Equity In the Workplace

Four Strategies to Build Equity in the Workplace of the Future

How do we define equity at work? Recent surveys show leading organizations are looking to increase their efforts toward workplace diversity, inclusion, accessibility and equity, and are planning to allocate a significant portion of their budget to support efforts going forward.

We support these initiatives and are proud to have made it part of the work we do in the development of elearning solutions. We have recent experience working with clients to create courses that promote cultures of candor, integrity and inclusion. From our experience, we would recommend that to meet the challenges of the future these initiatives must take into consideration how working remotely may impact efforts to increase equity in order to be successful. Many organizations have moved their workforce to a hybrid working style that blends remote with in-person work. We must be thoughtful and consider how a hybrid work environment could magnify existing challenges around equity in the workplace.

If we have hybrid work environments that blend in-office work with remote work from home, we want to ensure that all have opportunities to succeed. The worst potential outcome of remote-based work would be to divide our workforce with remote employees losing opportunities that privilege in-person relationships.

Access and investment are the two pillars of the equitable workplace. In order for all to be successful, organizations must provide the technological tools, strive to keep teams connected, and opportunities for individual employees to thrive. Therefore, we must rethink the modalities used to deliver information. To do that, we’ll want to examine the quality of the content by centering the user experience.

It must become a priority for leadership, management, corporate trainers, HR, and learning and development teams to coordinate in the creation of communication plans that are effective for both in-person training and remote learning. 

Equity in eLearning and Remote Work

Based on our experience as learning experts, here are four strategies we recommend going forward.

1.  Use evaluations and assessment protocols to develop solutions customized for your organization. Include methods to objectively evaluate employees without bias related to distance or frequency of onsite interaction.

2.  Invest in technology and improved content. We must build digital resources and platforms that engage and empower our employees. That will include content planning designed to be used in the flow of work, and effective for both the in-person and virtual experience.

3.  Ensure equity through access and quality content. It’s not enough to make sure each employee has a laptop and an internet connection. We can ensure equity by providing good resource content in a variety of modalities to promote access, choice and flexibility, and upskill management in the models that provide equitable access and ability to succeed.

4.  Management must be given the tools and resources to upskill leadership abilities. They must be given support so they can take a proactive approach to communication to address equity issues effectively. This will include issues around remote work, such as unclear expectations, lack of networking opportunities. Leadership must develop a proactive rather than reactive style.

Why It Matters

The potential benefits of an equity-centered approach to remote work are great if we do it correctly. Organizations will be positioned to make the most of opportunities that will come from greater retention, access to better talent, and the flexibility of the adoption of new technologies.

We can see this to be true in our experience. Please take a look at the case studies included at the link to learn more, and we encourage you to reach out to us with any questions.

Conclusion

Use of eLearning with an emphasis on equity is a vital, transformative step forward for organizations. As we continue to manage change, improved communication, team cohesion and branding will be critical to create loyalty, identity, a shared mission and the successful workplace of the future.