, you just don’t have as much mental bandwidth.

No one comes to work with the same energy level as their colleague, and nobody has the same energy level every day.

Rather than worry about how switched on employees are, and how many AI credits they used this week, focus on what they’re actually doing.

Are they doing the work? Are they doing it to a high quality?

That should matter more than their AI usage or how long they spent signed into Teams last week. If they’re doing the work, does it really matter if it was at three o’clock in the morning when the kids were asleep, so long as they didn’t expect anyone to reply right away?

Combatting AI gender bias means being willing to meet employees where they are so they can do their best work, and you can get the best out of them.

Have diverse decision makers

Just 29% of C-Suite executives are women, despite making up 49% of entry-level roles. Even now, in 2026.

It’s harder for female-led businesses to get investment. Even now, in 2026.

Women still have to do more work to get the same results, and not due to any lack of ability.

Businesses that have more diverse leadership teams are more profitable, more sustainable, and more adaptable. So why aren’t more women making it to the top?

It’s time to remove the groupthink. If businesses truly want to innovate, they need to overcome AI gender bias and remember the importance of diverse decision making.

Teach people when to use AI (and when not to)

Despite the prevalence of AI, most people aren’t taught how to use it. They have to figure it out on their own.

This trial-and-error approach takes longer than an hour-long or day-long training session. It gets expensive, too.

Some people are faster learners than others, but isn’t it better to get everyone on the same page earlier? That way, they know when it is (and isn’t) acceptable to use AI. They don’t put your internal data at risk, nor do they create security flaws in your software.

They also know how to use it properly, so then you don’t waste credits on someone figuring out how to use it. Since women have less spare time for learning due to everything else on our plates, this can be an important step towards reducing AI gender bias.

Remember your company culture

Technology companies have to evolve faster than ever. But prioritizing habits that can lead to burnout, like working late nights and weekends, is just going to mean you miss out on next-generation employees who value their out-of-work life.

Employees’ hobbies and interests shouldn’t be an afterthought. They’re an important part of what makes someone who they are.

They can even improve your company’s ability to innovate if you allow people the time and space to explore, rather than expecting their lives to revolve around work.

Since women are at higher risk of job-related burnout, this is another area where AI gender bias comes into play.

Praise (and promote) everyone equally

Men are 27% more likely to be praised for using AI than women, according to Lean In. If we use it to do a good job, the response isn’t a high five, it’s questioning if we actually did the work.

We need to level the playing field when it comes to AI gender bias. Either praise everyone equally for the same job, or don’t praise anyone at all.

To work on this, it might involve training everyone — or updating everyone’s training — on unconscious biases.

Even with prior training, bad habits are easy to slip back into. Think about driving a car: when it’s been a long time since you last took a test, bad habits like putting your foot on the gas when driving down a long, straight road, or forgetting to use indicators can happen.

Alongside this lack of recognition, women often have to prove we’re capable before we receive a promotion. Meanwhile, men get promoted on their potential.

Ask — and actually listen

All of your employees are feeling the weight of AI, regardless of their role. And regardless of AI gender bias. Budgets are ballooning and employees are being told to just “find what it can do” without any real guidance a lot of the time.

Checking in with them to see how AI is impacting their role shows them that you do value them and want to know how you can help.

Sending an employee survey is a simple way to ask these questions. An anonymous survey allows employees to air their grievances and concerns without fear of consequences.

Workrowd can send surveys for you. Choose set milestones or groups, and let the software analyze the data. It’s quick, simple, and gives you more time to act on the results. Get in touch to find out more.

Conclusion

When it comes to innovation, there are always winners and losers. However, the reason certain groups fall behind isn’t always because they’re bad at something. It’s because those in charge don’t include them in key decisions.

Underrepresented groups have different experiences. When projects exclude our voices, accommodations that factor in our life experiences get overlooked.

People often mistake those accommodations as slowing down progress. But actually, they can speed it up. Because it means you don’t need to change or update things retrospectively, which is a far more cumbersome process.

Combat AI gender bias and support the women in your workplace with Workrowd. Send employee surveys and organize your employee groups to help your business grow. Get in touch to find out more.

Women do twice as much invisible labor as men. From childrearing, to laundry, to grocery shopping, to family timekeeping. They’re the school’s default emergency contact, they’re keeping the family peace, they have to ensure everyone is fed. So it’s no wonder that we also face gender bias in AI.

On top of all of this, there’s the mental gymnastics of what to wear every day. Don’t be too revealing, but don’t look too buttoned-up and serious, either. Too casual? Too formal? A woman can’t walk into an office in jeans and a hoodie and expect colleagues to take her seriously. We are judged far more harshly by our outfits at work than men, which adds to the pressure.

Then, there might be the additional burdens of their own, or a family member’s, health issues — especially as they get older.

Many middle-aged women are responsible both for raising children and caring for their aging parents.

And women spend 25% more time in poor health than men, no doubt because of medical gaslighting, diagnostic delays, and the fact many medications and treatments were only tested on men. So we don’t actually know if certain treatments even work for women, because for too long (until the early 1990s) we were treated as “smaller men” in medical tests.

Plus, there’s the extra strain on the body that comes with periods. A woman’s hormones can drop 40-60% in just a few days, while men’s — if they change at all — will drop 1% in a year.

I feel exhausted just writing all that.

And let’s not forget, this is all before factoring in work itself. 

Do more with less?

AI’s pitch it that it allows us to do more by freeing up tedious tasks. But it can’t do the invisible labor. It often simply means that employees do more with less colleague support, as businesses make employees redundant to fund ballooning AI budgets.

The goalposts are moving all the time, too, with the expectation of output increasing while the financial rewards don’t. Not for employees without shares, anyway.

AI amplifies the existing systems. That includes the invisible labor that women take on, both at home and at work.

Scanning the room to prevent bad moods from escalating, keeping everyone from panicking about AI taking their jobs, the list goes on. These invisible tasks don’t get any credit, but someone has to do them or the company culture falls apart. Just another way in which gender bias in AI shows up at work.

Name the invisible labor

Invisible labor doesn’t just happen at home. It just goes unnoticed at work because, well, the clue’s in the name.

