The Orange Blog

Pay equity in the workplace continues to receive focus due to recent legislation and awareness. Driven by national movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, California began requiring employers to file annual equal pay reports in March 2021, while Colorado’s pay transparency bill went into effect in January 2021. Pay equity is a key component of DEI strategy that will fuel a cultural transformation to eliminate workplace bias and improve hiring practices. After all, inclusion can only be achieved once employees feel [...]

Across 2021, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has become more important than ever in the workplace, with HR leaders taking the initiative to drive meaningful change in their organizations. From shifts in office structures to hiring strategy, many businesses are putting DEI in the center of all their efforts. As the DEI landscape continues to evolve, we’re seeing 8 top topics emerge. If you’re looking to kick off the new year by prioritizing DEI, check out these eight trends -for 2022.   [...]

Diverse workplaces are the new normal. In fact, nearly half of American millennials say a diverse and inclusive workplace is an important factor in a job search. Though your organization may be familiar with the benefits of a diverse workforce -- from more innovation to better performance -- what’s less clear is how to actually hire for diversity. After all, reading about diversifying talent is not the same as actively assessing and reworking a candidate pipeline. No matter where you’re starting, our approach [...]

If your organization is like so many others in the last several years, you have made the decision to foster more diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Though you may be quick to announce feel-good statements or launch a DEI program right off the bat, these quick-fix solutions typically don’t see any sustainable changes. Where should you start? Assess. If you’re hoping to implement long-term DEI initiatives, the first step should be determining how diverse and inclusive your business already is — and how [...]

September 2021 update: We originally published this article in 2018, and thought it was relevant to revisit given the recent spotlight on diversity fatigue. One of the most discouraging things for a Diversity and Inclusion leader to overhear is frustration expressed that including diversity in the workplace is “too hard” or worse, that “we’ve gone too far.”  The fervor around systemic racism in recent years, following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police officers, has certainly [...]

The future of work is undergoing a significant shift as offices across the country begin to reopen. The pandemic has certainly transformed the way we work, and businesses are embracing a new hybrid work model that combines remote work with on-site collaboration. This paradigm shift is the perfect opportunity for leaders to rethink and reshape culture so that it retains and maximizes diverse talent.  As employees return to the office, organizations are choosing to build a hybrid workplace with a human-centered design. It’s [...]

The benefits of having a diverse team in the workplace are undeniable, with greater creativity, innovation, and long-term business profits. But without an effective strategy for implementing inclusion, diversity can actually create more conflicts and misunderstandings amongst employees in your company. So how can an organization effectively reach their goal of diversity without taking a toll on their teams?   One of the concerns we hear from clients when discussing a workplace diversity strategy is the risk of disrupting the status quo and affecting [...]

As the country reopens, businesses are grappling with the lasting impact of the pandemic on the workplace. With the rapidly changing work and home environment, some valuable populations are at risk of being left behind. Many parents are still struggling with daycare scarcity and some remote employees who relocated to the countryside may be unwilling to return to old routines.  Implementing an inclusive job-crafting strategy is certainly more important than ever if you want to retain the best talent in the post-pandemic workplace. [...]

“Women don’t want to be programmers” and other famous myths that serve as common excuses for not setting and measuring specific diversity goals. There are plenty of myths circling around about why there aren’t more women and people of color in leadership and other male-dominated roles. These excuses may even seem plausible – “That makes sense” – because they confirm common stereotypes about gendered roles and leadership traits.  Remember Barbie’s famous 1992 quip, “Math class is tough!” -now a generation of men and [...]

In today’s discourse, some organizations have shifted the focus from gender equity towards a broader view of diversity and inclusion. Corporations are waking up to the call to acknowledge the intersectional identities that people bring to work each day, including race, gender, and sexual orientation. And fortunately, these efforts are complimentary.  At Orange Grove Consulting, we have expanded our training programs to incorporate all kinds of diverse individuals.   When we first developed our training and development programs, our work focused on the largest [...]

By Daffany Chan, featuring Neli Fanning More than ever, corporations across the country are waking up to the call to tackle systemic racism and ensure that their workforces are more diverse and inclusive. But what does a corporate anti-racist strategy actually look like? There’s no one-size-fits all approach, but one thing’s for sure: Anti-racism needs to be an intentional focus. With more demand for equitable communities as well as bottom-line-business benefits at stake, now’s the time to take action to address  corporate racism. [...]

Plenty of organizations want to create an equitable workplace, and yet only 18% of women say their companies have done something.   (Interestingly, 51% of men think their companies have made a difference).  CEOs often make the mistake of claiming they’ll “prioritize inclusivity” and thinking demanding it is enough to solve the problem. The reality is that lasting organizational impact begins with shifting mindsets. In our new book, The Next Smart Step, we outline the process for making lasting organizational change for women [...]

As the country deals with the impact of COVID-19 and social unrest over racial injustice, employers have vowed to improve diversity within their organizations. Though equity may be at the forefront for implementing change, there are many other reasons why organizations should prioritize diversity. Diversity and inclusion is good for business and implementing a training program can help organizations be more profitable, attract and retain talent, and drive innovation. Inclusive training programs are often mischaracterized as racist and divisive – and it’s important [...]

A lack of diverse teams unequivocally hurts business innovation -- yet many firms are still using excuses to keep women, people of color, and other minority groups out of the boardroom and leadership. In our conversations with corporate leaders and talent managers, we’ve heard it all. From “Of course we want diversity, but we just don’t know how” to “Women just don’t fit in”, companies will often deflect the blame for their diversity problems.   This mentality distracts people from the real culprit of underrepresentation in the workplace: unconscious biases and outdated stereotypes. Creating [...]

With contributions by Stacey Gordon, Rework Work   As the country erupts with racial tension following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, communities and workplaces have become battlegrounds of debate.  The Black Lives Matter movement and protestors seeking justice for George Floyd have been met with resistance and outrage. While what some of these responses show may not be overt racism, it clearly demonstrates the blindness of those who still believe the system is fair and that everyone is treated equally.  And because [...]

Times of crisis may be unsettling, but they can also be the catalyst needed for change. Since it’s unlikely that life will return to exactly how it was before the global coronavirus pandemic, there’s an unparalleled opportunity for leaders to take advantage of. This could be the black swan event that rallies us to address the diversity and inclusion issues we’ve been ignoring for far too long. After all, with organizations turning their focus on HR departments to lead during the stressful time, now’s the time to [...]

If you are an HR or D&I leader, COVID19 has likely redefined and REFRAMED your role in significant ways.  The crisis has provided you a perfect opportunity to shift from being thought of as a “nice-to-have” cost-center to an invaluable resource for keeping the wheels on the bus for your organization.  After all, overnight those initiatives like teleworking and flexible work schedules have become absolutely necessary for your organization.  As has the ability to scale your workforce up and down while redefining roles [...]