The common perception is that diversity and inclusion is an HR prerogative. But that’s not true.

We are thrilled to participate in the CEO Action Day of Understanding again this year, during which organizations encourage their teams to have discussions to further understand and embrace their differences and work to educate their people to build more inclusive cultures. As your prepare for this year's event, here are a few learnings to keep in mind.

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Belonging. Concepts that are finally appearing to get the long overdue attention that they deserve in the corporate world.  diversity and inclusion in the workplace than we have in years — maybe ever. Even so, in many organizations, it’s still an uphill battle to move beyond a statement of commitment to actual action.

If you’re struggling to get top-level buy-in for broader diversity and inclusion efforts, it may be time to rethink your approach. Read on for some tips on how to be more persuasive in your conversations with executives and to learn how you can use technology and data to strengthen your argument.

Momentum for action on racial equity has continued to build around the world, and we like many others have spent the past few weeks in an ongoing discussion on what else we can do to help contribute to positive change. It remains remarkably difficult for organizations to have uncomfortable conversations about racial bias, so as a first step we’re spreading awareness of how cognitive diversity can be used as a powerful device to break down the walls in these conversations.

As we’ve learned in 2020, there are some things you simply can’t predict about the year ahead from the vantage point of the present. 

After all, how many of us had a pandemic-induced lockdown and acceleration of remote work adoption on our “trends to watch” lists at the end of 2019? But the major upheavals of this year also give us a pretty good hint at some of what we can expect for the future of work and human resources in 2021.

When it comes to the broad field of Human Resources, everything from complexities related to COVID-19 safety and vaccination policies to potential changes in compliance and regulatory priorities from a new US presidential administration will be in the spotlight.

2020 was quite a year! From the COVID-19 pandemic and fundamental shifts in the ways we work, to significant social upheaval in response to racial injustices, the need for better, more inclusive thinking is greater than it has ever been!

Get ready for 2021 with our Top 10 most popular resources from 2020 – eBooks, white papers, and webinar recordings – with Herrmann's community of inclusive leaders, culture champions, and learning & development catalysts.

Companies like to say people are their most important asset. A new mandate from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) puts that old axiom into sharp focus. 

The human capital disclosure rule, which went into effect on Nov. 9, 2020, and is part of the SEC’s broader project to modernize Regulation S-K, requires publicly traded companies to disclose specific information about their human capital resources and any measures or objectives the company focuses on in managing the business — such as those that address the attraction, development, engagement and retention of employees.

At our core, we are a diversity company. Our specific focus at Herrmann is on cognitive diversity, but ultimately, our technology and tools are about helping people value and leverage diversity and create more inclusive organizations. This is what we do for clients, and it’s something we’re continually working on internally as a fully remote team ourselves.

Over the last six months or so, we’ve had some candid and eye-opening discussions as a team about diversity in all its dimensions and what it means to be equitable and inclusive, both at an individual level and as an organization.

We’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is when you give people a safe space for these sometimes difficult but necessary conversations and the opportunity to expand their worldview.

This is a guest post from Tiffany R. Frasier, Co-Founder and Change Strategist of Peopabilities, LLC.

Silicon Valley’s “diversity problem” has been getting a lot of attention for years, with articles digging into the lack of inclusive culture among of the technology industry and the growing pressure for change in the industry. There are even dynamic charts that track the diversity of the workforce and leadership in tech companies so you can stay up-to-date on where they are and how they compare. It's not just the technology industry that could stand for an overhaul of DEI policies, though.