The document discusses significant demographic shifts, projected to see the senior population double by 2030 and millennials making up 75% of the U.S. workforce by 2025. It highlights the importance of workplace diversity and inclusion, arguing that organizations with diverse leadership experience higher returns on investment and innovation. Strategic imperatives are evolving, necessitating improved cultural competence, diverse hiring practices, and holistic approaches to HR and PR in fostering inclusive environments.

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2. • Demographic shifts
• By 2030, the number of people 65+ will double to 1 billion
• Growing from 8% to 12% of world’s population from 2010-2030
• 75% of the U.S workforce will be millennials by 2025
• Blacks and Hispanics will make up 62% of the US population
causing a majority//minority shift by 2045.
• A growing middle class in emerging/growth markets
• China’s middle-class consumers accounts for 75% of its urban
population
• The MENA region is expected to contribute 40% of international
growth among emerging markets
• Increasing incidence of chronic disease
• 52 million people die of chronic disease each year
• Over the next 20 years, will cost the global economy $47 trillion
Some irrefutable facts

3. The workplace is changing
• Globalization competition is intense
• Dramatic changes in the customer base
• More women, people of color, and
immigrants seeking opportunities

4. The approach to
communication is changing
• Many managers are ill-prepared to handle diversity
issues
• Many Americans grew up in racially unmixed
neighborhoods
• Do not talk about so-called “personal” or sensitive
issues in the workplace
• Had little exposure to people substantially different
from themselves
• Uncomfortable talking about cultural differences
• Develop limited perspectives from inner circle or
news media

5. Strategic imperatives are changing
• Becoming more competitive globally
• Improving quality, productivity, consumer
outreach, customer service and culture
• Retain, recruiting & advancing diverse
talent
• Applying new information technology to
reach greater innovation

6. The data is pointing toward diversity
• Companies with cultural diversity are at least 15 percent more
likely to experience above-average ROI; companies within the
top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more
likely to do the same.
• Even gender split contributes to 41% increase in revenue;
Companies with higher female representation at the top
management outperform those that don’t by delivering 34%
greater ROI. Fortune 1000 companies that had women CEOs
between 2002-2014 produced equity returns 226 percent.
• More than ¾ of c-suite execs reported that their global
companies are looking to focus more on leveraging diversity
for innovation over the next three years. (Forbes Insights)

7.
91% of job seekers
think diversity programs
make a company a better
place to work
Survey
commissioned
by
The
New
York
Times

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9. .
Inclusion . . .
Providing equal opportunity
to all people to fully engage
themselves in creating an
environment and a cultural
attitude whereby everyone and
every group fits, feels accepted,
has value and can contribute to
society.
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10.
Diversity
is
the
measure
or
the
varia9on
of
social
and
cultural
iden99es
among
employees
exis9ng
together
in
a
defined
se@ng.
Inclusion
is
the
mechanism
that
welcomes
all
employees
to
par9cipate
and
creates
feeling
they
belong;
the
state
of
diversity
being
acknowledged,
heard,
respected
and
supported.
Diversity is the measure or the
variation of social and cultural identities
among employees existing together in a
defined setting.
Inclusion is the mechanism that
welcomes all employees to participate
and creates feeling they belong; the
state of diversity being acknowledged,
heard, respected and supported.

11. .
Diversity and Organizational Competitiveness
COST:
doing a poor
job in
integrating
workers from
different
backgrounds
can result in
increased labor
costs and lost
business.
RESOURCE
ACQUISITION:
attracting and
retaining
employees
from different
backgrounds
increases the
ability to
compete in
tight labor
markets.
MARKETING:
having a
reputation for
valuing all types
of workers
affects the
ability to market
to different types
of consumers.
SYSTEM
FLEXIBILITY:
the diverse life
experiences of
people helps
them to develop
cognitive
flexibility and
openness to
experience.
CREATIVITY
& PROBLEM
SOLVING:
including groups
from different
backgrounds and
experiences
results in greater
creativity and
problem-solving
ability.

12. Highest Level
of Awareness
Stages of
Diversity
Awareness
Denial
• Narrow video
of the world
• No awareness
of cultural
differences
• In extreme
cases, may
claim other
cultures are
subhuman
Defense
• Perceives
threat against
one’s
comfortable
worldview
• Uses negative
stereotyping
• Assumes own
culture
superior
Minimizing
Differences
• Focuses on
similarities
among all
peoples
• Hides or
trivializes
cultural
differences
Acceptance
• Recognizes
validity of other
ways of thinking
and perceiving the
world
• Accepts
behavioral
differences and
underlying
differences in
values
Adaptation
• Able to
empathize
with those of
other cultures
• Able to shift
from one
cultural
perspective to
another
Integration
• Multicultural
attitude-
enables one
to integrate
differences
and adapt
cognitively
and
behaviorally
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13. © 2013 Thomson/South-Western. All
rights reserved.
1–13
Difficulties Resulting from
Increased Diversity and
Organizational Responses
Internal
• Contribution vs. Fit
• Dysfunctional communication
processes
• Discrimination and Harassment
• Perceptions that nontraditional
workers are unqualified
• Bias: Hiring, Structural, Performance
• Lowered Attachment, Commitment,
and Satisfaction
External
• Boycotts
• Negative publicity