From taking meeting notes, to organizing social events, to making the next round of coffee, it almost always falls on women.

But if someone can send an email and create a calendar invite, they have the basics to organize an event. AI can help them if they’re unsure. Isn’t that the whole point?

Gendered roles are so twentieth century. Gender bias in AI doesn’t need to continue them.

Remember AI can’t lead

The invisible labor that so often falls on women cannot be outsourced to AI. But the jobs we do to pay the bills can.

This is yet another aspect of gender bias in AI. It only adds to the stress and pressure women feel in workplaces that were never designed for us.

While the assumption is often that managerial positions are all about strategy, they’re increasingly becoming about emotional intelligence, too.

The best leaders know how to read the room and adapt accordingly; they’re strong negotiators and can keep their own feelings out of a situation. This is a skill that women learn from a young age. We’re taught that our emotions are inconvenient and so we must mask them, especially if we’re sensitive or neurodivergent.

Check your health insurance policy

One way you can support the women in your workplace is to ensure your health insurance covers therapy and diagnosing conditions like ADHD.

Many women are finding out in their 40s and beyond that they have ADHD, autism, or both, but not every insurance provider will cover the diagnosis or treatment.

However, getting the diagnosis can give women a new view on life and the challenges they face — including their ability to adapt to the increasing pace of change and gender bias in AI present in the 2020s. Change is often worse for neurodivergent folk, and the only suitable word for the current tech climate really is “rapid,” wouldn’t you say?

Support, diagnosis, and treatment can help them find adaptations and give them ideas for how you can make your workplace more accessible for everyone — and therefore more innovative, too, since the organizations on the cutting edge are the ones that have diverse leadership in every aspect of the word.

Connect your employees

Your employee groups are an important tool to support your team members in these strange times that we live in. They can share their priorities and challenges, and get advice from those who’ve been there.

Right now, community matters more than ever — it can often be what gets us through a tough spot.

The old saying “a problem shared is a problem halved” is actually true. Even just talking about what we’re going through can lessen some of the burden.

So, your ERGs, mentorship schemes, or even coaching can support your employees when they’re juggling more than the average workload. This can help them overcome gender bias in AI in order to continue thriving in your workplace.

Not getting the most from your employee groups? Workrowd can help. Better organize your groups, get your employees using them, and easily measure the results. Contact us to find out more.

Conclusion 

Women risk losing ground in the workforce purely because of the additional societal weight that we have to carry. That doesn’t have to be the case, though. There’s plenty more that companies can do to support the women in their workforce and mitigate gender bias in AI. 

And, by supporting women, they support all their other employees, too. It evens the playing field, allowing everyone within an organization to grow. It also creates a more welcoming company culture. Which can only be a good thing, right?

Stay tuned for part two, where we’ll delve into how businesses can support women in the workplace alongside AI adoption.

Gender discrimination in the workplace remains a real problem. Whether you call it DEI or something else, corporate equality initiatives have failed. 

McKinsey found that women and men have the same ambition levels, but 11% fewer women want promotions.

At every stage of the corporate ladder, women are still underrepresented. 

The report found:

“Women early in their careers are far less likely than men to be people managers. As a result, far more entry-level men are on a path that can lead to promotion. Our survey revealed that four in ten entry-level women have not received a promotion, stretch assignment, or opportunity to participate in leadership or career training in the past two years.”

On top of that, there are fewer women in leadership roles than a few years ago. Despite 80% of businesses telling McKinsey that inclusion is still important. So what’s going wrong? And what can businesses do about gender discrimination in the workplace?

What to do about gender discrimination in the workplace

Clearly, hiring more women into leadership positions isn’t doing what everyone thought it would. More visibility doesn’t mean more acceptance. Just ask female MPs in the UK—despite making up 50% of the cabinet, the gender discrimination in the workplace and ‘boys’ club’ attitude has gotten worse, not better.

Lucy Powell, Deputy Labour Party Leader, said:

“It created more of a culture of not feeling that you could speak out on things […] for fear of giving you a black mark against your name. That is the culture and the atmosphere that we really need to address.”

How can one of the most powerful women in the country still feel that way? It just proves that getting more women into leadership positions is only part of the challenge.

Offer training 

No one wants to hear this, but it’s true. You have to educate everyone within your organization about gender biases and unconscious biases. Even your CEO.

Attitudes have a trickle-down effect, and the only way to learn to think differently is to learn what it’s like for people who don’t come from the same background as you.

This sort of education is essential when it comes to reducing gender discrimination in the workplace.

Skip the stereotypes—and teach emotional regulation

The assumption has always been that women are more emotional. But are we?

Women aren’t allowed to show anger, for example. Society tells us that to do so is ugly and unbecoming. (Insert eye roll here.)

Men, meanwhile, can show anger, even in the workplace. They might shout at someone who’s made a mistake, for example. Their (often female) assistant might tell people to avoid him when he’s in a bad mood.

This pandering to one type of emotion but vilifying it in other genders is part of the problem. It is undeniably an example of gender discrimination in the workplace. It’s time businesses put more effort into teaching people how not to stereotype and instead have proper emotional regulation.

Colleagues and employees are not verbal battering rams. Managers shouldn’t shout at them because they didn’t get their way or something went wrong.

Coaching is a useful tool for teaching emotional regulation, especially as someone climbs the corporate ladder.

Over half of managers never receive any coaching or management training, so doing this would invest in your company’s future, both in terms of leaders and the rest of your workforce. It will create a better environment for everyone, too, while decreasing gender discrimination in the workplace.

Lead by example

Your C-suite’s attitude to everyone else is a contagious disease. If they make even the tiniest sexist comment, it makes that attitude more accepted for everyone else to express.

So then it gives those who feel much more strongly the impression that they can make such comments—or worse.

Your leadership must set an example. They must treat everyone, from the rest of the C-Suite right down to the cleaner or any office pets, as their equal. No talking down, no talking over, and no ignoring or taking credit for other people’s ideas.

Combatting gender discrimination in the workplace should be part of combatting all discrimination.

Update your dress code

Do you have a dress code or is it based on vibes? If the men come in suits and you have no formal dress code written down, I guarantee the women panic about what to wear.

