The Orange Blog

Laying a strong foundation of strategy work is an essential part of the roadmap to achieve any organizational goals, including talent management, DEI, and engagement goals. Solid strategy preparation helps you set the stage for successful execution so that your organization can reap the long-term benefits of investing in your talent. To build an effective strategy plan, our team at Orange Grove recommends using the following roadmap: Understanding Organizational Objectives and Goals Before beginning strategy work, you’ll want to first understand your [...]

As educators, we’ve noticed a polarity between two distinct groups in the classroom: those advocating for social justice and those resistant to change. Proponents of social justice want people to own their labels and demand for immediate change. On the other hand, resistance to social justice rejects challenges to the current (perceived) meritocracy and doesn’t want any mention of bias at all, as they believe that the entire movement has gone too far. Some even fear that they will be unfairly marginalized [...]

In today's evolving business landscape, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become urgent priorities for organizations worldwide. Recognizing the need to address DEI challenges, companies are increasingly leveraging data analytics and reporting to gain valuable insights into their workforce and drive meaningful change. Here’s a brief description of how we use DEI analytics and reporting to address systemic biases and build inclusive workplaces. The reason we utilize HR analytics is with the aim of shedding light on critical touchpoints in the talent [...]

The Supreme Court has delivered its long-awaited ruling on the legality of affirmative action in higher education, sparking intense debates and discussions across the nation. The Supreme Court ruled a ban on affirmative action specific to a case in university admissions, however this likely means affirmative action for other institutions will follow suit. Companies that have relied on this policy must consider alternative approaches to achieve diversity and inclusion. So what does that mean for you?    To get started, you’ll need [...]

In today's ever evolving workplace, the power of networks can’t be underestimated. The people we interact with and the communities we engage with often shape our beliefs, perspectives, and understanding of the world. But our social networks can also inadvertently perpetuate bias narratives, leading to echo chambers and limited viewpoints. That’s why we’re excited to announce our “Summer of Networking” initiative here at Orange Grove. The initiative is a collaborative effort to diversify our networks of professionals and thought leaders and highlight [...]

The “back to the office” wars moved to a new level recently when it was leaked that some Google employees have been on the payroll for almost a year without doing any actual work. DEI proponents have responded negatively– rightfully so – since we know the office often caters to the needs of one group (one that rarely has childcare responsibilities, for example) at the expense of diversity and inclusion. Concern about a remote workforce is not unfounded – there are a number [...]

Women's History month may have just passed, but the conversation around the lack of representation of women in leadership roles is an ongoing effort. After all, performative actions for one month are not enough to drive change — so what are you doing to really make a meaningful difference? Women have been historically underrepresented in leadership positions, and despite some progress, there’s still a long way to go. One of the key issues is the lack of representation of women in mid-level [...]

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) training has been a hot topic in recent years as companies aim to demonstrate their commitment to racial justice. However, a recent opinion piece in the New York Times – “What if Diversity Training is Doing More Harm Than Good?”-- highlights that despite promises of improved intergroup relations, better employee retention, and recruitment, there is little evidence that many of these initiatives work. The article argues that mandatory training without a clear objective may actually have a [...]

The conversation surrounding DEI in the workplace often centers on setting initiatives for the workplace with the assumption that employees will be able to simply adapt to the new processes without any difficulty. But the reality of creating inclusion at work requires a deep understanding of what’s going on in your pipeline development – from hiring to promoting employees – and a willingness to make significant changes to both policy and behavior. That’s because DEI is so much more than recruiting a [...]

2023 has just kicked off, which means now is the perfect time to set your sights on finally achieving your DEI goals in the new year. Resolutions and/or intentions are a way to be proactive about defining your personal or your organizational goals for an equitable workplace before you achieve them strategically. Setting benchmarks for your DEI strategy keeps you aligned with the future you. The team at Orange Grove shared their inclusion-related resolutions/intentions for 2023, which range from keeping yourself accountable for [...]

With the holiday season in full swing, now is an especially important time to encourage a sense of belonging and honor your employee’s diverse identities. After all, how you opt to celebrate holidays in the workplace impacts your culture and employee experience.  Since many holidays are centered around faith-based or cultural beliefs, employees can feel uncomfortable or excluded when some celebrations get more attention than others. Ignoring individuals’ backgrounds and identities can lead to employee disengagement and negatively impact your business performance.  [...]

