designing the future of
dei in engineering PAUL J. HENEY • VP, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
E
arlier this year, our parent company, WTWH Media, sent a comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion survey to readers of its engineering publications to get a pulse on where the design engineering industry is. An encouraging statistic from the survey was that many respondents (70%) felt comfortable speaking up about DEI issues at work. This indicates that many engineering professionals feel they can address these concerns openly. However, things aren’t always smooth. More than half of the respondents (55%) admitted to witnessing or experiencing discrimination or bias — a grim reminder that, despite progress, issues of prejudice do persist. What’s more, there was a minor, but vocal undercurrent of comments on the survey that were outwardly hostile, conflating DEI initiatives with racism and the hiring of inexperienced people. “I understand that change, in general, can be challenging or uncomfortable,” said Dr. Cheyenne Ray, PhD, SHRM-SCP, Manager, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Fortune Brands Home and Security. “I think the pushback we hear in the news or see on social media is a loud minority. However, I would challenge people who do not yet see the value in DEI to really understand what DEI work is about. The purpose of DEI work is to create an environment where everyone feels they belong and can do their best work. There are companies out
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October 2023
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