Key Takeaways For Leaders From The Book, All Are Welcome

Awhile back, I posted highlights and key takeaways from the book, All Are Welcome – HowTo Build A Real Workplace Culture Of Inclusion That Delivers Results, by Cynthia Owyoung. Upon recently browsing the book again, these additional takeaways came to light:

DEIB:

Diversity in the workplace focuses on representation.
Equity is giving people what they need to succeed.
Inclusion is enabling full participation by everyone.
Belonging is connecting people emotionally.

Onboarding employees tips for leaders:

Get personally involved with the onboarding process on day one. This is your culture, and first impressions are huge.
Assign an empathetic hiring buddy for each new hire. These are ambassadors of your company’s culture.
Send a gift or a handwritten note to every new hire as soon as you make the job offer. This should come from the CEO or, at least, the hiring manager.

Ensuring your employees understand and believe in your company’s mission statement:

Meet with you team to analyze your mission statement.

How compelling is it?
Is it accessible?
Memorable?
Does it align your people?
Does it help your hiring brand?
If not, redo it.

Questions to ask current employees to gather feedback about their feeling of belonging:

What were your expectations for diversity and inclusion when you first joined our company?
Has the company met or not met those expectations and why?
How inclusive do you feel our environment is? Can you give me some examples?
What do you think needs to happen to improve inclusion at our company?
What would need to change for you to stay three more years?

All Are Welcome is full of timely and useful information like what’s shared above for leaders. It’s a great choice to add to your must-read list.

Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me a copy of the book.

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