Action Steps

 

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Action Step – Leverage Hybrid & Virtual Events to Enhance Connection & Collaboration

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

Many organizations are adopting hybrid/flexible work environments. For these new work environments to succeed, organizations must change much more than just their flexible work policies – organizations need to undergo a significant culture change which includes leadership support, communication guidelines and team agreements, trainings, technology, mentoring and other support structures. Organizations should also leverage hybrid/virtual events both to support the new work environments, but also as a general practice regardless of where they fall in terms of work locations (i.e. fully in- person; hybrid; or fully virtual). However, these hybrid/virtual events must be orchestrated thoughtfully and require resources, just like in-person events – most importantly, all attendees (virtual and in-person) need to be active participants and not just spectators so that these events are impactful for all. Hybrid/virtual events can have various benefits when implemented properly, including fostering cross-office connections; promoting connections despite budgetary constraints; securing powerful speakers and participants with time constraints; and gaining access to broad audiences. The following are the Alliance’s recommendations for hosting successful hybrid/virtual events:

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step – Affinity Groups: Building Community, Development & Advocacy

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

Organizations are rethinking how they approach work, talent and social justice – many are implementing hybrid and flexible work environments, adding resources to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, and focusing on ways to foster employee engagement, inclusion and productivity. Organizations need to undergo a culture shift in order to truly embrace hybrid/flexible work, diversity and inclusion, and talent development and retention. Affinity groups are a great way to foster this culture shift, as these groups promote community, development, and advocacy. Organizations should pay close attention to creating, structuring, and revamping their affinity groups properly in order for these groups to have the greatest positive effects.

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step: The Power of Stay Interviews

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

As businesses are increasingly focused on recruiting and retaining employees, we recommend that they align their principles, purpose, practices, policies, and people to create a culture of inclusion. To confirm that colleagues appreciate and flourish in your workplace, it is critical to regularly seek their views and feedback. Organizations often gather information regarding culture from new hires as they join the firm, 360-degree evaluations of supervisors, engagement surveys, focus groups to understand specific challenges/successes, and exit interviews. However, more organizations should conduct stay interviews, one-on-one conversations with employees intended to understand what factors are leading them to stay at the organization. Stay interviews demonstrate to colleagues that you care about their opinions, are interested in addressing learning, work assignment/client responsibilities, and want to replicate positive experiences to stave off preventable departures.

We recommend these four strategies for successfully incorporating stay interviews into your workplace:

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step: Flexibility As A Business Imperative Must Be the Focus of Your Business Case

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

Over the last few months, organizations faced the Great Resignation, involving a war for top talent leading many organizations to implement policies, practices and benefits focused on recruitment and retention. In conjunction, many organizations began implementing hybrid and flexible work environments as a way to attract/retain employees. However, as the job market seems to be taking a downward turn, some organizational leaders have been questioning whether hybrid and flexible work will continue to stick as the exodus of employees may decrease. We strongly recommend that organizations continue offering hybrid and flexible work due to productivity, business continuity, engagement, recruiting and retention benefits. However, as the job market will continuously change, we strongly suggest developing a business case for flexibility that is anchored around the many business benefits. This way, flexibility and hybrid work will not whimsically be added and removed based on the job market and you can make sure it is structured in a way to achieve the most bang for your buck. Here are our suggestions:

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step: Where, When & How to Work In A Hybrid Environment

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

Many organizations are transforming their workplaces into hybrid environments. This new way of working is a two-way street – in addition to organizations offering hybrid work and providing resources and support, employees must carefully consider when it is best to work in the office and when it is best to work virtually in order to make this arrangement successful. In addition to weighing personal needs, employees must think through the needs of the clients, team and organization when deciding where to work. Here are things to consider when deciding where, when and how to work each day:

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step – Hybrid Meetings: Experience, Expectation & Engagement

