Changing how workplaces operate — not just how people think — best ensures that all employees are valued.
That was the message shared during last week’s "Conversations for Inclusive Excellence," which explored how unconscious bias within workplaces can limit progress, especially when it’s not acknowledged or addressed.
"We can respect each other despite having different opinions," said Sheritta Strong, MD, assistant vice chancellor of inclusion. The Aug. 12 session helped to introduce the Gender Equity Community of Practice Pilot Project, a data and empathy driven approach to learning about, identifying and addressing barriers to equity at UNMC. The pilot is set to launch later this fall.
During this month’s session, participants heard from Sara Sanford, MPA, PMP executive director of Gender Equity Now (GEN) & GEN Certifications, the first gold standard for gender parity in the U.S. workplace. Sanford offers a certified playbook that helps companies go beyond good intentions, using a data-driven standard to actively counter unconscious bias and foster gender equity by changing how workplaces operate.
Watch her TedTalk titled "How to design gender bias out of your workplace."
According to Sanford, workplace issues that matter most to working women include paid family leave, health care for dependents and that their ideas are heard and credited. Sanford acknowledges that while we all have biases, unconscious biases in the workplace affect what individuals believe others can do.
Through GEN, she said, workplaces can elevate gender equity and counter the presence of bias in practices such as subjective performance evaluations, unstructured interviews and unequal opportunities for mentoring.
"Businesses can be anything they want," Sanford said. "Now, it’s up to them."
To stay engaged, the campus community is encouraged to reach out to inclusion@unmc.edu, sign up for the Office of Inclusion on Engage, or look on the campus calendar for future events.