I'm proud, yet not surprised that Eric Woolworth, President of Business Operations of The HEAT Group, released a statement on celebrating diversity in their workplace. Miami is a melting pot of cultures, ideas, genders, races, etc. and this was definitely apparent when I worked in their front office a few years back. As more CEOs are stepping up to recognize disparities within their offices, and how to address them, in every industry from tech to entertainment and sports, there's value that's being added in creating a culture of empathy to future employees.
For a little over 10 months, I've been freelancing and working part-time gigs, still on the job hunt for a full-time position, seeking places that are not only in line with my ethos, but those who actually represent a wide range of cultures, genders, and races.
Worth noting, I understand that there is privilege here. I moved back home with my parents - rent free - in order to rebuild and focus on what I truly want to do. Their sacrifices over the years have allowed me to be in the position that I'm in, and I am forever grateful.
While narrowing down what I want to do and who I want to be, there are a few must-haves, or rather red flags I look for, that come into play when I'm researching companies to work for. Maybe this is a generational thing, but if I click on an about us page and can't find any information (pics, bios, team members) on who works at said company, I'm more hesitant to inquire more information and/or apply.
Somewhere along their press or blog or mission/values page(s), I'd want to see who and what they stand for. Granted, there are companies that claim they are diverse and inclusive because it looks good on paper, and others who want to publicly address that they aren't at an ideal quota of diversity measures, but to have zero information about creating inclusivity or caring about people that are different from the executive and leadership staff is another red flag.
My hope is that as more people in power and leadership positions step up and claim what they are or aren't doing as it relates to creating a diverse workforce - publicly - will foster an equality diverse pipeline of talent who are willing to introduce new ideas, that could very well mean improving the bottom line, to the existing environment.