Samantha Harman discusses this predicament in her book, Just Get Dressed. It’s about enclothed cognition: how the clothes we wear impact how we feel about ourselves.

If a man repeats the same suit every day, no one notices. This is also a conscious choice that comes from privilege, she argues. Steve Jobs’ signature turtleneck was from Japanese designer Issey Miyake and cost $300.

What if a woman tried this hack?

A couple of news channels in Canada and Australia asked the same question. In response, viewers emailed them asking if the female outfits were due to budget cuts. Nobody noticed the men repeating their suits.

Even our clothes carry double standards. If that’s not gender discrimination in the workplace, I don’t know what is.

Organize employee groups

An ERG designed for women to support each other not only offers a place to discuss juggling family, relationships, health, and work, but they can also discuss when they’ve faced gender discrimination in the workplace.

It can act as a canary in a coal mine, giving you information on where the problems lie so that you can do something before they get worse.

Want help organizing your ERGs? Workrowd has everything you need. Get in touch to find out more.

Don’t blame the men

There is no one person in an organization who creates a toxic culture, and it isn’t the fault of the men who work for you.

In fact, women can be guilty of this kind of attitude, too.

They climbed to the top, space feels limited, and they don’t want anyone to come in and replace them. This isn’t every woman—the same as not all men are sexist—but it’s something to be aware of.

For instance, when someone is placed on a hiring panel in the name of “diversity” they’re less likely to pick the person like them so that they’re not seen as biased.

I ran a women’s magazine a few years ago, and the biggest criticisms came from other women. Many of the men I spoke to, meanwhile, were happy to write for me and did amazing biographies on women like Boudica and Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac. In fact, I’d say the men were more supportive.

All this ties back to training: everyone needs it, because very few of us are aware of our unconscious biases.

That is, after all, why they’re unconscious. It’s also why it can be so hard to combat gender discrimination in the workplace.

Conclusion 

Just because rates of gender discrimination in the workplace have gotten worse and instances have become harder to spot, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something you can do about it. It’s on leadership and HR to create a culture where everyone feels included and is treated with respect. Failing to do this will open the doors to people who do see themselves as superior to others and refuse to treat everyone as their equal.

Just over a year ago, companies across the globe quietly removed mentions of workplace diversity and inclusion from their websites. I’m sure you know why.

The problem is, just because something is erased from the face of a website, or demonized in some circles, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still make good economic sense.

Inclusive businesses do, in fact, still make economic sense. Diversity, overall, is a positive thing for all organizations. Let’s explore why there’s still a business case for workplace diversity and inclusion in 2026:

You’ll outperform competitors

Every business wants to outperform their competitors, right?

Well, those that champion workplace diversity and inclusion are 35% more likely to do so. That 35% can make a huge difference.

You can capture new markets

When a company has a diverse workforce, it’s 70% more likely to capture new markets. This makes sense, because you can only understand those markets if you have team members who are part of them.

For instance, cars are often marketed as having accessibility features. But those features appear to be designed by able-bodied men with no understanding of what life is like for a woman or disabled person.

Being able to use your foot to close a car trunk is great, but it’s useless if you have short legs or need to use a wheelchair. It’s not the accessible feature it sounds like.

Having a diverse design team (that the organization actually listens to) would easily solve this problem. It means there are more people to point out why the design wouldn’t work for certain groups. That way, they can quickly find a compromise that will work. And help you tap into new, potentially underserved and therefore loyal, demographics.

If investing in workplace diversity and inclusion can help you expand your business, why wouldn’t you?

Employees will make better decisions

Based on this, it should be no surprise that diverse teams also make better decisions—87% better, in fact.

They can see situations from more angles, which means they’re more likely to spot future issues before they become problems.

Despite this, a huge 78% of employees work for organizations that lack diversity in leadership positions. Without visible examples of workplace diversity and inclusion at the top, there’s a ripple effect on employee growth.

Those who don’t “fit” your leadership aesthetic may not feel comfortable putting themselves up for a promotion. They may fear that they won’t get it or they won’t be listened to, so why bother? So then your chances of growing a diverse leadership team, and diverse teams in general, shrinks. At the same time the risk of groupthink increases.

You’ll attract higher quality candidates

Even though companies have their pick of candidates right now, finding the right one is still a challenge. It’s all too easy to choose the wrong person and have to repeat the hiring process too soon.

One way to differentiate your business is to put how much you value workplace diversity and inclusion front and center. Two-thirds of candidates still want companies with diverse workforces. So everything from the photography you choose to the language you use to describe a job application can make a difference.

If you want to attract Gen Zers or millennials, it’s even more important to highlight workplace diversity and inclusion. 73% of Gen Zers and 68% of millennials prioritize companies with DEI programs. They’re definitely still an effective way to attract talent.

If candidates find that your values don’t align, they may drop out of the hiring process or leave during orientation. Meaning you’ve wasted time and money on dead ends. Money that you could’ve spent on interviewing other candidates, onboarding, or staff training.

The more you can highlight your company values upfront, the more likely candidates will be the right fit when they apply.

You can openly reduce discrimination

No matter how inclusive your business is, there will still be times when someone faces discrimination. Pretending your organization is immune from it hurts your business and your employees.

In the past year, almost half of American workers experienced harassment and/or discrimination. The fact it’s happened in the past year suggests many people have experienced it in their current roles. Which just proves my point: no business is immune.

So instead, take steps to ensure that when it does happen, you know how to support your employees. And how to cover your business legally. Put effective discrimination policies in place so that anyone who discriminates knows what consequences to expect. Being clear about your approach to workplace diversity and inclusion in this way lets employees know you’re serious about supporting them.

Your teams will innovate more

When you have lots of people from different backgrounds in one room, it becomes a melting pot of ideas. In fact, inclusive companies are 1.7 times more innovative.

Employee engagement will go up

Millennial employees are 83% more likely to be engaged if they work for a company that’s strong on workplace diversity and inclusion. Over the short- and long-term, this level of engagement could make a huge difference to innovation, productivity, and profits.

Revenue will increase 

It should therefore come as no surprise that companies that are more diverse earn more money. For instance, those who employ the same number of women as men can earn up to 41% more revenue.

