10th June 2020
5 ways HR can support black employees
The murder of George Floyd and the protests that have followed has left many feeling anger, grief, sadness, hopelessness and exhaustion. Those feelings cannot and should not be ignored when employees are back at work. With genuine action and open conversation companies can stand in solidarity with their black employees and provide meaningful support.
Andy Przystanski’s article gives 5 practical pieces of advice on how to make sure you are properly supporting your employees.
From the Article:
1. Be clear about where you stand.
While it’s normal to feel at a loss for words, most HR leaders agreed that silence wasn’t an option. Employers made it clear where they stood through a variety of means, both internal and external — including all-hands meetings, email communications, and conference calls. But rather than offer vague platitudes, HR leaders advised companies to take strong, specific stances on issues of equality. The first step was getting the terminology right.
“Being specific in messaging is great. That means not using terms like ‘POC’ and minority. While they mean well, they don’t make employees of specific groups heard. Asian Americans are struggling because there have been so many hate attacks in the U.S., and Black Americans are hurting because of police brutality and the cycle of racism in this country,” said Christina Holder, Employee Experience Coordinator at Clubhouse Software.
Further, remember that taking a stand for change isn’t a one-and-done proposition. In your statement, make it clear what comes next. What will you do to make good on your promise to fight racism? How will you hold leaders accountable if they don’t follow through?
“Another part is to ensure that your company takes a strong anti-racism stance. Don’t just say you’re against racism, put money towards it. Evaluate vendors you work with. What are their values? Who are your customers? Be very public about not wanting to be associated with companies that don’t share similar values…Create an accountability system so this isn’t forgotten in six months,” Holder said.
Read more tips and get the full article online: How HR Can Support Black Employees Right Now.
Make sure to explore Inspiring Workplace’s other content and insights about leadership and Diversity and Inclusion.