Someone once famously said, "You can’t manage what you can't measure."
This certainly holds true for biases. We all have biases. Our conscious biases—or those we're aware of—are fairly easy to recognize. However, our unconscious biases—or those we don't realize we have—can be more challenging to detect.
One way to combat unconscious bias is to measure your workplace's bias quotient—your employees' ability to recognize and disrupt bias.
In late 2019, as CEO of Austin-based insurtech company The Zebra, I signed a multi-year lease on a 43,000 square foot office space. This was four times the size of our old one. Our business was thriving and on pace to double our 200 person headcount.
Our culture was thriving. Usually, I am not a big fan of attributing success to hard to describe "culture." However, our team lived and breathed our "All Stripes Welcome" mantra and worked well together.
A few months later, fresh off a Series C fundraise, the company was ready to enter hyper-growth mode. Then, almost overnight, everything in the world changed.
Amazon.com Inc.'s recent settlement with California over employee Covid-19 notifications is the latest example of how pandemic-related workforce safety has emerged as a top environmental, social and governance concern for corporate boards.
The tech giant, following a state investigation, agreed to pay a $500,00 fine earlier this month and promptly notify warehouse workers and local health agencies about new Covid-19 cases.
The settlement shows that Covid health and safety concerns are a fundamental responsibility for boards of directors, corporate law experts say.
Having close friendships in the workplace is something consultant Bruce Daisley says can help retain staff, and it's a topic he explored earlier this month in his newsletter Make Work Better. "One of the things that helps forge these friendships is a sense of shared experience. Things we do with other people just feel more significant," he wrote of the relationships people develop.
Gallup research suggests that having a best friend at work links directly to how much employees put into their roles.
In the boardroom, HR backgrounds are increasingly prevalent among new appointments. Board leaders have prioritized workforce strategy, a change from the more finance and operations matters they previously prioritized.
The Great Resignation represents a threat to any people-manager in that their team could become short handed. Those who are succeeding at employee engagement and retention are more valuable than ever.
While Covid-19 continues to impact the business landscape, the rise of “The Great Resignation” has also increased the pressure on businesses looking to hire and retain talent.
Open enrollment season presents a unique moment in time for business leaders to take inventory of the benefits they have historically offered and how they match up to what today’s employees want and need. In anticipation of continued turnover, leaders need to rely on data and employee insights to ensure benefits are not contributing to the reasons people leave a company.