Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022 - 21

Instead, we must recognize and design
new ways of working to empower
employees, provide opportunity and
meet them where they live - in a
manner of speaking.
ANY EQUITY
INITIATIVE
IMPLEMENTED
BY YOUR
ORGANIZATION
SHOULD BE
AN ONGOING
EFFORT.
It will take more than technology
to build equity into the hybrid
workplace. Instead, we will need to
take a proactive approach to support
employees and develop better
communication initiatives with the
mindset that equity initiatives are
always ongoing - there's no ending
point. " It's not going to be enough to
give our employees equal access, "
says Ron Zamir, CEO of AllenComm.
" It's a challenge, and it's always going
to be a work in progress. Design is
critical. We're only at the beginning of
our journey. But I'm an optimist. "
DEFINING EQUITY
IN REMOTE AND HYBRID WORKPLACES
So, how do we define equity in the
remote workplace? First, let's begin
by clearing up confusion around the
term " equity " that commonly leads to
misunderstandings.
The terms " equity " and " equality, "
although similar and often confused,
do not have the same meaning.
Equality often means providing each
person with the same resources,
regardless of their needs. Equity,
in the most essential form, is
about opportunity. It is a humancentered
approach to recognize
individual needs in order to meet
the conditions necessary for people
to have the tools to succeed and
grow. Equity involves empowering
employees with the tools they need
to be successful, based on their
individual circumstances.
When we discuss equity for a hybrid
workforce, we're covering the issues
that may arise in a remote workplace
that could exacerbate barriers to a
level playing field.
HOW TO BUILD EQUITY
INTO REMOTE WORK, BARRIERS TO
OVERCOME, AND WHY IT MATTERS
With the challenge of building equity in
the workplace, we have the opportunity
to build newly revitalized, more
successful organizations. If anything,
our newly hybrid workplaces provide a
tremendous opportunity for progress.
How? When we work together in an
office, it creates an artificial environment
that masks equity issues that may be
holding back a team. For example, we
all have the same technology available
to us, and the norms of dress, procedure
and schedule to simplify many things.
But when we work from home, the
opportunities in flexibility can also create
opportunities for misunderstandings.
It can uncover and highlight the
differences between us. Remote work
may lead to misperceptions about who
is and isn't working or putting in effort,
based on preconceived ideas held over
from traditional office customs.
These concerns about inequities caused
by remote work are based on more
than conjecture and anecdote. Studies
are showing that some employees,
including members of groups already
traditionally marginalized, are more
likely
to want
to remain working
from home. But research done by a
Stanford economic professor shows
that people working from home are
less likely to achieve promotions.
Other research has shown similar
promotion rates, but a slower rate of
compensation increases even when
other factors are ruled out.
For these reasons, we can see that we
must consciously counter potential issues
around remote work with equity initiatives
built on increased communication to
avoid misunderstandings. We must
examine our policies and procedures
to determine the best path forward.
In reviewing our workplaces, we might
ask ourselves the following questions
to begin the process of building equity:
[ How do we bridge the experience
gap between employees that are inperson
and those working remotely?
[ Who on the team might have
greater challenges to overcome just
to participate, and what support can
we provide?
[ What can we do to bridge gaps in
access and proactively accommodate
team members with different needs
around remote work?
These aren't empty exercises. Some
companies are already putting measures
in place to level the remote playing field
for their workforce. Recently, the Wall
Street Journal reported that Cloudflare
in San Francisco made the decision to
require all employees to log into video
meetings if even one member of the team
is calling in remotely. Other companies
are
bridging gaps between remote
and in-person meeting attendees by
providing agendas ahead of time and
making certain to communicate that
people won't be penalized for different
types of participation.
So, what can your organization do to
make your workplace more equitable?
STEPS TO ESTABLISH
MORE EQUITABLE WORKPLACES
Every workplace and organization is
different and will have its own set of
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Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022

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