'If the official statement is 'We really value diversity, yet we are going to be cutting back the diversity initiatives,' that's going to seem very hypocritical and very dishonest': academic
Some HR leaders in Canada may be having difficult conversations in the coming months if the sudden pullout of three major Pride Toronto corporate sponsors last week is any indication.
The development presents a pressing question for HR leaders across Canada: How should organizations communicate changes to DEI policies to employees, especially when reductions or eliminations may signal a deeper shift in corporate values?
Camellia Bryan, assistant professor of organizational behaviour and human resources at the UBC Sauder School of Business, stresses the importance of empathy when communicating these changes.
“Especially for people who are targets of DEI initiatives, this can be quite emotional, because it's not just signaling that your organization's changing initiatives,” says Bryan, whose research focuses on corporate communication about DEI.
“It can really signal a change in values, and that can be really threatening. It can be a sign that maybe your identity is not safe, maybe you don't feel like it's valued."
To preserve employee morale and also retain talent, it’s essential that HR professionals ensure employees continue to feel valued and supported, says Bryan; even when formal DEI programs are cut, organizations can...
Charles Dickens famously wrote in Oliver Twist: “the law is a ass—a idiot.” There is little doubt that myriad of Long Island business owners would ruefully agree when trying to make sense of verdi...