EQUITY & INCLUSION
How DEIB Can Help Your Company Enhance Business Outcomes
By Stephanie Robert
be less familiar, but they’re just as critical in setting your company up for success. A De- loitte study found that diversity, equity, inclu- sion, and belonging (DEIB) offers a company a 46% increase in competitive advantage in the industry, 40% better and more accurate decision making, a 34% increase in financial performance, and many other benefits. Fur- thermore, DEIB improves retention rates and breeds cutting-edge innovation. Argentum, the American Seniors Hous-
Y
ing Association (ASHA), and the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) have formed the Senior Liv- ing DEIB Coalition in a shared commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to empower businesses operating in and around senior living. The goal is to co-create a plan of action and strategy around DEIB, including the development of resources that inform, equip, and catalyze positive impact and thinking. As industry challenges continue with re-
cruiting and retaining talent, this effort can serve to catalyze thinking around diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and how it is critical to future business, how it will strength- en human capital, and why it is the right thing to do. This coalition is driven to an eventual goal of equally distributed opportunity, thus empowering diversity and industry growth. The coalition has developed a three-step
process designed to inform the industry about the current DEIB picture, needs,
ou’ve probably heard the terms ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ a lot. The terms ‘equity’ and ‘belonging’ might
and data and to determine the most ef- fective ways the three industry groups can support DEIB in senior living. As a first step, third-party consulting firm The Axela Group conducted detailed interviews with industry thought leaders on the current state of DEIB and the future vision for DEIB. To follow this, The Axela Group will form
a diverse industry work group to address challenges and opportunities around DEIB. “Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are four concepts that work togeth- er to boost team dynamics, productivity, and innovation within your organization. With DEIB at the core of your mission, you ensure that each team member has equal opportunities to do their best work and feels valued,” commented Kelsey Arico, the Lead Consultant and Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at The Axela Group. “We have an opportunity to make our industry even better than ever before.” Finally, the coalition and work group will
collaborate with Ferguson Partners, a leader in industry intelligence, to develop and con- duct a DEIB survey to gain organizational insights and perspectives from senior living operators and owners. The themes and insights gathered through
the interviews, work group, and survey will support the DEIB Coalition to co-create a long-term action plan and industry call for positive and real change, as well as to prioritize the development of supporting tools, education, and resources for senior living owners and operators to advance best practices and DEIB.
Equity & Inclusion
Kemy Joseph, MS, EdS CEO & Co-Founder F.E.A.R.S. Advantage™
This initiative will be a very intentional
and thorough process to launch a long-term movement around DEIB, with a desire to measure and realize industry progress year-over-year. The member organizations within the coalition felt that it is critical to unite and advance this initiative together and are genuinely excited to be a part of this important industry movement and the positive change it will generate.
So what is DEIB? DEIB really is about people and creating a place where everyone feels motivated and em- powered to positively contribute to the work- place. As more and more people are search- ing for a diverse, more inclusive corporate environment in all verticals, it is important to begin or expand upon your DEIB efforts. It is important to note that being diverse is not about looking at metrics and ensuring a certain percentage of people are employed. It is about treating everyone with an equal amount of respect and care when it comes to their expertise and opinion, regardless of looks, race, sexual orientation, or gender.
Kemy Joseph will be keynoting at the Senior Living Leadership Summit 2022 in November. To learn more about Kemy Joseph and the F.E.A.R.S. Advantage, visit
fearsadvantage.com/thrive. To learn more about the Leadership Summit, visit
leadershipsummit.argentum.org.
42 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
