By Debbie Bolla
Being a female executive and having lived in New Jersey for the majority of my life, it was a proud moment when Governor Phil Murphy signed the Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act earlier this year. The legislation promotes equal pay to all groups of employees -a significant step given that according to the National Women’s Law Center, a full-time working woman would need to work an additional 10 years to close the current lifetime wage gap.
While this legislation is a historic move toward workplace equality, there are many more to go. That’s one reason this issue features a special section on diversity and inclusion (D&I). In the cover story, The Face of Inclusion, CHRO and TA leaders offer insight into the key attributes of a successful program.
Kevin D. Silva, executive vice president and chief HR officer for Voya Financial, says, “At one point, diversity was an aspiration for us, but we knew we had to start somewhere.” This clearly called for change, and Silva said the process began with:
- Creating a culture of “we” versus “them, you, or I”;
- Going from an overly consensus-driven organization to holding a few individuals accountable with implied trust of others;
- Evolving leaders from silent spectators to supporters of those who are not being heard;
- Celebrating desired behaviors; and
- Asking multiple questions to better understand potential points of disagreement.
Silva and five additional senior-level HR executives share their perspectives and additional best practices in our cover story.
The special section also includes actionable advice on increasing diversity in relocation programs, leveraging AI-enabled technology in candidate screening to reduce bias, and overcoming unconscious bias through training. But wait, there’s more! Be sure to head to www.hrotoday.com for web exclusive content on ways to address gender imbalance and additional steps to tackling bias.
Because when there’s a will -and action -there’s a way.