14. Challenges For
Management
Organization
Culture
• Valuing
differences
• Prevailing
value system
• Cultural
inclusion
Mindsets
about
Diversity
• Level of
majority buy-
in (resistance
or support)
• Challenge
met or barely
addressed?
• Obstacle or
opportunity?
Education
Programs
• Educate
management
value of
differences
• Promoting
knowledge/
acceptance
• Taking
advantage of
opportunities
that diversify
provides
Race/Ethnicity/
Nationality
• Effects on
cohesiveness,
communication,
conflict, morale
• Effects of group
identity on
interaction
(stereotyping)
• Prejudice
(racism,
ethnocentrism)
HR
Management
Systems
• Recruitment
• Training and
development
• Performance
appraisal
• Compensation
and benefits
• Promotion
Higher Career
Involvement
of Women
• Dual-career
couples
• Sexism and
sexual
harassment
• Work-family
conflict
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15. Key
Strategic
Focus Areas
for Diversity
& Inclusion
Strategic
Leadership
Commitment Attraction,
Development
and
Engagement
Education &
Training
Culture &
Values
Customers/
Publics
Communication
& Marketing
Suppliers
Accountability
& Measurement
Community
Involvement

16. • Leadership commitment
• Equity in employment,
advancement, & recognition
• Diversity & Inclusion principles
incorporated in strategic
planning
• Accommodation for diverse
physical, cognitive, and
developmental abilities
• Powerful communication and
information sharing
(transparency)
• Shared accountability and
responsibility
• Continuous learning
• Competency-based diversity
training (starting with
managers and supervisors)
• Participatory work processes
• Interdisciplinary, pluralistic
teams for optimum perspective
• Inclusive organizational culture
• Culturally competent retention
and rewards strategies
(empowerment, not just $)
• Collaborative, constructive
conflict management

17. HR focuses on organizational culture.
PR focuses on organizational communication.
• Initially, diversity officers had a direct line to the
CEO and C-Suite, providing instant credibility
and backing for D&I efforts and giving access
across the entire corporation and different
business functions so that they could ensure a
comprehensive approach to diversity initiatives,
and meet business imperatives.
• Together, HR & PR hold leadership teams
accountable for strategic diversity deliverables
while diversity officers play a comprehensive
cross-functional role across multiple lines of
business.
• The most successful companies develop
enterprise-wide objectives with business-
specific execution and solutions through HR
and PR, and align business leaders with a
dotted line into the CDO.
Merging HR & PR
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18. Developing Diverse
Communication Networks
• Mentoring programs focused on
developing women, ethnic minorities, and
other under-represented employee groups;
but also the mentor.
• Networking/affinity programs that
connect employees who share a similar
identity or cultural background, such as
discussions and meetings to share
information, and seek support and career
advice.
• Listening Sessions are great method of
engaging one’s organization to find out how
policy change might affect the employees.
• Unconscious Bias Training – (Project
Implicit) provides internal insight into the
stumbling blocks that prevents inclusive
environment.
@aerialellis

19. Workforce
• Examine employee demographics
• Examine composition of the labor pool
in the area
• Examine composition of the customer
base
Career Advancement
• Eliminate the glass ceiling
• Accomplish mentoring relationships
Accommodating Special Needs
• Child care
• Non-English speaking training
materials and information packets can
be provided
• Maternity or paternity leave
• Flexible work schedules
• Home-based employment
• Long-term-care insurance, special
health or life benefits
Developing Diverse
Communication Networks
@aerialellis

20. ADVANCEMENT
Grooming talent for leadership
Explain the whys Coach the why-nots
Provide a sense of
ownership in order to
show real impact
RETENTION
Creating culture for long-term employment
Recognize value beyond
stereotypes/Avoid the pigeonhole.
Acknowledge core values by
understanding motivation.
RECRUITING
How to find multicultural talent
Align with senior-level professionals
who are ethnically diverse.
Align with orgs that serve specific
cultural groups/ advocate for diversity.
@aerialellis

21. 21
HOW
DO
WE
MEASURE
SUCCESS?
•
Organiza)onal
composi)on
– Workforce
demographics
vs.
RCLF/CLF
– Analysis
of
promo9ons,
separa9ons,
hiring…
•
Organiza)onal
culture
– Climate/employee
surveys
– EEO
complaints,
grievances,
disciplinary
ac9ons
• Organiza)onal
performance
– Line
of
business
objec9ves
– Outcome
metrics:
quality,
service
level,
efficiency
Correlate:
Establish
baseline
in
year
1,
then
correlate
annually
thereaXer
to
gauge
progress.
What
is
being
measured
at
your
company?
Are
managers
being
rated
on
D&I
ini9a9ves,
such
as
recruitment
and
advancement
of
underrepresented
groups?
Are
compensa9on
and
promo9on
9ed
to
achieving
D&I
objec9ves?
In
order
to
meet
diversity
objec9ves,
what
is
being
measured
must
be
meaningful
from
the
perspec9ve
of
both
the
company’s
diversity
and
business
objec9ves.
• Has trust been built?
• What are the cross-cultural competence
skills of those involved our efforts?
• Has a safe environment been created
where people will not feel judged or
punished for their difference or level of
competence?
• Do we have a skilled facilitation for both
employee and leadership discussions?
• Does our program present the kind of
cultural change that requires new
initiatives, programs and engagement?
• Is there a commitment to ongoing
learning?
Measuring Success
Models
@aerialellis

22. LET’S CONNECT
Aerial Ellis
Strategist | Speaker | Trainer
[Communication, Culture,
Diversity, Change, Community]
Talk to Me:
615.307.0460
Book Me:
hello@aerialellis.com
Work with Me
LinkedIn: aerialellis