It gets better, though:

·      2.3x more cash flow per employee

·      19% higher revenue when management teams are diverse

·      26% increase in GDP

Conclusion 

Despite current trends, there’s still a huge business case for workplace diversity and inclusion in 2026. Ultimately, workplace diversity and inclusion has the potential to help businesses achieve exactly what they want: happier, more productive employees, tapping into new markets, and making more money.

So, what are you waiting for? Isn’t it time to prioritize your DEI program again?

Need help building a diverse and inclusive culture? Workrowd has your back. Our all-in-one tool suite helps you organize your employee initiatives so that you, and your employees, can get the most from them. Get in touch to find out more.

Five years ago, the word “diversity” was everywhere. Businesses wanted to be seen as supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. And if they weren’t, it was a huge red flag. Now…what’s even happened to that word?

Pretty much overnight, it vanished from company websites. Not just in the US, but globally.

Yet it still has big benefits for attracting and retaining top talent. It’s also key to business profitability and growth.

For instance, companies that are diverse outperform their competitors by 35%. When companies are diverse, they’re 70% more likely to capture new markets. Gender-diverse companies see 15% higher financial returns. And 63% of employees prioritize DEI programs when applying for roles.

There is plenty more evidence where that came from.

So here’s how you can continue to champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace in 2026 and beyond:

Actually talk about diversity and inclusion in the workplace

When something isn’t discussed, it becomes the monster under the bed. It’s there, it’s big and scary, and you don’t know how bad it’s going to be. So you close your eyes, hide under the sheets, and hope it goes away.

But this is business. That doesn’t happen.

Talking about diversity and inclusion in the workplace and why it still matters helps remove some of the misinformation that has appeared about it. It reminds people of why diversity benefits businesses—and society—as a whole.

Educate employees on why diversity and inclusion in the workplace matters

Employee training around diversity and inclusion in the workplace still matters. Especially when it comes to making people feel welcome.

I was in a café the day I wrote this. An older patron said something that would be seen as cringey at best by millennials and Gen Zers, and offensive at worst. In any modern workplace, they would’ve gotten a verbal warning.

As society and times change, what is or isn’t appropriate to say changes, too. The internet influences a lot of cultural trends and not everyone is aware of them.

Employee training can help people to not put their foot in it—or worse, get fired for saying something offensive. It protects them, their colleagues, and your business from these situations. It helps prevent them from happening in the first place and gives people the tools to know how to handle them when they do occur.

Show how you support diversity and inclusion in the workplace online

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: those copied and pasted diversity statements at the end of job descriptions are meaningless.

Most companies that post those statements have zero experience actually supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Do you have a policy to help you close the gender pay gap? 

What about supporting a blind employee when your business doesn’t have a screen reader?

Or preventing racial bias in your hiring process?

These are important things that employers need to know. Yet few do.

If you’re going to say that you’re a diverse place to work, show how you truly champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Give examples in your company social media content (internally and externally).

I don’t mean half-baked videos about “why I work here” with employees from different backgrounds. Let it evolve organically. Include different people in videos because they reflect your business. Ask for their opinions and show their expertise.

Don’t use a flashy neon sign. Just say you’re supportive and actually be supportive. It’s that simple.

Be mindful of AI’s impact

This definitely isn’t an issue you can blindly toss to AI to resolve. For instance, double-check your AI content to ensure it’s inclusive. A human is far more likely to spot if it isn’t.

AI imagery, for example, loves white people. But most of the world isn’t white, so what happened to every other skin color?

It can also lean more masculine and prefer men. And it writes in US English, in terms of its vocabulary, grammar, and the phrases that it uses.

Human oversight is more important than ever when you put something out into the world. More done faster doesn’t necessarily mean better. It could be detrimental.

The more human you make your content feel, the more successful you’ll be at supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Set an example

Things like using inclusive language, asking people their pronouns, and calling colleagues out on any questionable comments all help to set an example and boost diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

It could start with leadership using “they” for a person whose pronouns they don’t know or opening a door for a wheelchair user. Leadership needs to be the ones to step up first. Everyone else will follow.

Create a culture of psychological safety

Employees will only feel comfortable pushing back on their colleagues saying offensive things if the environment you’ve created allows them to. That means they should feel able to speak up and challenge the status quo. Even if the person saying something offensive is in a more senior position than them.

Embrace your employee groups

Your employee groups are one of your most powerful ways to champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace. They enable employees from different backgrounds to come together and support one another, whether they’re veterans, people with disabilities, people of color, etc.

This gives them strength and safety, helping them not only navigate your business but the world as well.

Using Workrowd, you can create the perfect setup for your employee groups. Keep everything in one place, make it easy to find, and get more from these communities. You can also use the platform to manage all your other employee initiatives. Get in touch today to find out more.

Send a survey

Employee feedback surveys are key tools to help you understand what your employees need from you next. They can help you measure your business’s progress over time or against competitors.

Questions might include how comfortable employees feel challenging the status quo, if they’ve ever experienced discrimination or microaggressions, or what leadership could do to improve.

The answers won’t always be easy or comfortable, but no one ever grew through staring at themselves in the mirror. You have to get a range of perspectives to truly understand your employees and your business.

Conclusion 

It’s more important than ever to champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace. That’s the only way we continue to understand, and experience, its benefits for business and beyond.

Setting your ERGs up to succeed is setting your business up to succeed. And part of that is ensuring that each one has an ERG mission statement.

Two-thirds of ERGS have two leads who spend up to 3 hours per week managing their group.

It’s therefore no surprise that ERG leaders are increasingly getting compensation for their work. In 2022, 42% were compensated, up from 6% just two years earlier. On average, the compensation is just over $2,000 per year.

ERGs are so effective that 90% of Fortune 500 companies have them according to MicKinsey, and 100% of the DiversityInc Top 50 have them.

To get the most out of them, you need an ERG mission statement. This keeps everyone, from employees who are part of the group to your senior executives, onboard with them. They explain what the group adds to the business and ensures that no one thinks it’s ‘just’ a diversity initiative.

An ERG mission statement also helps employees decide if a particular group is right for them, as they know what goal(s) they’re working toward.

Why you need an ERG mission statement

To keep everyone focused

When you have an ERG mission statement, it helps keep everyone rowing in the same direction.

