Diversity Corner: Recent Episodes
Gobinder Gill
Human Resources personnel along with decision makers have positive intentions to implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in their workplace, but at times are unsure how to implement concrete solutions. Each week, host Gobinder Gill, #1 Best Selling Author on Amazon, writer, broadcaster, and international speaker, will offer his personal insight and talk with decision makers to help you successfully lead, train, and retain a diverse workforce. HR personnel and decision makers need to change their mindset and view Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a business investment in an ever-changing workplace environment.
This week, in the Diversity Corner podcast, I will be providing definitions for different terms and phrases pertaining to diversity, equity and inclusion. There are many individuals who are unsure or just unaware of the true meanings about certain phrases or words such as Two Spirit or Equity versus Equality.
You will have a better understanding of some of these common everyday words which we hear whether it is in our growing diverse workplaces or in the mainstream society. In today’s growing diverse workplaces and multicultural society, it is important to distinguish what these terms are and how they should be used.
This week, in the Diversity Corner podcast, I talk about using proper terminology to address different cultures in Canada. It is not only appropriate but also important to be respectful when addressing particular groups.
I am sure you have been in situations where you are not sure how to address certain groups of people, for example Indigenous Canadians. Should they be referred to as Indigenous, First Nations or Aboriginal, etc.? What about the people who are coming from India. Is the use of the term Indo-Canadian still acceptable? In addition to learning different terminology, you will also learn where and when these terminologies came into existence.
In today's multicultural society and diverse work environment, being sensitive and respectful is critical to being inclusive.
In this week's Diversity Corner podcast, I will answer three main questions about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). I chose these questions because I have been asked them on a number of occasions.
The three questions are: How serious are companies about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) ? Why is diversity still a topic of discussion? What can organizations do when it comes to DEI?
The answers may or may not surprise you, but they are from my perspective and somewhat eye opening.
This week on Diversity Corner, I am speaking with Arif Velji, an owner of several businesses in Canada. From early on he went out of his way to attract and serve clients from different ethnic groups from South Asian, Filipinos to people from the middle east and so on.
You will learn why it is important to target different ethnic groups and what they all have in common. He says reaching out to different clientele is one of the main reasons why his various business ventures have rebounded quickly after the Covid -19 shut down. In addition, he talks about how to interact with individuals who may look or act different than you.
These days, it is given that your organization will have employees and clientele from all cultural backgrounds. And knowing how to interact with them might set your business apart from your competitors.
These days a large number of organizations might be succeeding when it comes to diversity in their workplace, but are they inclusive? Many decision makers think they have inclusivity, but some polls suggest that is not the case.
In today’s podcast, Diversity Corner, I will talk about three simple points how you can make your workplace more inclusive. Inclusive work environment makes it possible for all to feel valued and acknowledging their differences.
This week on Diversity Corner, I am speaking with Jas Sahota who has built many businesses from the ground up. And he has held many positions within these organizations, including Human Resources.
You will learn how to meet the needs of employees in a multicultural work environment because individuals of different cultures have different needs. He also stresses the importance of mentoring, which can unleash the great potential for many employees. Jas also states that one of the most important things he has come to learn in his 30 year career is that people need to be a priority #1 in any business.
Welcome to Diversity Corner, a session for Human Resources personnel, who are often overwhelmed by the many demands of a growing multicultrual workforce. Today, I am going to speak with Kim Gill, co-owner of several fast food restuarants. You will learn how one of her restaurants recorded the strongest sales in Canada. Gill contributes this great achievement to her management team and loyal staff. However, to make this happen, she also goes the extra mile to make sure that her staff are not only cared for, but also that they are respected and valued. In today's constantly changing business climate, the greatest asset of any company is not the machinery, the buildings, but rather the personnel. When employees are valued and respected by the owners or decision makers, then the bottom line is also impacted.
In this episode, Diversity Corner, I speak with a well travelled architect, Carman Kwan, who has a medium size firm called Architectural Collective in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Kwan, a Canadian of Asian descent, also shares some of her experiences of racism in the workplace where the owners refused to intercept.
