This resource also includes a timeline of key supplier diversity events, facts and figures from Fair360’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity and how companies can leverage minority- and women-owned business enterprises to bridge the supplier diversity gap in some sectors.   

Use this Meeting in a Box as a tool to continue your employees’ understanding of the relevance of supplier diversity.   

Download the full report HERE.

Supplier Diversity Initiatives: Unlocking the Potential of Your Company   

Supplier diversity initiatives go beyond just meeting quotas or ticking boxes. They are strategic approaches that unlock a company’s full potential by promoting inclusion and driving innovation. Here are four steps companies can take to ensure their supplier diversity initiatives are successful. This section also lists Fair360’s 2023 Top Companies for Supplier Diversity.     

Download the article HERE.   

Timeline: The History of Supplier Diversity   

Supplier diversity history provides the context necessary to comprehend the challenges, struggles and milestones experienced in the journey toward inclusion and equity in the supply chain. Exploring the historical evolution of supplier diversity helps us understand the social, economic and political factors that have influenced its development.  

Download the timeline HERE. 

Facts and Figures   

Supplier diversity is a moral imperative and a strategic business practice. Fair360’s unique Top 50 data reveals how best-in-class companies operate their supplier diversity programs.   

Download supplier diversity facts and figures HERE.  

Leveraging Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises  

Supplier diversity gaps can occur when there is an underrepresentation of minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) in procurement processes. McKinsey & Company research indicates that addressing gaps is crucial for promoting equity and inclusion in supplier diversity initiatives.   

Download the research and discussion questions HERE.  

In this Meeting in a Box, we provide a timeline of LGBTQ+ history in the U.S. and facts and figures concerning LGBTQ+ Americans. We also examine steps companies can take to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity and belonging at work and acknowledge LGBTQ+ people in the political sphere.

Share this document with your colleagues to further your team’s cultural competence education on the LGBTQ+ community.

Download the entire Meeting in a Box.

Training for Leaders: Key Steps Toward LGBTQ+ Inclusivity at Work

This article explores the importance of creating a gender-neutral workplace that values employees’ authentic selves. It features insights from Dana Stevenson, Lead System Architect – AVP at Wells Fargo (No. 32 on the 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list), who discusses the company’s policies and cultural shift toward inclusivity.

Bill Miller, Financial Services and Insurance Audit Partner at KPMG (No. 6 on the 2023 Top 50 Companies list), shares his personal journey as a gay professional and emphasizes the need for advocacy and allyship. The article also touches on the significance of using the correct pronouns, the importance of leadership training to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and challenges and more.

Download the article.

Timeline: LGBTQ+ History in the United States

This timeline provides a chronological overview of key events and milestones in LGBTQ+ history in the United States. It spans from the 17th century to today, highlighting significant moments in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, representation and social acceptance.

Download the timeline.

Facts & Figures and Discussion Questions for Employers

The Facts & Figures portion of our Pride Month Meeting in a Box looks at Fair360’s annual Top 50 survey data. It shows the percentage of Top 10, Top 50 and all other companies that track participation in retirement contributions among LGBTQ+ employees, the percentage of companies with recruiters who formally target LGBTQ+ talent and other data points.

This section also features discussion questions designed to engage employees in a conversation about fostering inclusivity and addressing challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace.

Download the facts & figures and discussion questions.

5 LGBTQ+ Americans on the Rise in Politics

This section highlights five LGBTQ+ Americans who are making significant strides in politics. The five individuals are Robert Garcia, Leigh Finke, Maura Healey, Saudia LaMont and Joe Vogel. Read the entire section to learn how each person contributes to politics and the LGBTQ+ community.

Download the article.

This Meeting in a Box is designed to serve as a valuable tool to continue your employees’ cultural competence education, open up conversations about race and ethnicity and spotlight the accomplishments of the AAPI community.

In this edition of Meeting in a Box, we look at the disparities in the Asian American work experience, achievement gaps for Asian Americans and our usual facts and figures.

Download the full Meeting in a Box here.

Disparities in the Asian American Work Experience

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the U.S., but they also have the highest income inequality of any racial group.

While 10% of Asian Americans live in poverty, the median household income of Asian Americans was $85,800 in 2019, higher than the $61,800 median among all U.S. households. The disparity is most likely a combination of factors, including access to quality employment with benefits and high wages varying across the Asian American experience.

Download Disparities in the Asian American Work Experience here.

Timeline

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have played an integral role in shaping American history, business, art and other advancements, and yet much of it is not taught in schools.

This timeline outlines some important moments in the AAPI diaspora, from the time Asian immigrants first arrived in the U.S. to today’s barrier-breaking accomplishments in politics, activism and media.

Download the timeline here.

Facts and Figures

Using data from DiversityInc’s Top 50 survey, we take a look at the representation of Asian Americans among the Top 10 and the companies who ranked in the Top Companies for Asian American Executives category. We also look at educational attainment and income figures for Asian Americans across the U.S.

Download the Facts and Figures here. 

Hard Work and No Pay: Achievement Gaps Present Throughout the Asian American Experience

The Asian achievement gap typically refers to the disparity in academic performance between Asian American students and their non-Asian peers. While this gap may seem like a positive outcome for the Asian American community, it doesn’t always translate to success in the real world. We look at the achievement gaps that Asian Americans face starting with their academic life in youth and moving into the workplace and adulthood.

Download Hard Work and No Pay here. 

Many companies are examining how they show up for employees with differing faiths and educate around their unique customs and needs.

This Meeting in a Box is designed to help you understand more about the need for religious inclusion by examining the changing demographics of faith in the U.S. and provide you with tips for creating one of the most effective tools in driving the inclusion of all faiths: the ERG.