To attract new members

A clear ERG mission statement shows new hires, and even longer-term employees who have been skeptical in the past, what your employee resource groups are all about.

It gives them a clear signal whether a group is a fit for them and how they might be able to contribute.

To show the business benefits

When everyone in an ERG is working toward the same thing, it’s a lot easier to measure the business benefits because it’s clear what the goal(s) of the group are.

To attract the right executive sponsor

Your executive sponsor can help with everything from recruitment to budget to group participation. How invested they are can depend on what the group is trying to achieve. Outlining it clearly in an ERG mission statement ensures your executive sponsor stays engaged and on track.

How to create your ERG mission statement

When it comes to designing your ERG mission statement, it’s important to include your group members (or the people who will become members).

Have an open, respectful discussion where everyone can speak about what they want from the group and think it could achieve. Otherwise, the people directly involved in the group won’t be as invested in its goals.

Jot down core values that (could) drive your group without filtering them. This ensures everyone feels heard and you’re not blocking the best ideas from coming through.

Filtering ideas when you’re brainstorming can lead to blockages. Ideas are like a tap—the longer it’s turned on the more easily they come through.

Values could include advocating for each other, knowledge sharing, mentorship opportunities, etc.

Refine your values into 3-5 that you can easily articulate for your ERG mission statement. Then, consider potential (or current, for an existing group) strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Map out your stakeholders and potential activities, too.

Once you have that, consider what you could achieve that’s in keeping with those values and the business’s goals. How can you line the two together?

For example, a car company could have a disability ERG that supports the business to design vehicles that are more accessible for disabled drivers.

Next steps in creating your ERG mission statement

As for articulating your goal, think about how you’d tell someone new to the company about your ERG. It shouldn’t require further explanation or elaboration. If it does, you need to get more specific in your ERG mission statement.

When you write your goal(s) down, think of it/them as stretch goals: ambitious but achievable. Keep things too small and there’s no motivation there; aim too high and people will lose momentum because they know it can’t be done.

Next, consider breaking up your goals into objectives. For instance, if you want to connect more women in the workplace, how could you do that? Monthly meetups in the office? Virtual networking? LinkedIn training to help them connect with people outside of the office?

Other things to consider for your ERG mission statement

While it helps to sum up your ERG mission statement in a sentence, you also need to consider things like:

Who can join?

While you don’t want to be discriminatory, obviously each group has to be aimed at a certain type of person—that’s the point.

Who runs them? For how long? How do you choose them?

Your group’s success depends on who’s in charge, which means you need a clear process for how leaders are elected and how long they lead.

Do they stay in position until they choose to leave, or do members get to vote on who’s in charge?

While you don’t want to cause conflicts within your organization, getting members to vote on group leaders can mean that they’re more involved and understand what the leader wants to achieve, how they plan to lead the group and shape the business.

While this doesn’t need to be part of your ERG mission statement, deciding it is key to structuring your group.

What compensation do you offer group leaders?

Do you offer leaders compensation for the time and energy commitment of running a group?

Any group lives or dies by the people running it, which means you need the right people in charge. You also need to consider how it will affect their existing responsibilities.

As discussed above, almost half of employers now pay group leaders for running groups. While this isn’t a huge amount, in the current climate, a little goes a long way.

Not to mention it shows that you value ERGs and how they contribute to your business.

It gives your groups, and their leaders, a level of importance that a free group doesn’t have. This can also mean that your leaders take it more seriously, too, as it’s something that they’re being compensated to do.

How often will you update your ERG mission statement?

If a group achieves its ERG mission statement, then what?

Or if the leader changes and wants to take things in a different direction, how will you decide on that?

How can the group help the business in the short- and long-term?

Ultimately, your ERGs will get more investment if senior leaders in your business can see them driving business impact. That starts with your ERG mission statement and group leaders, and trickles down to your group members and how they support the business. The clearer you are about these goals, the easier it is to get everyone focused.

Conclusion 

Your ERG mission statement shows everyone within your business that your ERG is here to stay. It’s a serious business investment that matters to your organization and your employees.

If you want a tool that can help you manage your employee groups, check out Workrowd. You can put everything your employees need to know in one handy place, making your groups an even better opportunity and resource.

Plus, with one-click signups, automated event reminders and surveys, and even analytics, you’ll be fully equipped to make the most of your ERGs and other employee programs. Get in touch today to learn more and schedule your free demo.

62% of Black employees have experienced microaggressions because of their race, while 64% of women have experienced them because of their gender. 68% of US workers feel microaggressions in the workplace are a serious problem, and I agree.

In this post, we’ll take a look at what microaggressions in the workplace are, explore some examples, and consider what businesses can—and should—do to mitigate them.

What are microaggressions in the workplace?

Microaggressions in the workplace are subtle forms of discrimination against a marginalized group. This could involve an incident, statement, or action against them because of their gender, race, religion, disability, etc. These slights can be direct or indirect, intentional or unintentional.

As the name implies, they are often seemingly small things that can fly under the radar, but ultimately still negatively affect another person.

As they’re often more subtle, they’re harder to notice—let alone address. Over time, however, they can negatively impact your company culture and employee experience, leading to things like stress and burnout. So then your team can’t perform to its fullest and your business suffers as a result.

Examples of microaggressions in the workplace (and what to do)

Now that we know what microaggressions in the workplace are, let’s explore some common examples, then we’ll go into what you can do.

Micromanaging some employees and not others

Micromanaging is never a good idea, but if you do it with some employees and not others, your comments can become microaggressions in the workplace.

For instance, trying to control a female employee’s to-do list but leaving a male employee to manage his own tasks.

Talking over colleagues

28% of people have been spoken over at work. To be honest, I think this number might be higher, we just don’t always recognize it. Many of us interrupt people when we’re excited. Some of us are also so used to being interrupted we don’t even register that it’s happening—especially if we’re prone to doing it ourselves.

But that doesn’t make it acceptable.

According to the Women Interrupted app, women are interrupted 1.43 times a minute in the US. In the UK, it’s 1.67 times a minute.

Being talked over is so common that someone knitted a color-coded scarf, changing the color she was knitting with every time the gender of a speaker changed in a meeting. There was very little of the color that represented women.

