Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008 - (Page 26)

Illusion of Inclusion and this assessment will either validate that you’re there, and you can celebrate that, or it will show that you still have some work to do.” Fortunately, the results indicated that there were no barriers operating based on this difference. Pam: I know that employee satisfaction surveys have been around for a long time, and now many organizations are doing employee engagement surveys. How is this tool different? Pat: The problem that I see with most surveys is that the questions are totally transparent. Employees know exactly what you are looking for and make a decision about how candid they want to be. The other problem, from a diversity perspective, is that most of these surveys are sliced by department. Given that women and people of color are typically a minority in their organizations to begin with, when you slice the data by department, their perceptions of satisfaction or engagement, which are often very different, get “lost” because they represent an even smaller number of employees in most departments. So their experiences in the organization, which are often very different because of their gender, race or ethnicity don’t surface. Eventually, they leave to go somewhere else, which is reflected in often higher turnover patterns for these sub-groups. Or, if the data is sliced by race, ethnicity, gender and department, women and people of color may feel that they have very little anonymity. One African-American female in one organization told me that if she checked the boxes indicating her race, her gender, her level, and her department, she might as well write her name on the top of the survey. So she told me that she checked the box that said “white male” but after that, she was completely honest in her responses. This tool is very different in that the questions aren’t transparent, and those completing the survey have no idea of how the data is going to be analyzed. In the current environment of “political correctness,” I think we need survey tools that aren’t so “transparent” in order to uncover what is really going on. Pam: You referred earlier to the “signals” that indicate when someone is truly “included.” Can you share what some of the real signals of inclusion are? Pat: The list continues to grow, but there are some themes that have been consistent, such as knowing about key changes before they are announced; having others, especially newcomers, referred to you as “someone you ought to know”; being asked to take on high visibility assignments; and being included in “closed door meetings” when important decisions are being made. Pam: Thanks Pat. I’m sure that our readers will be very interested in learning more about this fascinating topic! |dMBA| 26 w w w. d ive r s it y mb a ma g a z in e. c o m http://www.diversitymbamagazine.com http://www.diversitymbamagazine.com http://www.diversitymbamagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008

Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008 Contents Letters to the Editor In Your Own Hands Editor's View Business Briefs Off the Shelf Diversity MBA 2008 Awards Gala and Leadership Forum "Diversity Next Practices" Illusion of Inclusion Good Is Not Enough Revisiting Your Personal Brand Discover Your Power Voice Authentic Leadership In An Ever-Changing Marketplace Stopping the Brain Drain: How Companies Can Keep Talented People of Color Corporate Succession Planning - How Do You Fit In? How To Manage Virtual Teams Beyond Demographics Recruit, Recognize, Retain, Reinvest – Winning the Talent Acquisition Game Leave Ego at the Door Modernizing Supplier Diversity Taking the Leadership High Road… When You Can Find It Think Boardroom Bound; It’s Happening Who's Who In Diversity Fail to Succeed 4-Star Start-Up, Chris Ward: Character Above All Get Them at Hello – Tips to Improve Your Marketing Kit Sonny Vu, Entrepreneur A World at Your Fingertips Big Brother Wants Your Bank Account Stepping Off The Corporate Ladder HR Focus with Monica Ross A Unique New England Vacation Bold Caballeros y Noble Bandidas Women of Color and Cancer: The Chicago Phenomenon Being Single Isn't Easy International MBAs Flock To U.S. Schools Smart Strategy Gadgets+Gizmos Advertiser's Index

Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008

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