Download the full Meeting in a Box here. 

Creating and Nurturing Interfaith ERGs

Each year, DiversityInc asks participants in its Top 50 Companies for Diversity competition the following question: “Does your company have resource groups for the professionals who identify as religion/interfaith?”

A growing number of companies are answering yes to that question. In this section, we talk with ERG leaders from Accenture (No. 1 on the Top 50 Companies for Diversity list in 2022) and AT&T (a DiversityInc Hall of Fame company) about the challenges they faced as they stood up their ERGs, how they’ve cultivated a culture of inclusion and participation in their faith-focused ERGs and how those ERGs are tying their function to business goals.

Download Creating and Nurturing Interfaith ERGs here. 

Inclusive Calendar of Religious Holiday Observances

Every DEI leader needs a calendar that’s inclusive of different faith observances. DiversityInc has created the following calendar based on the most common religions in the United States that are not traditional Christian holiday observances.

Download the calendar here.

Facts and Figures

The religious demographics of the United States have shifted significantly over the last 30 years. This section looks at how people’s sentiments and how they identify with religion have changed in that time.

Download Facts and Figures here.

Use this Meeting in a Box as a tool to continue your employees’ cultural competence education, open conversations about identity and gender equality, and spotlight women’s accomplishments.

Download the full report here.

Leveling the Playing Field for Women in Sports

2022 was a pivotal year for women’s sports. The Women’s Sports Network debuted with 24/7 streaming content and became the first network to ever focus on women athletes and the first all-female referee team made history at the World in a match between Germany and Costa Rica.

While strides have been made, women still face an unlevel playing field when it comes to investment in women’s sports, what female athletes are paid as well as diversity and fairness challenges.

Download the article here.

Timeline: Women’s History Throughout the Years

Given the broadness of women’s history, our timeline begins in 1789 after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, but women played an important and essential role in America’s history before and during the Revolution as well.

Download the timeline here.

Facts & Figures

DiversityInc’s unique Top 50 data reveals progress for gender representation and equity among the country’s most competitive organizations as well as the areas where there is room for growth. Here’s a closer look at the results of our 2022 Top 50 survey.

Download the facts and figures here.

Empowering Quotes From 10 Influential Women

From not getting the right to vote until 1920 to having abortion protections taken away
with the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, the story of women’s struggle for equity and
equality in the United States has many chapters. If history has taught us anything, it’s
that women are resilient.

This Women’s History Month, we would like to reflect on powerful quotes from 10
influential women. We encourage you to consider their meaning and to discuss them
with your family, friends and colleagues.

Download the article here.

While 2022 saw some notable achievements for Black Americans and the creation of equity, the fight for civil rights continues. This Meeting in a Box is designed to be a valuable tool which you can share with your staff to enhance your team’s cultural competence skills and celebrate the contributions Black Americans have made to the U.S. as well as the entire world.

Click HERE to download a PDF version of the Black History Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

Black Americans Tracing Their Roots

An estimated 10 million to 12 million Africans were transported across the Atlantic Ocean during the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade and almost 400,000 were brought to North America. Due to poor record keeping, tracing their family lineage is a lot easier said than done. But it can be done. In this article, we look at the stories of individuals who have done just that and provide tips on how Black Americans can start their own genealogical journey. 

Click HERE to download a PDF of Black Americans Tracing Their Roots

Timeline

Click HERE to download a PDF version of the Black History Month Timeline. 

Facts and Figures

In honor of Black History Month, we have dissected two categories of the survey. The first is the Top Companies for Black Executives, a key indicator of how companies build representation across all levels of the organization. The second is the Top Companies for Talent Acquisition of Women of Color, a metric that shows how companies are moving the needle on employment of one of America’s most marginalized and under appreciated groups.

Click HERE to download a PDF version of the Black History Month Facts and Figures. 

5 Influential Black Women Making a Difference

Whether it’s through politics and power, art, entertainment or their work in corporate America, Black women are igniting change in their communities and the country as a whole. Here, we profile 5 women who have caught our attention for the work they do in lifting up their communities over the last year.

Click HERE to download a PDF version of 5 Influential Black Women Making a Difference

On MLK Day, we honor Dr. King’s civil rights leadership and legacy, celebrate the advancement of civil rights in the United States and acknowledge how much work remains to be done as we continue fighting for Dr. King’s dream.

A beacon of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, Dr. King’s resistance helped spur great change such as helping end segregation in the South and building momentum toward equal opportunities for people of color. Dr. King’s activism, which relied most commonly on civil disobedience and his strong oratory skills, fueled much of the Civil Rights movement and inspired other waves of resistance throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. This Meeting in a Box is a valuable tool to share with your staff to honor Dr. King’s legacy and talk about how to fight for civil rights moving forward.

Download this month’s Meeting in a Box here.

As part of our work in highlighting the legacy of Dr. King, we also would like to take this opportunity to recognize the work being done at AT&T, a DiversityInc Hall of Fame company. DiversityInc’s Senior Business Writer Linda Bell sat down with Gina McCray, Senior Training Manager, Delivery and CEO of The NETwork, Black Integrated Communications Professionals to discuss how the NETwork will honor Dr. King and more.

Looking forward to 2023, we will continue to highlight some of the biggest challenges facing underrepresented communities in corporate America and focus in on what is working, from mentoring to supplier diversity programs, diverse infrastructure and the ways diversity props up innovation.

It has been a tumultuous year as we stand on the brink of a recession and a shifting talent landscape. There has, perhaps, never been a more important time for corporate diversity efforts to deliver on their promise as a business function. But to understand where we must go, we must understand the events have shaped the experiences of the people who will help us get there. We hope this edition of Meeting in a Box is just one piece of the puzzle in helping organizations do that.