These constant interjections can be a form of microaggressions in the workplace.

Telling someone to “smile more”

Most females have been on the receiving end of “just smile” or “smile more” at some point. 

We’ve all heard, “Smile, it’s not the end of the world” from a random stranger or colleague before, too. How is that supposed to cheer someone up?

You have no idea what’s going on in someone’s life, or why they’re not smiling. No one ever says that to a man, either.

If the same comment is only directed towards people from a certain demographic, it may be a version of microaggressions in the workplace.

Nicknames 

Always, always call someone by the name they prefer, not the name you want to call them. That’s it. It’s that simple.

It’s their name; their identity. They have the right to choose it, not you.

By choosing another name for them, whether well-intentioned or not, you may be causing them pain or stress. It’s a pretty targeted type of microaggressions in the workplace.

Mispronouncing names

Likewise, if you mispronounce someone’s name multiple times after they correct you it’s a sign of disrespect.

Problematic language use

Our language usage says a lot about how we think and feel. It’s a reflection of who we are on a subconscious level.

Making comments then dismissing them as “banter” or using old-fashioned terms that are now offensive can be signs of problematic language usage. As well as signs of microaggressions in the workplace.

Ableism 

Despite being asthmatic, I once had to climb four flights of steep stairs in a Victorian building every day to get to the office. Exercise and cold are two huge triggers for me, and old buildings get cold. Especially in the stairwells, which often don’t have heat.

There was an elevator, but it didn’t work. And there was no rush to fix it. Nor was I able to work from home. Or even from a café nearby.

This is an example of ableism. Ableism can be overt, or it can fall into the category of microaggressions in the workplace. Either way, it put me in a preventable situation that triggered my asthma on a daily basis.

There are lots of other examples, such as not allowing neurodiverse employees to wear headphones to drown out noise, not providing a suitable chair for someone with back issues, or not giving enough space for wheelchair users to move around.

What can employers do?

The two most important things you can do are to encourage communication and education.

Encourage employees to talk to people outside of their team or demographic to get to know others as more than just someone competing for a pay check in the same company, but another human being just trying to pay their bills, too.

Education is also important. It shouldn’t be the responsibility of underrepresented talent to educate their colleagues on what life is like. If they want to, that’s fine. But not everyone does and you shouldn’t expect them to.

Instead, employers should host training sessions that teach people what it’s like and what to look for.

When they know how colleagues feel when they’re on the receiving end of microaggressions in the workplace, and what sort of behavior can be construed as offensive (even if they didn’t think it was) it can work as a wake-up call.

It’s not about shaming anyone or making them feel bad. What was acceptable in the 90s isn’t always now; the world has come a long way. (Anyone else remember the fat shaming of the 2000s?)

It’s about considering how other people feel with our language use and choice of actions, and thinking about how we’d feel if we were in their shoes.

Just because it was acceptable in the past, it doesn’t mean we should still be saying or doing it now. Or not call other people out on it.

Leaders set the precedent

Your leaders set an example. Everything from the language they use to the political figures and/or parties they support sets a precedent about what’s acceptable and what isn’t.

Employees need to feel able to call others out on their microaggressions in the workplace or problematic language. The more comfortable they feel doing this, the more their colleagues can learn and the more welcoming your organization will be to everyone.

If employees feel like they’re going to get in trouble for calling someone out, they’re less likely to do it and your business will attract fewer candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, resulting in less innovation.

Conclusion 

Microaggressions in the workplace may be an inevitable part of life, but we can change that. It requires conscious effort and regular training to ensure we make the world a better place for everyone.

At some point, most of us will be on the receiving end of microaggressions in the workplace, or outside of it. The sooner we can stamp them out, the more welcome everyone will feel at work—and the more work they’ll get done.

How to support underrepresented talent in the workplace

Supporting team members from underrepresented backgrounds isn’t just about preventing microaggressions in the workplace; it’s also about offering opportunities. With a central hub for employee events, programs, and groups, you can encourage everything from mentoring to book recommendations.

Need help getting more from your employee initiatives? Book yourself a free Workrowd demo today.

December is often the time for celebrating holidays in the workplace. Regardless of whether employees celebrate holidays themselves at this time, it’s common for organizations to hold some sort of event.

But just because it’s a popular time for parties, that doesn’t mean it can’t cause unnecessary stress for employees, for various reasons.

And just because December is when many organizations take a break, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other times in the year when employees might benefit from time off. 

So let’s explore some ideas for celebrating holidays in the workplace inclusively.

Respect every culture

When you’re in your own bubble, it can be easy to forget that not everyone celebrates the same holidays.

But with a fifth of adults feeling that they experience stress because the holiday season doesn’t reflect their culture, religion, or traditions, businesses need to consider how they can make the holiday season more welcoming.

This could be as simple as including other holidays throughout the year, in the name of balance.

You don’t always have to use the holidays to justify doing something, either. For instance, if you want to give everyone the last week of the year off, that doesn’t have to be because of Christmas. It could simply be because business slows down a bit then. So why bother having everyone in the office, or signed in to Slack?

Mind the stress 

Holiday stress is all-too real. So real that work-related holiday stress continues even if businesses shut down for the holidays. In fact, 41% of employees still check their work emails and 23% still send work-related emails.

Sadly, a third also take a second job during this time, so they can’t even enjoy the break.

That’s not surprising when you realize that 89% of adults worry about money, missing loved ones, and anticipating family conflicts over the holidays, though. This makes it really hard to enjoy celebrating holidays in the workplace, or outside of it.

Simple things like paying employees fairly, providing them with upskilling opportunities, and connecting them with colleagues in ERGs can help to mitigate some of this stress.

Of course, there’s no workplace solution to family conflicts. But having understanding colleagues can go a long way towards making someone feel less stressed over the holidays.

Remember: they’re not just fun and games

Holidays aren’t fun for everyone. Yet those of us who feel low during the holidays—especially Christmas—are made out to be modern-day Scrooges.

But sometimes, the holidays remind us of a lost loved one, family conflicts, or other challenging situations. Which makes it really hard for celebrating holidays in the workplace to be all about fun and games.

