According to guest Rahimeh Ramezany, it’s long overdue for business leaders to empower and develop the marginalized. This episode of Transform Your Workplace features a timely discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with intercultural practitioner Rahimeh Ramezany. From her own experience as an employee to her observations of marginalized groups in the workplace, Rahimeh exposes the power plays at work within today’s business world.
GUEST AT A GLANCE
As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practitioner, Rahimeh Ramezany is passionate about recognizing, equipping, and empowering marginalized groups, all for the ultimate transformation of workplace culture and the world at large.
A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST
🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR
🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws
📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.”
THE WAY OF THE FUTURE
According to guest Rahimeh Ramezany, there’s still quite a bit of work to be done when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. “The way of the future,” Rahimeh explained, “is values-based, morals-based employees and customers and clients.”
Studies show that Millennial and Gen Z employees want to work with and spend their money with companies that reflect their values — and they largely value inclusivity, diversity, and being good to people that you interact with. “That’s not going to go away,” so employers must align their values with those of their employees and customers.
PODCAST EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
What You Value
“Social justice work shouldn’t be about shame. It shouldn’t be about guilting people. […] No, that’s not the point. The point is asking, ‘Where are you at? Do you want to improve? What matters to you?’ […] In your actions and words — where a company is putting its money, where the company is investing its time and hiring certain people — you can implicitly see what it cares about.”
Management Matters
“There was an article that I shared on LinkedIn a week ago or so where Gen Z is using social media to track a potential manager. So before they apply for a job, they will go and look up their manager on social media to see what kind of person they are. And if they’re not a good person by their estimation, they literally won’t apply for the job. Instead of companies looking at people who want to work for them, the tables have turned.”
Investing in Your People
“Who are you firing? Who are you laying off? Who are you promoting? Who are you giving professional development to? Who are you giving accommodations for? Who are you making excuses for? For instance, folks with disabilities are one of the largest groups that struggle with getting employment, not because they are inherently unskilled, but because companies don’t want to give them the basic accommodations.”
Being Transparent
“I really truly believe, especially as DEI practitioners, that we owe it to the people that we’re talking with to be incredibly transparent about our identities. Because that informs the lenses through which we are doing this work. […] And DEI practitioners should all go out of their way to learn about different cultures and identity groups, so we can be more inclusive and sensitive to their needs and they don’t have to educate us all the time.
However, we are never, ever, ever, ever, ever going to be able to speak on and for cultures or identity groups that we don’t belong to.”
Pushing Through The Discomfort
“Human beings don’t want to be uncomfortable. It’s very uncomfortable to be uncomfortable. We don’t want it. Our brains are wired to flee from it in any way that we can, and that’s natural. So knowing that our brain wants to do that and also holding space for ‘I’m not unsafe because I’m uncomfortable, and I can continue to learn. I’m invested in making the world a more inclusive, equitable place, and that is more important than my comfort.’”
Where to Start
“Listen to your people. They know your context. […] And it’s really hard because there’s a lot of distrust of leadership and HR, where they have sent out annual culture surveys, and then your people tell you, and then you don’t do anything like that, or you do the bare minimum, or you do very performative things. What’s the point? […] If you haven’t even been attempting to check in with your people, take accountability for that. Say out loud that you recognize that. […] If you try to dodge accountability, you will never, ever, ever build trust.”
LEARN MORE
Interested in diving deep into DEI? Find Rahimeh Ramezany on LinkedIn or TikTok or check out her website where you can access free articles and resources.