Fostering an Inclusive Workplace
- ERGs and BRGs can provide opportunities to prioritize a diverse and inclusive culture through a variety of initiatives, from workshops and training to educational programs, brand management and onboarding support.
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Hearst Television (HTV) empowers their employees to participate in ERGs so that they can foster an atmosphere of respect, openness and new ideas. They have ERGs that are company wide, at the corporate level and specific to HTV. |
- ERGs and BRGs can be a flexible base through which DEI can be imbued into a variety of initiatives, from workshops and training to educational programs, brand management and onboarding support.
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TelevisaUnivision, Cox Media Group (CMG) and the E.W. Scripps Company have employed this approach successfully, ensuring that DEI principles are core to their businesses, not merely an add-on. |
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TelevisaUnivision leveraged their ERGs to cultivate a culture of inclusion and belonging through their onboarding "buddy" system. Through this initiative, ERG members connect new hires to senior leaders and colleagues in different departments and serve as a resource through the onboarding process. |
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At TelevisaUnivision we ensure that our sales teams and partner solutions team engage with our ERG leaders to come up with innovative marketing ideas and solutions. Our ERGs take part in focus groups to deliver the best product for our clients. They are our best brand ambassadors at the end of the day. |
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Diana Diaz Delgado, vice president, DEI, TelevisaUnivision |
Open Communication: Facilitate open communication channels and feedback mechanisms to address employee concerns and ensure inclusivity.
- Conduct a staff DEI survey and/or a staff engagement survey. Administering these surveys conveys a strong message
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Audacy measures their diversity and inclusion goals and initiatives through their annual employee engagement survey. |
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We are coming up with action plans, each location has an engagement team and every single engagement team moving our initiatives forward has a DEI liaison. |
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Stephanie Taylor, vice president of Benefits, Compliance and Talent, Audacy |
- Create a sense of community through psychological safety. This means team members must feel included and accepted; they must feel free to learn and gain experience; they must feel that their contributions and ideas matter; and they must feel empowered to change the status quo.
- Create a learning culture that supports an open mindset among colleagues, independent pursuit of knowledge and shared learning experiences that support the organization's mission and goals.
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Hearst TV hosts workshops at stations to foster mainline exposure to diversity and inclusion topics and facilitate breakout sessions with producers to delve deeper into how unconscious bias may present itself in the newsroom. |
Flexibility: Offer flexible work arrangements to accommodate diverse needs and lifestyles, promoting work-life balance and fostering a more
inclusive environment that is also amenable to those with disabilities.
- Avoid generalizations about the needs of your employees. Around the world, 1 billion people live with a disability. That is 1 in 7 people. While some disabilities are visible, others - including chronic illnesses, food allergies, eating disorders and mental health issues, among other conditions - are not as obvious to onlookers.
- Figure out how to help your team members succeed in their role and adopt a personalized approach that is tailored to each employee's needs and ensure they have equal opportunities and access to the right resources.
- Adopt inclusive policies and practices around disabilities and accommodations that foster an inclusive community that offers peer support and is mindful when planning employee events and gatherings.
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Issues around disability and the neurodiverse community have been areas of concentration for us, as is true I think for other companies. We want to make sure we are as inclusive as possible and host sessions that address this topic. |
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Danyelle Wright, vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, The E.W. Scripps Company |
