Training Industry Magazine - Spring 2022 - 15

DR. KRISTAL WALKER, CPTM
DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION
RELENTLESS ENGAGEMENT:
CREATING A PATH FOR INCLUSION
ACROSS THE EMPLOYEE LIFE CYCLE
Traditional methods of attracting and
retaining talent are requiring organizations
to rethink their entire business strategy.
As companies leverage best practices to
build pipelines of qualified and diverse
talent, they are also struggling to find
ways to keep their existing employee
populations engaged. A sense of
belonging is foundational to engagement
and self-actualization for employees.
Let's take a look at five areas of the
employee life cycle that could be used
to create intentional paths to belonging
and engagement.
THE PREBOARDING STAGE
In
expectations with applicable resources
to support performance and engage the
new hire in cultural competence training.
The onboarding stage may vary from one
company to the next, but whether the
experience commenced after 90 days,
six months or even a year, the employee's
transition between stages should be
acknowledged
by
an
introductory
evaluation or a one-on-one check-in.
THE INBOARDING STAGE
this stage, we consider activities,
events and points of contact that occur
prior to an employee joining a team. This
might include how the company's brand
appeals to the prospective employee,
the design of the candidate experience
or the job posting itself. In all three of
these examples, the company can assert
inclusion. For example, prospective
employees should see themselves
in the employer's marketing material,
whether on the company's career page
or creative assets.
THE ONBOARDING STAGE
This is the stage where the employee has
a front-row seat into both the dominant
and sub-cultures that exist within the
company. As such, their interpretation
of the culture extends well beyond what
was shared during the preboarding stage.
Ask new employees about their preferred
pronouns, create clear goals and
The primary focus of the inboarding
stage is to avoid scenarios that cause
employees to question the organization's
commitment to their continued success.
This is the stage where employees can
step up to take on responsibilities that
exceed their initial job expectations.
Inclusion activities at this stage might
include rotation assignments to give
employees exposure to areas outside
of their existing role, or career mobility
programs that create clear paths from
entry level to more advanced career
opportunities.
THE OFFBOARDING STAGE
The offboarding stage occurs when an
employee is promoted, transitions to
another team within the same company,
leaves the company for another career
opportunity or retires.
Despite the negative connotations that
come with offboarding, employers can still
be inclusive when it comes to employee
departures. For example, rather than
looking at a retiring employee's departure
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One common example of reboarding
is when employee returns from
maternity or paternity leave - they
may need time to readjust back into
their role. Another use for reboarding
is when companies want to realign
staff expectations after experiencing
significant changes in operations.
INCLUSION EFFORTS
DON'T HAPPEN
ORGANICALLY.
For example, if there are changes in
leadership, employees may need to
be realigned on vision and objectives.
Another example would be if an
organization experiences a merger or
acquisition. Inclusion in both instances
may include offering a diverse range of
resources to support the employee's
personal well-being through the transition.
Inclusion efforts don't happen
organically. But the results will ultimately
speak for themselves when employees
refuse the bait of competitive offers.
Dr. Kristal Walker, CPTM, is the vice
president of employee wellbeing at
Sweetwater. Kristal is also a facilitator
for Training Industry's Diversity and
Inclusion Master Class. Email Dr. Walker.
| 15
as a loss to the company, you can find
ways to preserve their knowledge. In
this way, the employee feels valued for
their contributions over the years and the
company minimizes disruption.
THE REBOARDING STAGE

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Training Industry Magazine - Spring 2022

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