SEPTEMBER 2021HR TECH OUTLOOK 19Daisy Auger-Dominguez's mission is to make workplaces more equitable and inclusive. With her expertise in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion, she inspires global leaders and organizations to think inclusively, lead with purpose, embrace courage, and shape the future of work. Daisy began her career as a Credit Rating Analyst at Moody's Investors Service, transitioned into the role of the first chief diversity officer, and has not looked back ever since. Her talent soon brought an opportunity to serve Time Warner as the Managing Director for Executive Search. In the following years, she drove diversity and inclusion initiatives at Disney ABC Television Group, Google, and Viacom. Currently, she serves as the Chief People Officer at VICE Media, overseeing its divisional HR functions, from recruitment to developing, onboarding, and engaging their global teams of over 2400 employees across 25 countries. Daisy is also penning a book, Inclusion Revolution, to inspire everyone, from an individual to CEO, to take on the work of dismantling inequity in the workplace. Have you noticed any change in the outlook of organizations regarding diversity and inclusion?Organizations are starting to understand the significance of diverse and inclusive work culture. They know that without diversity, inclusivity, and cultural tolerance, reputation stands on a fragile line. Today, every board member is on high alert as they know that they are just one social media post away from reputational oblivion. In a nutshell, we have changed as individuals, companies, and society. People who were once silenced have found their voice, and they are exercising it to bring a positive change in today's workplaces on a global scale. Interestingly, people who were oblivious before, intentionally or not, about the injustices inflicted on various races, colors, ethnicities, and countries are starting to understand the impact of these actions. For all of us who are trying to eliminate racism, discrimination, and other biases from our workspace, this is a good start. What are the challenges an organization faces while implementing diversity and inclusion?Various challenges are hindering the implementation of diversity and inclusion. First is the fear of saying the wrong thing and being called out. All of us have struggled through this one time or another. I know through my experience how fear can hold you back. So, we need to manage this fear. If you genuinely try and care about your employees, you will surely make your team productive! Last year at VICE Media Group, we doubled down on supporting our managers and provided them with training, resources, and encouragement in managing complexity across teams.The second is a poor design that comes in the form of asking wrong questions or no question at all. Most companies do not seek feedback from women, black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), who are the main subject of this conversation. Instead, they focus heavily on the representation numbers and outrightly ignore the cultural and environmental elements that drive exclusion. Building trust and engagement becomes much easier when you make people feel like their opinions are valuable for the organization. We need a culture that promotes allyship and supports every employee by giving them a sense of belonging. Diversity Fatigue is the third challenge. The work behind this change takes time, energy, strength, and patience, making it quite hard to stay interested, focused, and committed, Reimagining Work Culture with Diversity and InclusionCXOInsightsDaisy Auger-Dominguez, Board Member and Advisor, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategist, TEDx Speaker and Chief People Officer, VICE Media GroupBy
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