Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion February 2021
BUSINESS SERVICES
BUSINESS SERVICES
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Source: diversity.rutgers.edu
“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is essential at the center of what we do. We must work together towards a common purpose to celebrate our diversity, cultivate an inclusive culture, and ensure everyone’s voice is heard with respect. From the moment our people walk in the door and through each learning opportunity, they can deepen their knowledge and understanding of our purpose and their role in advancing it. Thank you all for sharing the thoughts and ideas found throughout this booklet. I look forward to our discussions and journey on making this our commitment!”
Henry Velez, Vice President, Business Services
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Celebrate Our Diversity
Cultivate an Inclusive Culture
Ensure Everyone’s Voice is Heard with Respect
Celebrate Our Diversity
Be aware of unconscious biases so decisions can be made in a transparent, consistent, and informed manner Create teams that are diverse in thinking Invite DEI guest speakers from the community to speak at our organization Put up pictures of management with a personal blurb Short video biographies where people share their experiences (either positively or negatively) A link to “what’s new” within IP&O with updates on projects throughout Rutgers Highlight the diversity of staff that is spotlighted in the IP&O newsletter The Beloved Community Posters displayed throughout the workplace Spotlight diversity and inclusion in movie series Host films and post-movie discussions from different cultures Quarterly cultural events - Let’s learn about each other’s culture
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Picturing a Beloved Community Poster Series | Source: diversity.rutgers.edu
Promote diversity through the Rutgers radio station Diversify leadership positions while selecting the best candidates Focus recruitment efforts in order to outreach underrepresented populations (the staff in IP&O should reflect the community we serve) Hiring additional bi-lingual specialists to better connect with the Rutgers community Benchmarking or creating reasonable broadly defined DEI goals in hiring, promoting non-aligned staff Form a working group/ambassadors for DEI, comprised of a diverse group of people ranging from entry level to VP level Seek out opportunities to learn about different cultures and be aware of other cultural contexts Develop programs that facilitate building a sense of community and collaboration across the division in order to develop relationships outside of individual work units Identify what other Big 10 schools have implemented to promote DEI (what has worked and what has not been as successful) Encourage coworkers to collaborate with each other and spend some informal time getting to know one another
Create an Inclusive Culture
Engage in tough conversations when necessary, take ownership, engage others, and identify opportunities to be more inclusive Cross training staff to make our department more versatile. It also gives staff members the opportunity to pick up new skills Professional development for individuals to be more sensitive to take direction from women and minority supervisors Offer professional development sessions, seminars, and webinars to all employees, led by professionals in their respective fields to teach and provide guidance on specific subjects Make sure interview panels are more diverse with their members Promote from within. Employees should be developed and given an opportunity to succeed Review existing job descriptions to ensure no barriers Schedule team bonding activities during the day
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Picturing a Beloved Community Poster Series | Source: diversity.rutgers.edu
Continue/expand work with the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Review accessibility features at each retail location Source from diverse vendors Accessibility videos on how some of our products can help different groups of people. Ex: headset features and voice activation Attend job fairs that are hosted by the university Bring everyone together to discuss goals, new initiatives, accomplishments, etc. to feel like we are one community (e.g. Town Hall) Create mentorship opportunities open to all interested Work with UHR to update the sick leave policy to cover mental health days. Allowing employees to use their sick days when they need to take a mental breather Work with UHR to develop a program to reward hard working employees continually going above and beyond
Ensure Everyone’s Voice Is Heard With Respect
Treat everyone with fairness and respect, empower each other’s wellbeing, and foster an environment where team members can be their authentic selves Listen attentively and value the viewpoints of others Develop a statement on diversity and inclusion to express our position on what it means for us Professional development and policy on how to interact and communicate with customers with various types of backgrounds, needs and disabilities Offer educational workshops that will help define and shape the conversation when it comes to DEI. (How we speak to one another, the language we use or should avoid, etc.) Promote DEI on the IP&O website Gender neutral language in job postings and website communication Anonymous suggestion box Ask our current team members/colleagues to weigh in on day to day processes. Keeping an open mind will foster an inclusive nature and further advance IP&O
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Picturing a Beloved Community Poster Series | Source: diversity.rutgers.edu
Interview students “on the bus” to gain insight on a more diverse cross section of our community DEI panel discussions, invite people from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences Intradepartmental “Peer Group” to discuss issues that might be common or not, develop a process for utilizing across the board talent in different scenarios to help solve them Outreach to student groups for their feedback on our services Speak to those in the operational services (such as Custodians and Mechanics) who might not feel that they have a voice Sponsored events. Get other organizations together to talk about DEI and share what’s working and what isn’t working Review website, marketing and communications to ensure usage of inclusive language and ensure photos reflect the Rutgers community Diversifying how we communicate with non-English speaking customers Use social media and marketing to highlight DEI initiatives