You will learn how to lead a diverse cultural workforce and how to deal with some of the challenges. She adds that life expereinces, cultural elements and contributions made by her staff are immense. And they have become ambassadors of various ethnic communities.
She highlightes that newcomers to this country are more loyal, committed and giving than Canadian born.
Do you know if "Racism Within Racism" is lurking in your workplace? Unfortunately, this scenario exists in many organizations and is often not even recognized by the Human Resources (HR) department.
In this episode, you will learn what is "Racism Within Racism". And know what are the warning signs. In addition, learn measures for dealing effectively with this unacceptable behavior. Unless appropriate measures are taken, the consequences could be disastrous.
It is the responsability of the HR department to deal with such unethical behavior so every employee feels welcome, respected and valued. When staff members are appreciated for who they are then not only cultural harmony flourishes, but so does the organization's bottom line - productivity and profits.
There are many decision makers of small and large organizations in North America who still are on the sideline when it comes to giving importance to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace. In this episode, I speak with Roger Killen, founder and producer of Get Inspired Talks, who emphasizes the importnace of having a variety of speakers on his platform.
When DEI is taken more seriously and viewed as a business investment, then not only the mind change begins to shift with the decision makers but also on the ground level.
Lets's face it, many people in any workplace have stereotypical views of others who look and act different. This may include a senior, a young person, an LGBTQ-plus, an immigrant, a person with a disability, a member of a visible minority group, etc. In this episode, you will learn how negative opinions are formed, and know that if such views persist, they can have devastating consequnces such as high turnover, low morale, even litigation and so on.
Understand what measures are necessary to change such behavior so that therre can be greater cultural harmony which will ultimately boost a company's bottom line - productivity and profits.
When was the last time you did not hire an applicant who was new to the country? Perhaps it was due to lack of Canadian or American work experience, communication skills, or something else. But in your mind, you wish you did because they appeared to qualify.
In this episode, you will learn the type of questions to ask as well as which questions to avoid. Furthermore, how you can rephrase questions when interviewing a candidate who may be unfamiliar with the western cultural interview process.
I will also focus on understanding the cultural elements that explain why many immigrants are hesitant to answer basic questions such as "Tell me about yourself?'
By understanding these fundamentals of interviewing new immigrants, you may no longer reject ideal applicants who could add value not only to the workplace but also the organization.
In this "Diversity Corner" episode, we will discuss what types of questions your HR department should ask when recruiting diversity, equity, and inclusion personnel. It is essential that you ensure that the candidate is qualified to deliver DEI sessions to your workforce.
One of the biggest mistakes a lot of HR people make is to hire someone of color from within their organization or from outside on the assumption that they are well qualified. Just because one is of Asian, South Asian, Latin, or African origin does not necessarily make them DEI trainers.
Today, possibly as a result of global social events, many organizations are being proactive in delivering diversity sessions to their staff. Other businesses go even further by hiring DEI personnel.
In this episode, we will be discussing the nine critical points that are necessary for your organization to retain valuable employees, especially when companies are facing a labor shortage. In today's multicultural workplace, one of the biggest challenges many organizations face is being able to retain valuable employees.
Obviously, the first major element for any human resources department is to hire the most qualified candidate. Assorted studies have highlighted that every time an organization hires a new employee it cost about $10,000, and after a while that expenditure can add up especially if employees continue to leave.
To complicate things further, according to Statistics Canada, 33% of new jobs over the next nine years will have to be filled by immigrants. In major cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, it could be even higher, perhaps up to 50%. This is due to the retirement of the baby boomer population and the low birth rate.
The situation in the United States is no better because today, a large number of companies are finding it difficult to find qualified candidates. According to Peterson Institute International for Economics, the United States is still short 6.2 million job vacancies that are not filled.
Furthermore, the workforce in Canada and the US will become even more diverse in the coming years, therefore, your HR department along with decision makers will need to make a mind-shift to take Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion more seriously.