IWLA DEI Council Newsletter | |  |
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At its core, diversity means difference. Every person is unique in multiple ways. Think about your workplace and how each worker is different. Then consider the myriad of differences among the larger workforce—they are numerous. Workers and candidates for employment have different experiences, cultures, backgrounds, group memberships, perspectives, ages, talents, etc. Think about the value those differences bring to your company. If everyone thought the same way, had the same experiences, and had the same abilities, for instance, your company would struggle to survive, let alone thrive. | |
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Equity is equivalent to fairness. It is making sure that policies and procedures are fair and impartial. It is not synonymous with equality. While equality means everyone is the same, equity recognizes that everyone has differences and that sometimes blanket policies and procedures are advantageous for some folks, while being more challenging, disadvantageous, or outright detrimental for others.
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Inclusion is making sure that individuals are accepted and included into the larger group setting. In the workplace, it means ensuring that workers are welcomed into the greater workplace culture—not suppressed or rejected by it. It means that their perspectives are respected, and they are provided real opportunities to voice their opinions. Also that any constructive input or feedback they provide will be given genuine consideration by decision makers. Inclusion invites everyone to help shape the workplace culture. | |
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Within the warehousing & logistics industries, companies are faced with the very real imperative to find, attract, hire, and retain workers who have the necessary skills—or the capacity to quickly attain the necessary skills—to fill open positions. Demand is high, along with competition. Companies are realizing the need to expand their pool of candidates in order to find the required talent. Part of that expansion includes outreach to underrepresented populations or populations that may have been overlooked or not considered for one or more reasons.
Companies must be viewed as attractive places in order for candidates to choose them over their competitors. Hired employees must feel that they are valued enough and given the support necessary to thrive in their positions. Internal pipelines must be in place to ensure that individuals who have the drive and ability to move up within the company are provided with the opportunities to grow.
Welcoming in a new infusion of talent with fresh perspectives is integral to innovation. Having a structure in place that values your workers’ input and provides the support necessary for them to grow professionally will help your company thrive.
DEI is not a feel-good project for company executives to pat themselves on the back and silence any critics who want greater representation from certain groups because it is “the right thing to do.” It is not an attempt to hire people just because they look or think differently, if they do not have the ability to do their jobs. It is not a mandate to hire different groups of people in order to check off boxes. It is also not an opportunity to hire underrepresented populations and complain when they leave or perform poorly because they are not given the tools or support to succeed or are shunned by the workplace culture. Doing any of these things would hurt the company’s bottom line and leave it prone to failure.
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The IWLA DEI Council is comprised of representatives from our member companies who work together to research and share with the Association data, issues, innovative thinking, case studies, and best practices in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion for the benefit of its members.
One focus area for the Council is growing the workforce. We hope to bring new, innovative ideas for attracting people and finding traditionally-overlooked talent. This includes labor, supervision, management, and ownership. We also want to attract people into the industry by bringing to light and sharing with them the available opportunities. While our industry has a very diverse workforce now, we need to show what a great opportunity it is for people of all walks of life.
- Tom Landry is Chairman of Allegiance Staffing, and the Chair of the IWLA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Council.
- Pam Harris is the Director of Marketing & Supplier Diversity for ASW Global, and the Vice Chair for the IWLA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Council.
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Hard work and long hours are things Marcia Faschingbauer, President and CEO of Excargo Services, does not shy away from. Marcia has been working hard her entire life, starting at her father’s food packing service, to now owning Excargo. Marcia has spent years building a reputation in the Houston community as a business leader and advocate of the American dream. Marcia’s path to success began as a teenager. She worked at her father’s food packing company, First Prize Foods, where they packaged dried beans and rice. Under her father, Marcia said, she learned “how important it was for the food to be clean,” as well as properly packed and secure to ensure it reached the customer. Marcia’s first experiences at First Prize Foods gave her an early taste of the value of the customer service experience. Contact Marcia here
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Jackson Carriers Services was started by Quincy Jackson 20 years ago. Quincy started as an independent contractor for the Times-Picayune as a newspaper carrier. She later got into delivering medical supplies, medical labs, and small packages. Today, Quincy says, “We now have drivers who can make home deliveries of patient pharmacies as well as medical supplies, labs, and last-mile delivery.” Mrs. Jackson started her business small; however, they made over 300 deliveries in a day throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. Contact Quincy here
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It’s (Past) Time to Appreciate Cultural Diversity | |
With tart humor, Hayley Yeates makes the case that investing in cultural diversity is just as important as fostering gender diversity. Watch the TED Talk | |
Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough Already with the Business Case | |
Leaders may mean well when they tout the economic payoffs of hiring more women and people of color, but there is no research support for the notion that diversifying the workforce automatically improves a company’s performance. This article comments on the popular rhetoric about diversity and revisits an argument the authors made 25 years ago: To fully benefit from increased racial and gender diversity, organizations must adopt a learning orientation and be willing to change the corporate culture and power structure. Read More |
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Going Deeper with Diversity and Inclusion | |
Progressive, innovative companies are striving for more than just surface-level diversity efforts. They are finding ways to ensure their employees can be themselves and thrive.
Read More
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Are you interested in participating in the DEI Council to develop education content, and keep members in the know about what is happening in the workforce around us? This is included in your membership. Let us know here! | |
The IWLA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Council Update is designed to promote the benefits of a diverse workforce and diverse company leadership. | | | | |