Click here to download Meeting in a Box: A Look Back at 2022.

In this Meeting in a Box, we provide a timeline of Native American history plus facts and figures outlining demographic, workplace and other information concerning Native Americans. We also include an examination of the impacts of COVID-19 on native languages being passed on, while also looking at some of the most influential Native Americans in the country today. This Meeting in a Box is a valuable tool to share with employees as part of your organization’s cultural competence education.

Click here to download a PDF file of the entire 2022 Native American Heritage Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management, professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

COVID-19 and the Future of Native American Languages

Native American tribes were struggling to keep their languages alive following the forced assimilation into contemporary American culture many have experienced, but the pandemic has intensified the struggle as elders are at the greatest risk of infection. In this article, we take a more detailed look at the effects of the pandemic and the struggle to keep their culture alive that Native Americans face today.

Click here to download COVID-19 and the Future of Native American Languages. 

Timeline

The history of Native Americans is a long and often painful story. While this timeline is not exhaustive, it highlights many of the key events that have shaped the Native American experience in recent centuries as well as some of the most significant achievements made in overcoming the systemic oppression the community has faced.

Click here to download the Timeline. 

Facts and Figures

We take a deeper look at the demographics and experience of Native Americans, from earnings to educational attainment and prevalence in the leadership ranks of corporate America.

Click here to download Facts and Figures. 

Five Influential Native Americans in 2022

Every community has its movers and shakers, whether that’s artists, politicians, athletes or influencers. In this section, we look at five Native Americans who are leading figures in the community and cultural influencers with reach beyond the Native community.

Click here to download Five Influential Native Americans in 2022

In this Meeting in a Box, you’ll learn about the personal and professional experiences of people with disabilities, whether those are physical disabilities or invisible disabilities, and how to recruit, retain, engage and promote talent with disabilities. 

Below, you’ll find the full PDF download of the report as well as options to download individual components to share with leaders, managers, employees and stakeholders across your organization.

Download the full Meeting in a Box.

Mental Health: How To Respectfully Support Employees With Disabilities

According to the CDC, adults with disabilities are far more likely to experience mental distress than those without disabilities. Why is this? How can employers take into account the wellbeing of employees with disabilities without being invasive and without taking away their autonomy? We spoke with clinical social worker Mark Chaney-Gay, who has a physical disability himself and has experienced mental distress, to find out more.

Download the article.

Facts & Figures

In this section, we dig into data collected from our research team to find out how many people with disabilities make up the total workforce, management roles and new hires at the 17 companies that placed on DiversityInc’s 2022 People with Disabilities specialty list. The data also shows how many Top 10 companies from our 2022 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list provide disability awareness training programs and at what levels within the organization.

Download the Facts & Figures.

8 People With Disabilities Making A Difference

People with physical and invisible disabilities don’t let their differences hold them back, and many individuals have gone above and beyond to achieve greatness despite their disabilities. This section looks at the backgrounds and achievements of eight individuals with disabilities who have made an impact on the world. 

Download the article.

Employer Toolkit: Achieving Success and Support for Neurodivergent Employees

While studies have shown and companies have realized the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce, there’s still work to be done to prioritize neurodivergence in DEI strategies. Read more to learn from employers and neurodiversity advocates on programs they have in place to uplift and support neurodivergent employees, how to attract and retain these workers and more. 

Download the article.

Discussion Questions

After reading this Meeting in a Box, use this section as a tool to lead discussions with company leaders, managers, employees and stakeholders across your organization to find out where you’re succeeding at as a disability employer and where you can improve.

Download the discussion questions.

This Meeting in a Box is a valuable tool to share with employees as part of your organization’s cultural competence education. This month, we will highlight the contributions of the Hispanic/Latinx community to the U.S. and the working world.

Download the full Meeting in a Box here. 

The Complexity of Afro-Latino Identity in the United States

Afro-Latino identity is multidimensional and complex. How some people choose to identify is shaped by several factors like their country of origin, racial background, skin color or hair texture. In this article, you’ll learn what it means to be Afro-Latino, how to educate and make people aware of the complexity of Afro-Latino identity and more.

Download the article here. 

Timeline: Hispanic/Latinx History in the United States

Hispanic and Latinx people have worked to overcome the effects of colonization and prejudice over the years, and their journey toward rights and self-determination continues today. This timeline documents both obstacles and triumphs the Hispanic and Latinx communities have faced. Use it as a tool to engage in a cultural competence discussion with your employees and colleagues to help your workforce be culturally competent and understand the importance of equality for Hispanic/Latinx people.

Download the timeline here. 

Facts & Figures

By the year 2060, the Hispanic population is expected to grow by more than 77% to over 111 million people and will account for 28% of the population. Review these facts & figures in the workplace to better understand how the Hispanic population has grown in the U.S., the number of Hispanic/Latinx people that make up the civilian labor force and more.

Download the Facts & Figures here. 

Examining the Rise in Latinx Entrepreneurship

No demographic has been going into business for itself quite like the Latinx community over the last decade. Latino-owned businesses have started at a faster rate than all other groups over the past 10 years, with a 44% growth rate compared to the 4% growth rate of non-Latino-owned businesses. Learn why Latino-owned businesses have seen steady growth, barriers business owners face and more.

Download the article here. 

This Meeting in a Box is designed to show how some non-profits, educators and private companies are navigating these community partnerships, what employees think about community relationships and provide greater insight into what these organizations hope to get from those partnerships.

Download the full Meeting in a Box here.

Non-Profits, Healthcare Companies Address Health Inequities Through Community Partnerships

Whether it’s COVID vaccine education or getting medical assistance to underserved communities, community partnerships are a powerful tool in combatting the undeniable health inequities that exist for marginalized communities. This story details how partnerships between researchers, healthcare providers and public services are making a difference.

