As the Great Resignation evolves into the Great Regeneration, organizational leaders will have to reassess workplace needs. Many assumptions that were valid in the past are simply no longer relevant. Accommodating new realities and psychological contracts between employers and employees has become a priority as the workplace has been redefined coming out of the pandemic. As a result, organizations will have to completely reimagine and update their recruitment and retention strategies. They will need to take advantage of new developments in science and technology if they hope to compete in this new paradigm.
Forward-looking companies are committed to mitigating the negative effects of unconscious bias and creating more inclusive workplaces as part of their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) priorities. That entails letting go of the forced learning model that has dominated traditional training. Individualization and behavior change experiences are now replacing the well-intentioned but ineffective training methods of the past. This new model also means moving past the typical lagging indicators companies typically track—hiring, retention and litigation data—toward real-time analytics that provide leadership with tangible, “state of the state” information.
Today’s technology, coupled with advancements in data and analytics, such as what BiasSync offers, has helped us understand precisely how unconscious bias impacts an organization—and where. Likewise, companies have greater insight into the unintentional equity barriers often embedded in corporate policies and procedures. Once leadership understands these risk areas—and the employee experience of inclusion—they can allocate resources (namely, personnel and funding) to address these concerns. Data reveals the unknown and provides the guideposts to drive meaningful behavior change throughout the complete employee and organizational life cycle.
A BETTER WAY
With traditional employee training all but ineffective, new research reveals more successful methods to reach people and reinforce learning. At BiasSync, we’ve found that regular touchpoints allow companies to create a sense of experience rather than forced learning. Specifically, short “microlearning” units such as brief interactive content can help create new behaviors, transform old habits and reinforce positive lessons.
BiasSync offers proprietary methodology that triangulates organizations’ understanding of the situation based on several critical factors, including:
• Anonymized, aggregate bias data
• A SyncScore
• BiasSync’s 8-Touchstone Equity Survey which diagnoses the presence of equity barriers in policies and procedures
Before the pandemic upended life—and work—as we know it, employee training had followed an all too familiar pattern. But COVID changed the way many people think, particularly around what success looks like.
Inclusion and belonging are becoming increasingly important factors for employee recruitment and retention. That’s why companies focused on strengthening their DEI strategies—with a clear lens on the metrics that matter—will ultimately be more successful, especially with the right data at their fingertips.
Today, organizations—from government agencies to major private corporations—face many challenges. Risking their reputation as an unfair workplace should not be one of them.
Michele Ruiz is co-founder and CEO of BiasSync, a science-based solution designed to help organizations more effectively assess and manage unconscious bias in the workplace. Learn more at biassync.com.
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