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SHRM’s Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. Introduces His New Book RESET Available Now

BUILDING INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES

Our diversity efforts have failed. Period. We should own that. In 2020, there were only five Black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, just 20 percent of C-suite jobs belonged to women, and just 4 percent of those women were Black. These numbers have been stagnant for a decade. What we know is that countless organizations have spent “time and treasure” on trying to address diversity and inclusion to little avail.

Hiring the right person would be the first place to start. That sounds doable, right? But too often organizations plant a flag in the name of commitment and use that position— say, chief diversity officer—as more of a symbol than a strategy.

Accountability’s time has arrived. Organizations must also recognize that inclusion and diversity extends far beyond race, gender, and sexual orientation. True inclusion and diversity embraces abilities, veteran status, criminal history, and even political differences.

To create an enduring pipeline of diversity, employers must tap into these different talent pools and acknowledge how inclusion and diversity benefits everyone, not just those in the minority or outside the mainstream.

• “Untapped” is the latest buzzword in the world of talent management. Too much of an organization’s missed opportunities stem from a failure to recognize the potential of its current workforce or the applicant pool it uses to identify talent • Check your inclusivity constantly in the workplace. Observe how meetings are conducted and who is present. When you see random acts of inclusion, note and reward them. • We need to stop reacting and start acting. We need to get comfortable being uncomfortable and boldly commit to change at work. The math of inaction is right in front of us. • Put your business over the top with an efficient and culture-shaping reset by tapping nontraditional talent pools. • Pay attention to the rule of three for meaningful D&I: right person, right budget, right mentality. If one is missing, the results will net nothing.

To win the future of work leaders must look past traditional talent pools — truly inclusive organizations leverage differences for both growth and innovation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management. With over 300,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM is the largest HR professional association in the world, impacting the lives of 115 million workers every day. As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers and the workplace. He is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, "Ask HR." Mr. Taylor's career spans over 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit space. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/Interactive Corp, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm, and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. He was appointed chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and served as a member of the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board during the Trump Administration. He is a Trustee of the University of Miami, Governor of the American Red Cross, and member of the corporate boards of Guild Education and iCIMS. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

A ABOUT SHRM

SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today's evolving workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally. Learn more at SHRM.org and on Twitter @SHRM.