Download the article here.

Facts and Figures

Ever wonder what consumer perceptions of community partnerships are and how that might influence their buying decisions? Which demographics care the most about these partnerships and the impact they have on employees? Find out in our Facts and Figures section.

Download Facts and Figures here.

The Importance of Education-Focused Community Partnerships

Collaborations between governments, 501 (c)(3) organizations and private companies are vital to creating networks for young professionals to push their career development to the next level, helping companies find diverse candidates at a young age and developing a talent pool with the skills businesses need.

Download the article here.

This Meeting in a Box is designed to help you understand the challenges parents face today, the ways that companies are evolving paid family leave policies and provide data regarding parents in the workplace.

Download the full Meeting in a Box here.

Supporting Parents

Parents need a different level of support these days. Whether that’s childcare assistance or increased flexibility, parents are asking more of employers than ever before. In this section, we talk to experts about how companies can serve this population better.

Download Supporting Parents in a Post-COVID Workplace here.

Facts and Figures

Parents are a much studied group as families play an important role in forming the fabric of society. Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we take a deeper look at the demographics of parents in the workforce.

Download this month’s Facts and Figures here.

The Evolution of Paid Family Leave

The battle for paid family leave began more than a century ago and since the pandemic, it has become a bigger talking point once again. Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, experts believe that the United States joining the rest of the countries in the OECD in providing federally mandated paid family leave will be a hot button issue once again.

Download The Evolution of Paid Family Leave here.

In this Meeting in a Box, we provide a timeline of LGBTQ history in the U.S. plus facts and figures outlining demographic, workplace and other information concerning LGBTQ Americans. We also include an examination of recent efforts to attack the LGBTQ community, while also looking at some of the more encouraging progress for this community around the world.

Share this document with your colleagues to further your team’s cultural competence education on the LGBTQ+ community.

Click here to download a PDF file of the entire 2022 LGBTQ Pride Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management, professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

Grooming a Narrative

In this year’s edition, we take a look at recent efforts to attack the LGBTQ community by certain politicians and governmental bodies as part of political culture war that has real ramifications for the LGBTQ community, whether that’s through legislation or the perpetuation of old myths and stereotypes that have been used to oppress and condone violence against members of the LGBTQ community.

Click here to download a PDF file of the article Grooming a Narrative: How Rhetoric and Old Lies Take on New Life in a Culture War

Timeline

The landscape for LGBTQ rights and openness surrounding various sexualities and gender identities has changed dramatically over the past decade. It’s crucial for your workforce to understand LGBTQ identities to foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable and safe being themselves. We recommend you start your employees’ cultural competence lesson by using this timeline, which documents LGBTQ trailblazers, precedent-setting moments and the fight for social and legal equality in the U.S.

Click here to download a PDF file of the 2022 timeline. 

Facts and Figures

Another valuable tool is in understanding how LGBTQ equality, both legally and socially, have profound business implications is data. Here, we provide an analysis of how the top 10 and top 50 companies are serving the LGBTQ community, from demographics to employee resource groups and self-ID rates.

Click here to download a PDF file of the 2022 Facts and Figures. 

Good News in LGBTQ Rights Around the World

The news is not all bad when it comes to LGBTQ rights. Many countries are adopting more progressive policies, and even here in the United States, the LGBTQ community is receiving support in new ways.

Click here to download a PDF file of the article and received some discussion questions to go over with your employees. 

This Meeting in a Box is designed to serve as a valuable tool to continue your employees’ cultural competence education, open up conversations about race and ethnicity and spotlight the accomplishments of the AAPI community.

Click here to download a PDF file of the entire AAPI Heritage Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management, professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

The 2022 AAPI Heritage Month Meeting in a Box features the following:

Suffering in Silence: Mental Health and the AAPI Community

Through conversations with experts, we take a look at the mental health crisis unfolding in the AAPI community due to incorrect diagnoses, a lack of culturally relevant and sensitive treatment, and taboos and fears around treatment of mental health conditions.

Click here to download Mental Health and the AAPI Community.

Timeline: AAPI History in the U.S.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have played an integral role in shaping American history, business, art and other advancements, and yet much of it is not taught in schools.

AAPI history is unfortunately rife with racism and violence — a cyclical hostility that has resurged today. The rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in recent years represents another dark chapter in American history but emerging from it is a more visible, engaged and vocal generation united against discrimination.

This timeline outlines some important moments in the AAPI diaspora, from the time Asian immigrants first arrived in the U.S. to today’s barrier-breaking accomplishments in politics, activism and media.

Click here to download the timeline.

DiversityInc Facts & Figures

After discussing Asian American and Pacific Islander geography and history, the next step is to look at the available data to understand why equality for Asian American and Pacific Islander people has profound demographic, financial, educational and business benefits.

Click here to download this year’s Facts and Figures

The Rise of the Asian American Immigrant Population

By the middle of the century, Asian Americans could be the largest immigrant group in the country, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Research Center. We take a deeper look at Asian American population diversity and the growing influence of Asian Americans.

Click here to download “The Rise of the Asian American Immigrant Population.”

More than 16 million people in the United States identify with a religion that is not Christianity, leaving them in a position where they have to tap into PTO to observe the holy days that their faith holds dear.

This Meeting in a Box is designed to help you understand other religious traditions, shape a calendar and time off policies that are more inclusive and create a workplace environment where employees feel comfortable being themselves.

