All workplaces are subject to the societal systems of positionality, power, and privilege to some degree. HR can serve to interrupt these systems as the primary facilitator of employee development and wellbeing. However, even the most well-intended HR practices can inherently exhibit biases that perpetuate inequities. Examples such as resume-whitening and code-switching, as well as organizational policies around dress code and time and attendance, indicate wide-spread expectations for employee adherence to euro-centric standards of professionalism. Meanwhile, our rapidly diversifying workforce demands actionable plans for equitable HR strategies that create an inclusive organizational culture and drive operational excellence. 

This session provides HR/PC practitioners with the necessary context, tools, and skills to operationalize equity, inclusion, and access into the workplace, including recruiting and hiring; engagement, performance and development; culture and change management. 

Learning Objective 1: Understand the context of systemic inequities, organizational power, and social justice in the workplace.

Learning Objective 2: Understand foundations of DEIA-driven culture transformation and change management,

Learning Objective 3: Learn best practices for inclusive recruiting, accessible hiring/onboarding, performance management and equitable employee development, and driving employee engagement and emotionally-intelligent communication.