Amanda Rajkumar, Adidas’ global head of human resources, is the latest HR lead to depart from her role following the pattern of women leaving DEI roles at major companies. Rajkumar, a British national with parents from the Caribbean, joined Adidas in 2021 to stem an internal uproar over the company’s handling of racism, diversity, and inclusion. However, the company announced last week the departure of their sole remaining female executive board member. Her predecessor Karen Parkin also resigned from the company in 2020 after she described internal discussions of racism as “noise.” Although
Company and executives’ mentions of DEI or sustainability during earning calls have decreased after a peak in 2022, according to data from financial research firm AlphaSense. But this DEI- and “green-hushing” doesn’t necessarily mean companies have stopped doing the work – they’re just not talking about it. Are companies still talking about DEI and sustainability? According to data from financial-research platform AlphaSense, executives at the U.S.-listed companies mentioned “environmental, social and governance,” “ESG,” “diversity, equity and inclusion,” “DEI” or “sustainability” on 575 earning calls from April 1 to June 5.
Horizon Media – reportedly the largest US media agency – has joined Burst Premium Network to create the first-ever network featuring a DEI content experience that amplifies the work and voices of local storytellers across more than 150 broadcast stations. Burst is a leading mobile video technology company aiming to transform how broadcasters, publishers, and media companies manage and monetize user-generated and controlled video content. The aim is focused on community-based DEI storytelling to amplify the work and voices of local storytellers across more than 150 broadcast stations. “We are
This article was first published by Rumbi Makanga on Medium. I was asked to give a talk by a London-based company for Black History Month in October 2022. Initially, I was going to title my talk Your Silence Will Not Protect You after the eponymous collection of essays by Audre Lorde and to honour the many silences I have nursed over the years and the vast silences I know countless Black people are forced into in their professional lives. It took a bout of illness in the last days of 2020 to
Uber’s Chief DEI Officer Bo Young Lee has been placed on a leave of absence following employee complaints about “Don’t Call Me Karen” events which aimed to explore the “spectrum of the American white woman’s experience.” Concerns raised by Black and Hispanic employees prompted Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Chief People Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy to request Lee’s temporary step back while they assess the situation. “We have heard that many of you are in pain and upset by yesterday’s Moving Forward session,” they wrote in an email seen by The
Asian American professionals are more likely to join Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) than their colleagues but feel excluded from workplace DEI initiatives, according to new research by AAPI Data and Momentive. Despite their diverse backgrounds, people of Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage often encounter similar challenges that hinder their career growth and well-being. To address these concerns, many turn to ERGs as a source of support, connection, and advocacy within their organizations. AAPI Data and Momentive found that 16% of Asian American workers, 18% of Native Hawaiian
Organizations may be more at risk of losing their highly talented women and minority leaders than they realize, according to a new report by global leadership consulting firm DDI. DDI’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report found that hat many companies are regressing in their DEI programs. Stephanie Neal, director of DDI’s Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research, told The Business Journals that these decisions are having a knock-on effect on talent retention and company performance. “With the stress of economic uncertainty and labor challenges, companies have turned their attention away from
This article was first published by Laila-Josefin Azhar on Medium. Have you ever felt like you don’t belong in your workplace? Like your ideas aren’t heard, your contributions aren’t valued, and your authentic self isn’t welcome? Unfortunately, this is a common experience for many people, especially those from underrepresented communities. I’ve set the theme of belonging for our quarterly topic in my region. I believe that creating a culture of belonging is crucial for building inclusive workplaces that attract and retain diverse talent. When people feel like they belong, they’re
Spotify has allegedly spent less than 10% of a $100 million diversity fund it launched after its top podcaster, Joe Rogan, came under fire for spreading Covid-19 misinformation and using racial slurs in his podcast. The world’s largest music streaming service announced its $100 million Creator Equity Fund in February 2022 to support the licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups. However, Bloomberg News reports that, after its first year, Spotify had spent less than 10% of the money on that work. Riddled with
Employers continued to make progress in addressing anti-Black racism last year, but Black Canadians worry that a recession could wipe out those gains, finds a new survey. In KPMG in Canada’s survey of more than 1,000 Black Canadians, 9 in 10 felt their employers had made progress on efforts to be more equitable and inclusive for Black employees in 2022. Most also said their companies had hired and promoted more Black people, and noted improvements in their own career and promotion prospects. Black Canadians also reported improvements in their workplace