• DOWNLOAD Meeting in a Box: Respecting Different Faiths in the Workplace

The Holidays You May Not Know

While there are different sects of every religion and several less populated faiths, we will narrow this section down to four faiths that the majority of the population of people who identify with a religion will fall into.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but a view into the variety of holidays that one may need to consider to be truly inclusive of employees from other cultures and countries. Some of these holidays may require employees of non-Christian faiths to dig into their paid time off if the company does not allow them to observe their holidays as part of their benefits, having a negative impact on a culture of inclusion.

• DOWNLOAD The Holidays You May Not Know

Holiday Calendar

To provide you with the best tools and resources we can, we’ve created the following calendar to mark important dates across the major religious faiths to show when employees may have observances that could affect their ability or desire to work. Here are some of the key holidays for 2022 with letters indicating the faith each holiday belongs to.

• DOWNLOAD Calendar of Remaining Religious Holidays for 2022

Workplace Policies That Drive Inclusion

As you look through this Meeting in a Box, it might occur to you that it’s difficult to satisfy everyone and nearly impossible to develop PTO and work scheduling policies for specific personnel. However, there are workplace policies that can create the type of flexibility and understanding needed to be inclusive of all cultures. Here are five that have been proven to help make employees of different faiths feel seen and understood.

• DOWNLOAD 5 Workplace Policies That Drive Inclusion of Different Faiths

Use this Meeting in a Box as a tool to continue your employees’ cultural competence education, open conversations about identity and gender equality, and spotlight women’s accomplishments.

• Click HERE to download a PDF version of the Women’s History Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

Women See Gains in Employment in 2021

Nearly 1.8 million women left the workforce amid the pandemic due to schools closing, layoffs, and more, and while there are millions of jobs to recover before getting back to pre-pandemic levels, more women than men joined the workforce in 2021.

• Click HERE to download & read more about women’s employment gains in 2021, what led more women to get back into the workforce, and more.

Timeline: Women’s History Throughout the Years

Given the broadness of women’s history, our timeline begins in 1789 after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, but women played an important and essential role in America’s history before and during the Revolution as well.

Click HERE to download the timeline.

Discussion Questions for Employees

• What practices does our company already have in place to support women? What more can we do?
• What can our organization do to support women’s accomplishments, both internally and in the communities we serve?
• When looking at Biden’s Agenda for Women, what actions do you think will have the biggest impact, and where does more need to be done? Which of these actions could we take as a company to help women in the workplace?
• What have been the most significant changes in women’s roles in the past few decades?
• Why are “firsts” important to note? What other significant changes for women’s rights come to mind?
• Much of women’s history lessons involve white, middle- or upper-class women like Susan B. Anthony and Margaret Sanger, but women of many different backgrounds have played integral roles in the fight for gender and racial equality. Why is it important to have a historical view on women’s rights that is diverse?

Facts & Figures

Available demographic, education, financial and business-related data regarding women helps us to understand why parity for women has profound demographic, financial, education, and business benefits. These numbers can help us identify what we can do to celebrate a diverse array of women and address the range of issues they face. DiversityInc’s unique Top 50 data also reveals the progress in the country’s most competitive organizations, as well as the areas where there is room for growth when it comes to gender equity.

• Click HERE to download a PDF version of facts & figures.

Biden’s Agenda for Women

The return of women to the workforce is on its way to recovery, but there are still obstacles ahead — and President Biden is looking to help more women make ends meet through his Agenda for Women.

The agenda calls for four big initiatives to improve the quality of life for women in the United States:

• Fight for equal pay and invest in women-owned businesses.
• Provide affordable healthcare for all women.
• Make affordable childcare and care for older people and people with disabilities more accessible while providing paid leave and other benefits and protections in the workplace for women.
• Put an end to violence against women.

Click HERE to download the full “Biden’s Agenda for Women” article.

MORE RESOURCES

2021 Women of Color and Their Allies: Transformational event coverage

Women’s Equality Day: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Female Workforce

Ensuring Gender Inclusion in Male-Dominated Industries

Strategies for Including Women of Color in Workplace Planning

Six Things NEVER to Say to Working Mothers

While 2021 saw some notable achievements for justice regarding police brutality cases and the creation of equity, the fight for civil rights continues. This Meeting in a Box is designed to be a valuable tool which you can share with your staff to enhance your team’s cultural competence skills and celebrate the contributions Black Americans have made to the U.S. as well as the entire world.

Click HERE to download a PDF version of the Black History Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

A Century of Struggle: How the Pandemic has Highlighted the Stifling of Black America

As we celebrate Black History Month and the strides Black Americans have made toward racial equality and equity, we should also acknowledge the harsh reality of how far there is to go. Few things highlight this more than the disparity of health outcomes and care during the pandemic.

Click HERE to download a PDF version of “A Century of Struggle.”

Timeline

Click HERE to download a PDF version of the timeline.

DiversityInc’s Facts and Figures

Available demographic, economic, employment and education data helps us understand why achieving equality for Black people is not only right and just, but also has profound business and cultural benefits. Interpreting these numbers can offer insight on the work we can do to address issues Black communities face. Here, we also include DiversityInc’s exclusive data on Black leadership and employment in our Top 50.

Click HERE to download a PDF version of facts & figures.

A Growing Movement for Voting Rights

Following of a year when voting rights were steadily under attack, we take a look at the struggle to keep America’s most basic democratic right alive and well.

Click HERE to download a PDF version of “A Growing Momentum for Voting Rights”

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is the ideal time to increase your company’s awareness of the untapped talent pool of people with disabilities and educate your company on a variety of disabilities. This month is also the best time to learn or re-learn how to successfully bring people with disabilities on board.

It’s also an excellent way to refresh your knowledge on the culturally competent ways to recruit, retain, engage, and promote this increasing demographic.

