Announcing: Spectra Diversity News

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: 2023 in review

2023 has been a tough year in many cases. – especially so in the diversity, equity and inclusion world.

In addition to the US Supreme Court ruling regarding the admission policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina,  there have been other troubling trends. Did you know:

• One in three DEI professionals lost their role between 12/2021 and 12/2022
• Texas and Florida recently banned DEI offices in public universities
• Wells Fargo and the NFL are two of many organizations that have been accused of conducting sham interviews for candidates of diverse backgrounds, when those positions have already been filled.
• Since 2022, America First Legal has filed at least nine EEOC complaints accusing major companies of hiring people based solely on immutable characteristics (any sort of physical attribute which is perceived as being unchangeable, entrenched and innate).

2023 Reflections and Insights

The Annual Spectra Assessment Review (ASAR) has been published. In 2023 we took a deeper dive into how industries differ in their demographics and commitment to DEI work. Details are included in the actual ASAR-2023 Report. In 2022 the ASAR looked at the intersectionality of gender and race/ethnicity. With this cross referencing, we confirmed our hypothesis that white straight men come out as the most positive about management with Black straight women and white third gender/non-binary as the least positive. More insights are included in the actual ASAR 2022 report.

Happy New Year Gifts!

Consider sending your leadership clients or colleagues a copy of the book Powering Inclusive Cultures by Spectra Diversity CEO Christine Jones. Whether you’re a CEO striving to make your organization more inclusive or a C-suite executive looking to lead by example, this book provides the essential guidance to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture that benefits both employees and the bottom line.

Each chapter covers critical topics, supported by the results of thousands of DEI employee and organizational assessments done using the Spectra Diversity Inclusion Assessment.  The start of 2024 is  a good time for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) to assess their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) progress from 2023 to determine how they should proceed in 2024.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2024

It’s a good time for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) to assess their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) progress from 2023 to determine how they should proceed in 2024.

Announcing: 2024 webinar series

Beginning in January 2024, the webinar series, “Inclusive Cultures” is designed for those who know they want to do something but aren’t sure what that might be. The webinars will have guest speakers, plus insights from the book mentioned above. Each webinar takes its inspiration from a chapter in the book.

• Read along as a book club
• Use the sessions as an adjunct to your leadership training
• Motivate your leadership base
• Increase your interpersonal DEI skills.

The webinars are free. One per month. Sessions are at 12 noon Central Time unless otherwise noted. The registration form is below.

• January 22 – 11am CT, Understanding Measurement Amanuel Medhanie, PhD, Parsimony Inc.
• February 12 – Data and C-suite Perspectives, Scott Straus, VP of HR, Jacobs Company
• March 18 – How Leaders Can Drive Change in an Organization, Amy Waninger, Lead at Any Level
• April 15 – Do All Genders Feel Respected and Heard? Rebecca Dessonville, Purrly Digital
• May 13 – 12:00 pm CT, Are People of Color Underrepresented in Your Company? LaJuana Warren, Tapestry
• June – Are People of All Sexual Orientations Welcome? TBD
• July – People with Disability; “brain health” with Lee Shull, Sandy Hook Promise Co-founder
• August – Undervaluing Older and Younger Employees TBD
• September – Understanding Veterans, James Johnson Retired Brigadier General USAF