Also, emotions are complex. We can continue to grieve and honor who/what we’ve lost, while also enjoying the holidays. But to enjoy them, we have to not bury those important emotions.

There’s no simple solution to this. It’s just about awareness.

Don’t force everyone to celebrate

Ugly Christmas sweaters are a divisive part of celebrating holidays in the workplace. Some people love them, others think they’re a waste of money. 

Many businesses will have an ugly Christmas sweater day to raise money for charity. But not everyone feels comfortable in an unflattering, itchy, brightly colored sweater with LED lights on Rudolph’s nose.

Accept that some people will want to take part, but remember that for them to perform their best at work, they need to be comfortable. And what we wear can play a big role in that.

Consider extra time off

No one wants to be stressed out about work during the holidays. Rather than giving everyone the same time off over Christmas, why not consider giving them an extra week that they can use for a holiday of their choice?

That way, every gets the same break, your services remain up and running for the whole year, and everyone gets to celebrate holidays in the workplace, and crucially, outside of it, in whatever way they like.

Use your employee groups

If you have ERGs that recognize different cultures or religions, the holiday season is the perfect time to get them involved. Have them host celebrations for members, or even talk to other employees about what the holiday season means to them.

It’s only when we share our stories that people can truly understand them. Sharing holiday traditions can be a simple way to do just that. It’s also a core part of celebrating holidays in the workplace inclusively.

Need help managing your ERGs? The bigger and more influential groups get, the harder they can be to manage. That’s where Workrowd comes in. Keep everything you need for your employee initiatives in one place. Let employees know about holiday events or groups they could join. Get in touch today to book your free demo.

Ask the right questions

Since December is the time when everyone is switching off for the year and looking back, it could be the perfect time to send an employee feedback survey. Find out what has helped and hindered your team at work in the last 12 months. That way you can learn and improve for next year.

Sometimes, what seems inconsequential to one person will be the thing that mattered most to another. So asking the right questions will give you a strong advantage in the new year.

Workrowd can help by sending your feedback surveys automatically and analyzing the results. That gives you more time to make real changes in the workplace that improve your employee experience. And more time for celebrating holidays in the workplace all year round!

Conclusion 

The holiday season can be fun, but it can also be challenging for many. A balance between enjoyment and compassion is therefore key. It’s also important to remember that not everyone celebrates the same holidays, and that diversity is part of what will bring strength to your organization—strength of creativity, innovation, and company culture.

If you’d like help supporting your diverse team to celebrate holidays in the workplace with more organized employee initiatives, get in touch today to find out how Workrowd could help.

If you want to get the most from your resource groups, each of them needs an ERG executive sponsor.

An ERG executive sponsor can increase the group’s impact by ten times. Turning it into a pivotal way to amplify your business results and differentiate yourself from competitors. And that’s as both an employer and a business.

ERG leaders are 2x more likely to feel that their role exposes them to senior leaders and opportunities to grow their external reputations. They’re 3x more likely to feel their role enables them to affect business results. And 1.5x more likely to feel it leads to them being included on interesting or challenging projects.

These are all key factors when it comes to building both employees’ personal brands and their loyalty to your business. It also boosts the likelihood that they’ll keep their internal and industry knowledge within your organization, rather than leaving for a better pay package somewhere else.

So rather than just being social groups, your ERGs can accelerate your business. They can boost your bottom line, enhance team members’ productivity, and increase employee engagement. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

So let’s dive into the role of an ERG executive sponsor and why every group needs one.

What’s the role of an ERG executive sponsor?

An ERG executive sponsor bridges the gap between a resource group and the organization itself. They can help ensure that the group aligns with the business strategy so that both your business and your employees get the most from the ERG.

An ERG executive sponsor also operates as an advocate for the group. They help to attract new members, connect with other resource groups and stakeholders, and obtain resources and budget. They play a key role in ERG visibility within the organization.

Without an ERG executive sponsor, both leaders and employees can feel that these groups aren’t key value drivers for the business. So they get deprioritized because there’s no one to champion them.

As a result, getting any budget or tools allocated becomes more challenging.

Without someone to bridge the gap, it can also mean that the resource group’s goals are less likely to align with the business’s goals. Which further devalues its business impact, perceived importance, and ability to obtain budget. That means the ERG has less leverage to support employees with speakers, trainings, or other initiatives.

However, high-performing companies are 2.5x more likely to see their resource groups as a form of career advancement and leadership development for employees. So they really can make a huge difference if they’ve got someone to vouch for them.

What does an ERG executive sponsor do?

ERG executive sponsors support the interests of the resource group and communicate its usefulness to leadership.

They can also challenge the ERG to grow and develop more, coaching and motivating the team through challenges so that they can use them as learning opportunities and not permanent barriers.

The right ERG executive sponsor can also mentor the group’s leaders. This can help them avoid burnout as they juggle group responsibilities alongside their full-time roles.

Using their position within the organization, sponsors can help both ERG members and the business achieve goals. This reinforces their importance to other team members and helps drive group participation.

The more people who see an ERG helping the business achieve its goals and boosting employees’ career successes, the more who’ll want to be a part of the group, too. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As well as ensuring group goals tie in with wider organizational goals, sponsors need to actively advocate for the ERG to senior leaders and future members to encourage growth, engagement, and investment.

They should also lead by example and be active members of the group themselves. They can take initiative to provoke discussions and share learnings.

For example, sponsors can coach and mentor members and ERG leaders in workplace and leadership skills. That way they can better navigate the next steps in their career journeys.

How to be a successful ERG executive sponsor

Of course, to be successful in any role, it’s not just about what sponsors do, it’s about how they do it.

Being a successful ERG executive sponsor requires someone to actually want to do it. Their enthusiasm will have a ripple effect not just within the resource group, but across the organization.

When employees know the sponsor cares about the ERG, it encourages them to care, too. And makes them want to be a bigger part of that group.

It’s also important for an ERG executive sponsor to listen to group members. What do they need? A member may have ideas or suggestions no one else has considered that could help the sponsor, the group, or even the organization more broadly.

The best ideas don’t always come from the loudest places. That’s why it’s so important to make everyone within an ERG, and within an organization, feel valued.