This Meeting in a Box is designed to make it easy to share the entire document or individual components with your employees. Each section is available as a PDF and available to download for you and your team to print.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Timeline of legislation and events impacting the progress of people with disabilities and their achievements in the United States
• Facts & Figures demonstrating educational progress and continued employment and income inequities
• Myth Busting to debunk commonly held misperceptions about disabilities and the people who live with them
• Self-ID tips and suggestions for building trust
• Politics and the current issues facing disabled people

[CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the full Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.]

1. Timeline

We recommend you start your employees’ cultural-competence lesson on people with disabilities by using this timeline, documenting individual achievements of people with various disabilities, and spotlighting legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that changed their legal opportunities for equality.

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the Timeline.

2. Facts and Figures

This section examines the prevalence of disability in today’s workforce. It includes up-to-date numbers on earnings, poverty, market demand for talent and the National Organization on Disability’s Employment Tracker.

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the “Facts and Figures” section

3. Myth Busting

Learn how to debunk common misperceptions around disability by looking at the most prevalent examples and the reality that defies these stereotypes.

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the “Myth Busting” section.

4. Self-ID

Learn practices that help improve self-ID rates among your workforce and how to build trust with your employees. Identify the characteristics that companies with high self-ID rates share.

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the “Self-ID” section.

5. Politics

Take a closer look at the issues facing people with disabilities and some of the current legislation being drafted to address those issues.

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the “Politics” section.

Click HERE to download a PDF version of the Hispanic Heritage Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

The 2021 Hispanic Heritage Month Meeting in a Box features the following:

Timeline: Hispanic/Latinx History in the United States

Over the years, Hispanic/Latinx people have worked to overcome the effects of colonization and prejudice. The community’s journey toward rights and self-determination continues today. It is vital for your workforce to be culturally competent and understand the importance of equality for Hispanic/Latinx people, who make up more than one-sixth of the U.S. population. We recommend you begin your cultural competence discussion by using the timeline, which documents both obstacles and triumphs the Hispanic and Latinx communities have faced. It is important to discuss the intricacies of identity, culture and nationality and how inclusivity benefits everyone.

Download the timeline HERE. 

6 Hispanic/Latinx People Making a Difference

Every group of people has its movers and shakers, the people that drive change and make a difference in their community. This list highlights six Hispanic/Latinx individuals making a difference in politics, literature, pop culture, philanthropy and the culinary world.

Learn more about Hispanic/Latinx people making a difference HERE. 

The Debate Around the Term “Latinx”

The term Latinx has entered the lexicon of media pundits, academics and politicians, but has yet to take hold with the one group it was created to serve: Hispanic/Latinx citizens. We look at why the term has become polarizing and what corporate America might want to keep in mind as it begins to adopt Latinx in its vernacular.

Read about the debate HERE. 

Facts and Figures

After discussing Hispanic/Latinx history and identities, the next step is to look at the available data to understand why equality for Hispanic and Latinx people has profound demographic, financial, educational and business benefits, addressing issues that these communities face and have overcome.

Download the Facts and Figures Here.

Leadership Spotlight

For Hispanic/Latinx professionals looking to reshape their futures, developing their personal brand around their abilities is as easy as it is for everyone else, but building it around their possibilities is an opportunity that should not be left for another day. To help with that journey, here is some advice from Hispanic/Latinx and diversity leaders on how to go about reshaping your career.

Hear from leaders HERE. 

To avoid them, companies must take an inclusive approach when giving and receiving feedback. Too often, managers lack the knowledge and skills to deliver effective feedback and unintentionally do more harm to their employees and colleagues or miss the opportunity to truly maximize performance.

The idea of needing to be extra careful with how one gives and receives feedback is stressful and, at times, paralyzing. Ultimately, is bungled feedback better than no feedback? I tend to think so.

Research shows that women of color receive less feedback, guidance and mentoring than white colleagues. I’d rather someone strive and give me feedback, even if not in the most ideal way, than not try at all.

It is, however, important to recognize that bias often creeps into feedback. For example, researchers from Stanford University found that when women received developmental feedback, there tended to be a predominant focus on personality and communication style, with 76% of “too aggressive” references appearing in job reviews of women.

A few common pitfalls to avoid when giving feedback:

• Bias that shapes to whom you give feedback and on what.
• Delivering feedback in a way that makes it less likely for the recipient to absorb it effectively, including missing cultural and style differences.
• Imposing your own notions of performance, leadership and talent on others, often shaped by your own experiences, background, biases and dominant culture.

By utilizing insights from neuroscience, cross-cultural knowledge and inclusive best practices, managers and colleagues can take action in delivering feedback more effectively, driving the business and individual growth outcomes they seek.

Below, we’ll take a look at how to do this.

Part 1: Feedback preparation

As you consider the overall mix of feedback:

“Strive for five.” Studies have found that a ratio of 5:1 (positive: negative) feedback may be the ideal balance. Over time, for every piece of critical or constructive feedback you offer, aim to deliver five messages of positive feedback or affirmations.

Often, when people hear the term “culture of continuous feedback” in workplaces, their minds envision an experience where everyone is getting critical feedback at every turn, as in “here’s what you could have done better.” This method has the unintended impact of putting some people in “fight, flight or freeze” mode, causing a constant fear of making mistakes or becoming too focused on the negative and missing the opportunity to lean into an asset-based mindset and approach.

Neuroscience research has found that feedback conversations, as they commonly exist today, activate a social threat response in the brain, interfering with the ability to think clearly and raising participants’ heart rates by as much as 50%. “Strive for five” can help lower these brain processing barriers.

