When you think about diversity and inclusion, what comes to your mind? Typically, people think about age, race, and gender, however, there is more complexity to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture than hiring people who fit into different age brackets or creating the perfect male to female ratio.
Diversity and inclusion can drive business and should be top of mind for every smart business leader. But sometimes that simple message gets lost and needs to be tied to more than just a business outcome; it needs to be tied to how we experience the world around us every day.
Diversity is no longer just about the color of our skin, our gender, or our age. It’s about respect. It is about cultures. Heritage. Communities. It’s about how we respect the differences we all have, including our diversity of thought and opinion. The more you can leave your pre-conceived ideas and perceptions behind and open yourself up to new ways of thinking and doing things, the greater the rewards will be.
So, let’s talk about the D & I world and the rewards…
Our speaker, Ms. Rose Royal, is the Director of HR Compliance and Employee Relations at OG&E Corporation. She is responsible for directing programs, policies, and practices to ensure the Company's compliance with federal and state employment laws. Ms. Royal manages OG&E's Affirmative Action Program and partners with leaders on employee relations matters, risk assessments, and conflict management. Rose is a passionate proponent for building work enviroments where EVERYONE can thrive and be successful. She insists, we must be more dilberate and intentional regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and dare to push boundaries on the uncomfortable spaces we know exist. Rose has 20+ years of HR experience. She has an MBA with an HR emphasis, and both the SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications.