Page 16 - BEQ Magazine Iss 20 Fall 2021 WebRev09272021

don’t go down or be sure that we don’t get canceled see diversity in the boardroom and the workforce,
or kind of a reactive bandwagon element. ‘Only ongoing service of diverse communities and support
time will tell’ and ‘follow the money’ were used for causes that promote equality and sustainability.
frequently. So it was both doubt and relief, and a Marketing and advertising that embrace diversity
feeling of being unsettled in terms of having both of are baseline; what participants really want to see are
these feelings at once.” corporations that treat their employees well.
“Time after time after time, the number one
Members of BIPOC communities are tired, thing that participants mentioned was, ‘How are
exhausted and re-thinking all the things that are you treating your employees?’,” Francis said. “It’s
just “talk”. the belief that if you treat your employees better,
The trauma of 2020 uncovered unhealed and I know about that, then you must be good and
wounds, leading people to dig deeper into what all be doing truly good things. I think companies tend
corporations are actually doing when it comes to to believe that treating their employees well only
diversity. As one participant said, “I think people impacts their employees, but it impacts so much
begin to dig when trauma happens, and when the more because it’s the DNA of who your company or
covers were ripped off, people began to research. your corporation is.”
People began to dig deeper and find out that BIPOC Digging into that response, Hootology asked
weren’t represented in the boardroom and they participants what it means to treat employees well.
weren’t decision-makers. We were in lower-level The answers were thoughtful and informed, reveal-
ing what everyday people see as
“Corporations have crucial to enact changes that will
have generational impact.
the power to make “Reducing the wage gap
a difference around was number one,” Francis said.
diversity in this “Reducing the disparities between
diverse populations actively, with
country.” training and education, and then
really being able to create ways
to make up that systemic racism
roles within organizations.” that we know exists. Tuition reimbursement, child-
“In this moment of collective national and global care, things that will really even the playing field
trauma, there was this element of peeling back the and create an opportunity for upward mobility that
onion and saying you know we’ve been hearing this doesn’t seem to be perceived as existing in a lot of
for so long we’re tired of it,” Francis said. “When corporations among the participants that we talked
we talk about the ‘why’ behind these four diversity to.”
metrics dropping even just a little bit, it was not
that these things aren’t important, which is what Members of BIPOC communities can easily tell
the numbers appear to be saying. The ‘why’ behind when an effort is not authentic and a company is
the drop is that members of the BIPOC community “phoning it in”.
just don’t believe it anymore.” While there is an overall view that “something
is better than nothing” when it comes to corporate
Members of BIPOC communities are looking diversity efforts, the study showed that participants
behind the corporate PR curtain for specific things know when corporate efforts are not genuine. They
that matter to them. are watching for follow through and transparent,
Another major finding from the follow-up study actionable steps.
is that members of BIPOC communities want to One participant said, “...taking a stand is step-
hear about internal corporate programs and culture ping up, supporting the movement or the culture in
that demonstrate diversity in action. They want to genuine ways. So not some cookie cutter statement

16 FALL 2021 BUSINESSEQUALITYMAGAZINE.COM