Almost two-thirds of high-performing businesses expect executive sponsors to be coaches/mentors to ERG leaders. But why not take things a step further?

Executive sponsors typically have more industry experience than other group members. Putting that to use by sharing their learnings can be pivotal to supporting ERG members to not just survive, but thrive—now and in the future of their careers. 

Sponsors should also always be on the lookout for ways to get more from and for ERGs, such as by using the right tools.

Workrowd, for example, can help you better manage and measure your employee initiatives, programs, and groups. That way, both you and your team members can maximize your success.

Conclusion 

If you want to make meaningful change within your business and get more from your resource groups, an ERG executive sponsor who can provide mentorship and connections to your employees is the way to go. They act as your ERG advocates to everyone else within your organization. In doing so, they help your business and your employee groups grow faster.

Why not take things a step further by providing each ERG executive sponsor with the best possible tools to support their group?

Workrowd is your one-stop-shop for employee initiatives. Get in touch to find out more about how our platform can help you help your ERGs serve both people and profit.

ERGs are an important way to support your employees both personally and professionally. These communities can be especially crucial for underrepresented talent. Which is why it’s so essential to offer a people of color employee resource group, or even several.

Being seen and heard through an ERG can make employees feel like a valued part of your organization. It also expands their opportunities for skills development and networking.

For businesses that are remote, having a people of color employee resource group can play a particularly significant role in forming career-changing connections, bridging gaps between locations, and connecting employees from similar races and cultures. These relationships are more important than ever in an increasingly polarized world.

Beyond that, younger generations are growing more and more diverse. Roughly 48% of Gen Z identifies as non-white, compared to 75% of Baby Boomers. Businesses need to take this into account.

They must consider ways to support every employee to succeed at work and overcome the challenges unique to them. A people of color employee resource group can help do just that.

Benefits of a people of color employee resource group

So, what are the benefits of setting up a people of color employee resource group? This includes one or more groups designed to support Black, Indigenous, or other underrepresented talent within your business. The answer goes far beyond socializing:

Higher profitability

More diverse companies make more money. In fact, they have 2.5x the cash flow per employee.

That’s a huge difference that comes from the increased engagement and innovation that diverse teams bring. It can make a massive impact on a business’s ability to succeed.

More innovation 

When employees are all from the same background, it can quickly lead to groupthink and an inability to see things differently or suggest alternative ways of doing things. As a result, it’s harder to come up with creative solutions and product innovations to outperform your competitors.

Including employees from different cultures, races, and backgrounds in the conversation prevents an echo chamber from forming.

It not only fosters empathy among employees, but also allows them to see how people from other backgrounds live, work, and experience situations. Meaning they can consider how to make a product or service work for people from other backgrounds too. And therefore attract more customers.

Even if every team doesn’t have a strong mix of different employees, having a people of color employee resource group means there’s a always a brain trust they can turn to for a broader perspective.

Increased employee engagement

More diverse companies are happier and more welcoming. People feel more able to be themselves, so then they don’t waste energy hiding parts of who they are. They can just get on with their jobs.

They also feel appreciated at work and so put more effort in because they’re a part of the team. Not someone who’s just there to go through the motions.

A people of color employee resource group ensures your team members have a true place to feel at home within your organization.

Attract better candidates

When your company is racially and culturally diverse, people see the impact that this has on your organization.

They also see themselves represented in your teams, which makes them believe they’ll be welcomed.

Knowing they’ll have a community from day one in your people of color employee resource group can encourage more job-seekers to apply.

Appeal to the next generation

As mentioned in the introduction, almost half of Gen Z identifies as non-white. Millennials, meanwhile, are 19% more diverse than Baby Boomers.

So if you want to maintain a culture of innovation within your organization, supporting those who identify as people of color is pivotal. Otherwise, as Boomers age out of the workforce, you’re not going to attract the next generation into your business.

Boost employee career progression for everyone

When employees are supported by someone who’s faced the same challenges, they’re far more likely to succeed. Instead of trying to forge a path of their own without any support, they have one already mapped out to help them navigate. A lack of support can leave people with no idea where they want to go next, stalling their careers and potential to develop alongside your business.

For mentors, teaching is one of the best ways to learn. In addition to teaching them new leadership skills, it helps reinforce what they already know, cementing their knowledge.

A people of color employee resource group gives team members access to those who have gone before them, and gives the trailblazers a chance to make sure those channels stay open.

People of color employee resource group initiative ideas

Here are some employee initiatives that can help you get the most from your people of color employee resource group:

Mentoring 

Mentoring is one of the most powerful ways to support employee career development. Mentees get to learn from someone who’s been there. Which means they don’t waste time on the same pitfalls.

Different employees will face different barriers. For example, the microaggressions a Black female employee faces in the workplace will be different from what a white female employee experiences.

Having mentors from the same racial or cultural background can help people deal with challenging scenarios. It gives them the strength and confidence to handle setbacks that can be harder to face when someone feels like they’re navigating things alone.

Product feedback

When it’s time to work on a new product, or update an old one, who do you involve in the decision making?

Your people of color employee resource group can play a huge role in helping you avoid an echo chamber forming. It’s a community of active employees who want to grow in their careers, network with colleagues, and share their insights. They could very well come up with your next great innovation or initiative.

Networking opportunities

If you’re serious about breaking down barriers and helping employees grow, why not organize networking opportunities for members of your people of color employee resource group?

This could involve speakers who can discuss relevant topics and opportunities to network with their colleagues before or after the talk.

If you wanted to further expand their exposure, you could open it up to people from beyond your organization. This could help with future recruitment opportunities too by feeding your talent pipeline and clearly demonstrating your company culture to the outside world.

Conclusion 

Supporting your employees from different racial and cultural backgrounds with a people of color employee resource group boosts their career progression options while helping your business grow and become more profitable.

You can innovate faster and more effectively, while employees feel happier and more engaged because they’re valued and supported at work.

Grow your groups

Want help growing your people of color employee resource group? Workrowd can help you manage your employee groups so that you, and your team, get more from them.

Keep everything in one place so that employees can find information easily and get the support they need via their personalized dashboards. Plus, track your progress with our real-time analytics. Get in touch today to find out more and book your free demo.