Page 26 - BusinessWest June 17, 2024

Nicole Polite, CEO of the MH Group. (Staff Photo)
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION >>
26 JUNE 24, 2024
<< DEI >>
BusinessWest
Culture Shift
DEI Strategies in the Workplace Take Many Forms
BY JOSEPH BEDNAR
[email protected]
Diversity, equity, and inclusion — com- monly known as DEI — has become a well-recognized expression in the world of employment, human resources, and executive suites.
But Nicole Polite pre- fers the term DEIB, which incorporates the word belonging, and there’s a reason for that.
“If I feel valued,
“The belonging factor
is making sure that your
employees feel like they’re
part of a community or
environment where they
all feel connected, regard-
less of race, color, creed,
and everything else,” said
Polite, CEO of the MH
Group, which provides a
range of staffing services to client employers. “I’m glad belonging is being emphasized; I believe that’s a key factor. Because if you don’t feel like you belong somewhere, then it’s not a good space for you.”
While the term DEI has become politicized in some corners, Polite doesn’t see the concepts behind it fading in importance.
“We’re not going to move away from it. The world has changed so radically,” she said. “And the employees are the ones driving it. They’re the ones asking, ‘how are you supporting me? How do I belong here? What are the steps you’ve been taking to make sure that there’s representation here?’”
John Henderson, director of Learning and Devel- opment at the Employers Assoc. of the Northeast (EANE), agrees.
“In this politically and socially divisive world, how do we create a culture where people feel val- ued? That stems from the diversity, equity, and inclusion piece,” he said, before explaining what each of those terms means for EANE.
if I feel trusted, if
IfeelIcanbemy
authentic self at
work, I feel like I
belong.”