As you consider the content of your feedback:

Ask yourself, how might this feedback be shaped by my own cultural, background or style preferences? Am I expecting others to do things in the way I would? Where do my notions of performance and leadership come from, and how have they been shaped by my own background, experiences and values? Before I jump into evaluation mode, how might I expand my openness to the “how”/approach while staying focused on the “what”/outcomes? If someone else with a different identity acted in that way, would I have the same feedback?

Make your feedback more about you than the recipient; bias comes into play anytime we evaluate others. Affinity bias (rating others who are like us more highly), confirmation bias (paying more attention to information that conforms to our assumptions and beliefs), and many other types of biases shape how we experience and rate others’ behavior and performance.

READ: 

As you consider the delivery of your feedback:

Implement the platinum rule. “Treat others as they would like to be treated” (rather than the “golden rule” of treating others as you would like to be treated). Cultures around the globe, across racial, ethnic and other demographic lines, vary in terms of norms and values and can shape individual preferences. Increase your understanding and awareness of those differences, aiming to meet the recipient of the feedback closer to their preferences.

For example, if someone has a more indirect style, infuse diplomacy and context into your feedback while retaining clarity and concreteness. You might say something like, “given your relationship orientation, I can see that you care deeply about how others are feeling and may not want to ruffle feathers. I am concerned about the slipping project timelines. To deepen your impact, how might you more clearly hold your teammates accountable for deliverables — in a way that is authentic to you?”

Part 2: Engaging in the feedback conversation

Here are some additional strategies to consider during the conversation:

Tackle the problem, not the person.

To help lower instinctive defenses triggered by incoming feedback, take the position of collaborating with the recipient, jointly tackling the problem or opportunity. Instead of being on opposite sides of the table, imagine yourself as the manager who swings their chair around to sit on the same side as the employee and then collectively figure out how best to tackle it. By using this inclusive approach, you’ll convey empathy as the feedback-giver, which can help the recipient feel valued for their strengths and assets while also honoring the agency they have in owning their performance.

Name the flavor of feedback sought or given.

Often, the many types of offered feedback are lumped under one umbrella and overshadowed by the “critical/constructive” feedback category. It can be helpful to name the nature of feedback given or that you are seeking. In Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well, co-authors Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen identify three primary types of feedback:

1. Appreciation – gives recognition for contributions or performance and celebrates progress or accomplishments. Example: “Would it be helpful to hear what I love about the work you did on that project?”
2. Coaching – supports growth and development through helping someone expand their knowledge, skills and capabilities. Example: “Is this a good time to share some coaching feedback, or would you prefer we get time at the end of the day? We can put our heads together to debrief the project kick-off.”
3. Evaluation – helps someone understand where they are when it comes to their performance. Example: “I’d like to better understand how I’m doing relative to the expectations of this new role.”

By naming the type of feedback you are asking for or giving, it helps frame the content and makes it easier to process. It also creates shared language that can help bridge cultural differences, especially when there may be varying comfort levels in asking for these different types of feedback.

Seek to understand the perspective of the other person.

Make room for the possibility that you might be missing something and that you might be wrong in your impression or understanding of events. Invite the other person to share their perspective and experience and remain open-minded to new information. Make the feedback a two-way conversation.

While it can be overwhelming to consider the many dimensions of effective feedback, it is a practice that has a strong return on investment. It is an art where practice makes progress, and progress better ensures that your intention aligns with impact, resulting in stronger performances from your employees and colleagues, as well as stronger relationships, partnership and trust.

Even when you may only have a minute before delivering “real-time” feedback to a colleague after a meeting, taking the 60 seconds to mentally check these steps can help ensure your message lands as intended.

• To whom am I giving feedback (avoid bias)
• On what (content)
• How, when and where (delivery)
• Why (consider the type of feedback and how to tackle the opportunity together)

Organizations that embrace the intentional practice of inclusive and effective feedback are better positioned for accomplishing their strategic and business objectives — achieving them while also uplifting their people and their performances.

About the Author

June Yoshinari Davis is the chief of staff and director of strategy for U.S. Programs at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In her inclusion and diversity work at Cargill, she led efforts to embed best practices and processes into the organization spanning 150,000+ employees across 70+ countries. Follow her LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this Meeting in a Box, we provide a timeline of LGBTQ history in the U.S. plus facts and figures outlining demographic, workplace and other information concerning LGBTQ Americans. We also include a primer on LGBTQ terminology, pronoun usage and other essential concepts everyone working in corporate America should know. Share this document with your colleagues to further your team’s cultural competence education on the LGBTQ+ community.

Click here to download a PDF file of the entire 2021 LGBTQ Pride Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management, professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

The 2021 LGBTQ Pride Month Meeting in a Box features the following:

The History of Pride Month

The majority of Pride events across the United States are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion that took place in New York City on June 28, 1969. Most historians consider this momentous event to be the birth of the modern LGBTQ equality movement. During the 1960s, even in large cities like New York, police raids on bars that catered to LGBT patrons were common. On the night of the Stonewall Riots, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn decided to fight back, not just against local police who were attempting another raid of the bar but also against decades of harassment and oppression. While historical accounts of what happened that night vary, the uprising helped to ignite a national firestorm of activism within the LGBTQ community, bringing increased visibility, awareness and passion to the still ongoing fight for LGBTQ acceptance and equality.

A Timeline of LGBTQ Pride

The landscape for LGBTQ rights and openness surrounding various sexualities and gender identities has changed dramatically over the past few years, perhaps most notably with the nationwide legalization of same-gender marriage in June 2015. It’s crucial for your workforce to understand LGBTQ identities to foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable and safe being themselves. We recommend you start your employees’ cultural competence lesson by using this timeline, which documents LGBTQ trailblazers, precedent-setting moments and the fight for social and legal equality in the U.S. It’s important to discuss these changes and be on the forefront of inclusivity in your organization. 

