How to Have Workplace Race Conversations (WTDTW #20)
Time: 11:00 - 12:00 (if you can't attend live, register to watch the recording)
Cost per attendee: FREE
Platform: Zoom - An encrypted zoom platform with password access. Click here for further information and to test access
When your employees are involved in honest, respectful and real conversations at work, those values of inclusion and tolerance will have a huge impact in the outside world. And at a time when organisations are being held up to the light by customers and clients, your inclusion strategy needs to be far deeper than lip service.
As HR professionals, we are perfectly placed to lead change and tackle workplace bias. This important webinar features experts and thought leaders who will show you how to start and continue workplace conversations to ensure your inclusion strategy is effective and workable.
Recent speakers at our recent sell-out diversity summit said:
'Diversity, inclusion and belonging means acceptance and fairness for all - for me, there is one race - the human race. But there is also a fear of difference and a lack of understanding. Simple solution; listen, learn and take action.' Nichole McGill-Higgins, Co-chair, EmbRACE, CIPD
'For me, diversity and inclusion are more than just buzzwords; they are the bedrock of creating fairer and kinder workplaces' Fudia Smartt, Partner, Spencer-West
We are taking those words seriously and producing a FREE one-hour webinar to give HR professionals the tools to start conversations in their own workplaces.
- learn the language to use and the questions to ask
- reduce anxiety around race conversations for your employees and managers
- what's gained and lost when race is highlighted
- what tools and resources must you think about providing
- how can you facilitate conversations safely under social distancing?
- 'Islam is not a race' - how Muslim colleagues can and should be involved in race conversations and some preconceptions tackled
Please note: If you have a topic to suggest or might like to speak at, endorse, or sponsor the event, please see how to get involved here.
Need more in-depth training?
We deliver tailored diversity and inclusion in-house training for organisations, find out more here.
Which functions will benefit from attending
- HR, Diversity & Inclusion, Occupational Health, Recruitment & Resourcing, Policy & Strategy, Operations, Legal, Talent, Equality, Policy, Organisational Development, Employer Branding, Engagement, Employee Relations, People Development, Learning and Development, Improvement and Quality and all Directors and Line Managers with responsibilities in this area.
Hear from
Schedule
Introduction and welcome
Why should you encourage race conversations?
Nichole McGill-Higgins (she/her)
Award Winning Race Equality Campaigner, Founder & Director
Changez Life
Nichole McGill-Higgins (she/her)
Award Winning Race Equality Campaigner, Founder & Director , Changez Life
Nichole is an award-winning campaigner, coach, consultant and motivational speaker on race equality and inclusion. Commended for her work tackling oppression, aggression and prejudice in the workplace, she is dedicated to rooting out injustice, becoming the voice for those who may not have the courage to speak for themselves and exploring intersectionality. Nichole is a global keynote speaker at events which focus on racism and the uncomfortable truths which surround it. Through her authentic storytelling in a direct, jargon-free tone, Nichole wins over audiences and organisations – encouraging everyone to take responsibility and action for diversity and inclusion. As a positive disrupter, Nichole uses coaching and design-led thinking methodologies to help organisations experience their own awakening, changing hearts and minds. Nichole led the CIPD’s internal Race Review project, assessing whether the CIPD was dismantling or upholding racial inequality in response to the murder of George Floyd. As a critical friend, she oversaw the content produced by the CIPD to support people professionals in tackling racism and racial discrimination in the workplace. Nichole is a trustee for Rape Crisis Centre (RASASC), a South London charity, focusing on anti-racism and transgender rights. She leads their D&I strategy, underpinning the support offered to survivors, employee engagement and corporate governance. Nichole was named ‘Campaigner of the Year 2020’ by The Baton Awards for her outstanding contribution to racial equality, working with young people and organisations. Nichole was also celebrated as National Mentor of the Year by the National Mentoring Awards in 2019. Other previous voluntary roles include Trustee for the Croydon BME Forum and founding Co-chair of EmbRACE, the CIPD’s employee resource group dedicated to educating colleagues about race and opening up difficult conversations. As well as speaking at events, coaching and consultancy, Nichole delivers training sessions, designs immersive workshops and implements inclusion strategies to drive racial equality and inclusion for employees and employers.
- learn the language to use and the questions to ask
- reduce anxiety around race conversations for your employees and managers
Getting started: an essential toolkit
Bayo Adelaja
Founder & CEO , Do It Now Now
Bayo Adelaja is the founder and CEO of Do it Now Now; which she founded in 2016 in response to gaps in the support available to Black innovators building tech companies and social enterprises in the UK and across Africa. The initiatives Bayo developed for Do it Now Now have led to awards by both Harvard University and Oxford University's Business Schools for her work to create and foster opportunities for under-served communities through technology. 3 communities/initiatives she designed to support underrepresented people in tech, were named "Top in Europe" by FT-backed digital news platform, Sifted. Prior to setting up Do it Now Now, Bayo was a Social Policy Researcher at the London School of Economics, where her work garnered press coverage, including being quoted by former prime minister David Cameron. Bayo has also been a Grant Awarding Judge for USAID, Entrepreneurship Programme Mentor at the Tony Elumelu Foundation and designed the UK’s first-ever enterprise support program for women of colour, the BAME Female Founders Incubator for Hatch Enterprise. She was also recently the Diversity and Inclusion Consultant at Google for Startups UK and is a Fellow at Included VC as well as the Royal Society of Arts. In 2018, Bayo was named one of the most influential women in social entrepreneurship in the UK, by Natwest bank, has worked with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and in 2019, Bayo was chosen as one of the top 100 most influential BAME leaders by the Financial Times and Inclusive Boards. Bayo has a wealth of experience and knowledge on open innovation, mentoring, educating business on diversity and inclusion and delivering crucial social impact programs. Her initiatives have received coverage in The Metro, CNN, Huffington Post, Financial Times, The Independent, TechCabal, Ventureburn and Disrupt Africa.
- what tools and resources must you think about providing
- how can you facilitate conversations safely under social distancing?
- external training companies - pros and cons
'Islam is not a race' - how Muslim colleagues can and should be involved in race conversations and some preconceptions tackled
Azeem Akhtar
Global Lead CTO in Resources, Manufacturing & Logistics , BT Group Plc
CTO in BT’s Global Services division, Azheem is responsible for articulating BT’s digital transformation vision (‘Digital GS’) to key focus clients globally with a view to taking them on a journey to deliver clearly identified, specific, time bound business benefits. Providing authoritative thought leadership to clients at C-Level on Future Networks, Cloud, Collaboration and Security. Azeem is also Chair of Active Essex and sits on the board of Sport England.
Panel discussion
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