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

As more organizations are moving towards a hybrid work environment, they must be more intentional about ways to build connection and collaboration. Hybrid work has the potential to create the most optimal work environment, bringing together and leveraging the best of both in-person and virtual work. However, hybrid work will only be successful with intentionality, and organizations must be deliberate and focused on building control, connection, collaboration, culture and contribution – take a look at our Action Step, Overcoming the Myth of the Loss of the 5Cs, which provides specific tips on how to do so. We now want to focus on how to make meetings in a hybrid work environment as engaging, productive and equitable as possible, as meetings are a regular source of workplace control, connection, collaboration, culture, and contribution. Here are our recommendations:

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step – Workplace Flexibility & Well-Being: From Balance to Boundaries

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

Organizations have become significantly more open to workplace flexibility since the pandemic, many adopting hybrid work environments, hiring a greater number of workers in flexible locations, and embracing other forms of flexibility such as reduced hours, compressed work weeks, job sharing, flexible start-ends times, sabbaticals, and asynchronous time. Many organizations found an unexpected rise in productivity during the pandemic, leading to this change. However, along with greater productivity came greater burn-out for many employees who were working longer hours with less personal time. There were no longer boundaries between work and personal life. As organizations begin to emerge from the pandemic and develop plans for the future of work, leaders need to promote well-being by helping workers regain boundaries. Here are our recommendations:

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step – ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES NECESSARY IN A HYBRID ENVIRONMENT

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

As more organizations are adopting hybrid work, they need to enhance infrastructure support to ensure success. In addition to training, mentoring, on-boarding, technology and affinity groups, organizations need to make sure to include additional management/administrative support to properly foster professional experiences in a hybrid work setting. Organizations can hire additional professionals to accomplish these responsibilities and/or designate existing employees with these responsibilities if they have the time, interest and skillset. Here are the Alliance’s recommendations on the types of roles/responsibilities needed in a hybrid environment:

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step – TIPS FOR INDIVIDUAL SUCCESS IN A HYBRID ENVIRONMENT

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center. 

 

Many organizations are instituting a hybrid work environment post-pandemic, in which employees will spend some time working in the office and some time working from home. The pandemic has forced organizations that never considered remote work to allow for more flexibility. While hybrid work is definitely a silver lining from the pandemic, organizations will need to develop the right infrastructure and employees need to understand and implement new work behaviors in order to succeed in this new environment.

We created a number of action steps focused on ways organizations should create infrastructure in order to lead to successful hybrid work environments, including: Creating a Successful Onboarding and Integration Program, Building Your Training Program to Support Your Post-Pandemic Hybrid Work Environment, Maintaining Mentoring & Connection in a Hybrid Environment, and Overcoming the Myth of the Loss of 5Cs By Building the Right Flex Infrastructure. Now we want to focus on ways employees can take control of their careers and succeed in a hybrid work environment as the rules of engagement will be different. Here are the Alliance’s recommendations:

 

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Action Step – TO BE ITERATIVE WITH WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY MEANS TO BE INTENTIONAL

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center. 

 

Organizational leaders often mention that workplace flexibility policies must be iterative.  We could not agree more – workplace flexibility policies and practices improve over time from lessons learned.  However, for workplace flexibility policies to be truly iterative, organizations must be intentional and systematic.  Iterative improvement does not occur without processes and systems in place to understand, measure and implement changes to combat challenges and replicate successes.  Here is the Alliance’s 5-Step Process to make sure your workplace flexibility policies/practices are iterative:

  1. Create a Committee on the Future of Work: Many organizations have created a Task Force on the Future of Work, charged with rolling out and implementing new workplace flexibility policies as the pandemic has greatly transformed the landscape on how we work and how we want to work. However, we urge organizations to create this committee to operate for the long-term, meaning at least five years, as opposed to dissolving after the short-term goal of rolling out a new flexibility policy.  An important role of this committee should be to continuously develop and revamp workplace flexibility, by rolling out a new policy, systematically gathering and implementing feedback, and changing necessary infrastructure to make workplace flexibility succeed at the organization.  We also recommend that this committee be diverse, consisting of professionals of different functions, levels and demographics, and also including powerful leadership who can (and will) champion change.

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.