A Primer on LGBTQ Terminology

From an alphabet of inclusive letters to proper pronouns, the LGBTQ world can seem confusing and daunting to those who aren’t familiar with its terminology. This primer can help educate you on terms and phrases you may not be accustomed to.

LGBTQ Facts & Figures 

After discussion of our LGBTQ timeline and terminology, the next step is to review available data and understand how LGBTQ equality, both legally and socially, have profound business implications. Here, we provide a primer on gender identity statistics and definitions, as well as demographic, financial, education and employment information on LGBTQ individuals. The LGBTQ umbrella is wide, especially in a society where many LGBTQ people feel afraid to come out, but these facts and numbers provide perspective on the LGBTQ community’s impacts on society, business, education and the economy.

In this Meeting in a Box, we provide a timeline of LGBTQ history in the U.S. plus facts and figures outlining demographic, workplace and other information concerning LGBTQ Americans. We also include a primer on LGBTQ terminology, pronoun usage and other essential concepts everyone working in corporate America should know. Share this document with your colleagues to further your team’s cultural competence education on the LGBTQ+ community.

Click here to download a PDF file of the entire 2021 LGBTQ Pride Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management, professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

The 2021 LGBTQ Pride Month Meeting in a Box features the following:

The History of Pride Month

The majority of Pride events across the United States are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion that took place in New York City on June 28, 1969. Most historians consider this momentous event to be the birth of the modern LGBTQ equality movement. During the 1960s, even in large cities like New York, police raids on bars that catered to LGBT patrons were common. On the night of the Stonewall Riots, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn decided to fight back, not just against local police who were attempting another raid of the bar but also against decades of harassment and oppression. While historical accounts of what happened that night vary, the uprising helped to ignite a national firestorm of activism within the LGBTQ community, bringing increased visibility, awareness and passion to the still ongoing fight for LGBTQ acceptance and equality.

A Timeline of LGBTQ Pride

The landscape for LGBTQ rights and openness surrounding various sexualities and gender identities has changed dramatically over the past few years, perhaps most notably with the nationwide legalization of same-gender marriage in June 2015. It’s crucial for your workforce to understand LGBTQ identities to foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable and safe being themselves. We recommend you start your employees’ cultural competence lesson by using this timeline, which documents LGBTQ trailblazers, precedent-setting moments and the fight for social and legal equality in the U.S. It’s important to discuss these changes and be on the forefront of inclusivity in your organization. 

A Primer on LGBTQ Terminology

From an alphabet of inclusive letters to proper pronouns, the LGBTQ world can seem confusing and daunting to those who aren’t familiar with its terminology. This primer can help educate you on terms and phrases you may not be accustomed to.

LGBTQ Facts & Figures 

After discussion of our LGBTQ timeline and terminology, the next step is to review available data and understand how LGBTQ equality, both legally and socially, have profound business implications. Here, we provide a primer on gender identity statistics and definitions, as well as demographic, financial, education and employment information on LGBTQ individuals. The LGBTQ umbrella is wide, especially in a society where many LGBTQ people feel afraid to come out, but these facts and numbers provide perspective on the LGBTQ community’s impacts on society, business, education and the economy.

In this Meeting in a Box, we provide a timeline of LGBTQ history in the U.S. plus facts and figures outlining demographic, workplace and other information concerning LGBTQ Americans. We also include a primer on LGBTQ terminology, pronoun usage and other essential concepts everyone working in corporate America should know. Share this document with your colleagues to further your team’s cultural competence education on the LGBTQ+ community.

Click here to download a PDF file of the entire 2021 LGBTQ Pride Month Meeting in a Box, our diversity-management, professional development and educational tool available only to Benchmarking customers and Fair360 Enterprise subscribers.

The 2021 LGBTQ Pride Month Meeting in a Box features the following:

The History of Pride Month

The majority of Pride events across the United States are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion that took place in New York City on June 28, 1969. Most historians consider this momentous event to be the birth of the modern LGBTQ equality movement. During the 1960s, even in large cities like New York, police raids on bars that catered to LGBT patrons were common. On the night of the Stonewall Riots, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn decided to fight back, not just against local police who were attempting another raid of the bar but also against decades of harassment and oppression. While historical accounts of what happened that night vary, the uprising helped to ignite a national firestorm of activism within the LGBTQ community, bringing increased visibility, awareness and passion to the still ongoing fight for LGBTQ acceptance and equality.

A Timeline of LGBTQ Pride

The landscape for LGBTQ rights and openness surrounding various sexualities and gender identities has changed dramatically over the past few years, perhaps most notably with the nationwide legalization of same-gender marriage in June 2015. It’s crucial for your workforce to understand LGBTQ identities to foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable and safe being themselves. We recommend you start your employees’ cultural competence lesson by using this timeline, which documents LGBTQ trailblazers, precedent-setting moments and the fight for social and legal equality in the U.S. It’s important to discuss these changes and be on the forefront of inclusivity in your organization. 

A Primer on LGBTQ Terminology

From an alphabet of inclusive letters to proper pronouns, the LGBTQ world can seem confusing and daunting to those who aren’t familiar with its terminology. This primer can help educate you on terms and phrases you may not be accustomed to.

LGBTQ Facts & Figures 

After discussion of our LGBTQ timeline and terminology, the next step is to review available data and understand how LGBTQ equality, both legally and socially, have profound business implications. Here, we provide a primer on gender identity statistics and definitions, as well as demographic, financial, education and employment information on LGBTQ individuals. The LGBTQ umbrella is wide, especially in a society where many LGBTQ people feel afraid to come out, but these facts and numbers provide perspective on the LGBTQ community’s impacts on society, business, education and the economy.