In our last blog, we introduced the “Great Breakup” – a major workplace shift occurring across the country as women switch jobs in unprecedented numbers, according to a new report published by McKinsey in partnership with LeanIn.org. The report sheds light on how women have been underrepresented in leadership for years due to the “broken rung” that prevents women moving up the ranks at the very first step to manager. The fact is that there are a multitude of steps over a period [...]

There’s a major workplace shift happening in businesses nationwide as women switch jobs in unprecedented numbers, according to a new report published by McKinsey in partnership with LeanIn.org. In what’s been coined the “Great Breakup,” women are relocating to companies that more align with their values – and the phenomenon is shedding light on the workplace dynamics that are still preventing women from moving up the career ladder. McKinsey’s annual Women in the Workplace report reveals that in 2022, “women leaders are switching [...]

In our last blog, we introduced how organizations can decide whether DEI and overarching organizational values should be aligned – or if having a separate set of core values is beneficial. We help organizations both establish DEI values or take existing company organizational values and define them from a DEI standpoint. What we’ve found is that there’s no single approach to deciding on core values since all organizations start off at different points in the DEI journey. If your organization opts [...]

When strategizing a diverse and equitable workplace, a question that often comes up for organizations is whether DEI and overarching organizational values should be aligned – or if there’s merit to having a separate set of core values. Since all organizations begin at different points in the DEI journey, there’s no uniform approach to deciding on core values. A good starting point is to look at how embedded your pre-existing organizational values are to begin with by getting feedback from employees [...]

In our last blog, we introduced  non-profit climbing advocacy group Access Fund’s vision and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) journey. In their February 2022 JEDI journey report, Access Fund shares that its vision is to build a community and workplace with a “staff from a multitude of backgrounds” that feel “ respected, valued, heard, and able to fully reach their personal and professional potential.  Access Fund began their JEDI journey by conducting their own internal assessments, which included a quantitative aspect [...]

Awareness that a diverse and inclusive workplace is crucial to bottom-line business benefits has spread across the country in recent years. The effective implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has resulted in increased employee satisfaction, greater innovation, and so much more. Organizations that are seeing the tangible, long-term results of DEI initiatives are making a proactive effort to level the playing field. They focus on using objective data to implement solution-based strategies in order to achieve equity in the workplace. One [...]

Two weeks ago we talked about how conscious or unconscious biases could be preventing your organization from hiring and promoting leaders. Leaders are struggling to identify the best talent, and making plenty of excuses to defend why women and people of color are not being promoted at the rate of other demographics. One story we hear over and over again is that organizations just aren’t ready for DEI, and that there aren’t enough qualified candidates in their talent pool to get the [...]

Conscious or unconscious biases could be preventing your organization from hiring and promoting the best talent. The common cultural stereotype that women are more family-oriented, for example, can negatively affect candidates when being considered for promotion – due to the belief that they will be less committed to their jobs than men or leave their roles completely after they have children. Unfortunately, these biases exist not only in management, but throughout the entire organization. Managing Partner Jodi Detjen’s 2021 research, “Masculinity and [...]

Two weeks ago we talked about how an assessment may be the missing step in your DEI journey. After all, the three components of an assessment – HR data, employee perceptions, and individual employee experiences –  provide a qualitative and quantitative data-driven understanding of your level of workplace inclusion, helping you identify areas to expand on your diversity, equity and inclusion commitments as well as celebrate what is working well.  What is the value of these assessments in accomplishing your DEI goals?  [...]

Not sure if your current DEI initiatives are working, or why your diverse talent doesn’t stay? An assessment may be the missing step in your DEI journey. After all, assessments provide a data-driven understanding of how your workplace is currently doing, helping you identify areas to expand on your DEI commitments as well as celebrate what is working well. Measuring the progress of your DEI goals will set your organization up for the bottom-line business benefits that come with an inclusive workplace. [...]

Two weeks ago we talked about how focusing on what acronym you use for your inclusion efforts can often be a distraction. Today we are sharing how to impact inclusion through integrating DEI into operational goals. There are a few different ways that your company can integrate DEI strategy to align with overall operational goals. For example, intentionally examining your talent acquisition process to remove bias and unnecessary legacy requirements can have two major advantages: widening the candidate pool and potentially sidelining the [...]

With the increasing spotlight on diversity and inclusion across the country, the two letters commonly associated with the initiative – D & I – have also seen an evolution. Leaders are opting to expand the language used to represent diversity and inclusion – and the classic acronym has added a few letters.   You’ve probably seen acronyms like JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) or DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) making rounds on social media and the HR world lately. The [...]