BIASC’s role as the voice of these constituents in Southern California – home to the most diverse businesses per capita in the United States – demands Authenticity for that collective voice to be both genuine and effective. And this means that as a trade association, it is incumbent upon us to embrace and leverage the broad spectrum of talent from diverse racial, ethnic, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Authenticity means that our leadership, staff, membership and suppliers must increasingly reflect this Diversity – not to mention the communities that we serve in building a wide range of housing types, sizes and costs that support an increasingly diversified array of lifestyle choices.
People from all walks of life should be able to share in the American Dream, and BIA is committed to infuse Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as one of the critical pillars of our mission.
Defining Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Beyond recognizing that welcoming and supporting a more diverse workforce is a moral imperative, it recognizes the high statistical correlation between corporate diversity and business performance and sees its DEI commitment as a way to help the Association and its member companies to become stronger financially, more resilient and better prepared with the work force needed for business success.
Diversity
Includes recognition of, curiosity about and acceptance of our differences, both the individual and organizational characteristics that shape our workplace.
Equity
Is defined as “the state, quality or ideal of being just, impartial and fair.” We are not talking equality where everything is the same, we are talking about equity as a synonym for “fair”.
Inclusion
Refers to a culture that connects each employee to the organization; encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness; When there is diversity and equity, you will find inclusion. It encourages individuals to be their “authentic” selves.
DIVERSITY can be measured, and those numbers matter, but they do not tell the whole story. INCLUSION runs deeper and is more about intangibles, how people treat one another. If diversity is about getting underrepresented people in the door, inclusion is about getting them an EQUAL seat at the table.
Inclusion is ultimately about BELONGING.
The Right Approach?
WOVEN INTO ORGANIZATIONAL FABRIC!
INITIATIVE MUST BE:
- Intentional
- Integrated
- Institutional
INDIVIDUALS MUST BE:
- Committed
- Educated on Topic (Learning Culture)
- Willing to Act
THE OUTCOMES WILL:
- Strengthen Customer Orientation
- Increase Employee Satisfaction
- Enhance the Company’s Image
- Win the War for Talent
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Goals
1.
Demonstrate 100% Leadership Commitment and Accountability
Through participation and behavior that advances diversity and inclusion goals and objectives (tied back to the performance evaluation & compensation).
2.
Build a Robust, Diverse Talent Pool
Enhance our “People Strategy” to build and maintain a high-performing workforce drawn from all American communities.
3.
Raise DE&I Intelligence Quotient/Awareness (100% Employee Participation).
Strengthen culture through effective training that drives attitudinal/behavioral change to recognize & eliminate cultural biases/microaggressions & cultivate an inclusive workplace.
4.
Business Imperative: Infuse DE&I as a Key Priority of our Business Model
Establish infrastructure that drives industry leadership in DE&I through more effective client services/campaigns that cater to their increasingly diverse client base.
5.
Business Imperative: Advance Equity in our Supplier Base.
Survey our current base of suppliers and launch BIA’s Supplier Diversity Program. Develop our goals that are achievable yet also stretch the organization.
Diversity in the Military – a Veteran’s Perspective
Eric was born and raised in Clarke County, Virginia and went on to serve in the US Army including multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to finding the military more diverse than where he grew up, he felt it had a strong, positive impact on the mission.
“Diversity brings in different thought processes, cultures, problem-solving skills and experiences into one group. Allowing different avenues of approach to accomplish tasks and missions. Diversity allowed me to be more open-minded to understand different cultures and individual backgrounds. Which gave me the understanding of the organization’s culture (when I was a team leader and a squad leader). This understanding allowed me to grasp how individuals are going to respond or react from a simple form of communication, for example.” – Eric W.