Our View on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
The Importance of DEI in the Workplace
As a CEO, I firmly believe that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are not just buzzwords, but essential pillars that drive the success of our organization. Diversity is not just about race, gender, or age; it’s about bringing together a mix of people with different perspectives, experiences, and ideas. It’s about creating an environment where everyone, regardless of their background, feels valued and can contribute their best work. This diversity of thought leads to innovation, creativity, and problem-solving, which are critical for our organization’s growth and success.
Equity, on the other hand, is about ensuring fairness in opportunities, resources, and support for all employees. It’s about recognizing that not everyone starts from the same place and making sure we level the playing field. I'm committed to implementing policies and practices that promote equity, such as fair compensation, opportunities for advancement, and access to professional development resources. We strive to create a culture where everyone feels they have an equal opportunity to grow and succeed.
Inclusion is the glue that holds diversity and equity together. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels they belong and their voices are heard. It’s about valuing and respecting the unique contributions of every employee. I'm also dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued. We actively seek out and value diverse perspectives, and we ensure that every employee feels empowered to speak up and contribute. Together, diversity, equity, and inclusion create a strong, vibrant, and resilient organization that is prepared to meet the challenges of the future.
– Mike Gallagher, CEO
Leadership-Level Support for DEI Issues
Leaders show commitment to DEI through proactive communication and collaborative goal setting with their teams. They also practice what they preach - for example, by offering flexible work arrangements and conducting nationwide candidate searches to diversify their talent pipeline. Employees take their cues from leaders - and gauge leaders' authenticity based on their actions, words and strategies. A company's values will become part of the everyday experience when DEI leaders consistently relate how their efforts strengthen the organization's mission and values. At PlanIT Group, all employees take part in these conversations to attain buy-in, trust and shared commitment to the movement.
DEI Training for All Employees
Just like the diverse makeup of our employees, DEI training comes in different types and performs different functions. For instance, PlanIT Group employees often interact with international partners or are themselves based outside of the United States and often geographically distributed, a cultural sensitivity program is very beneficial and helps employees understand the local customs and social norms.
Some of the various types of DEI training PlanIT uses are:
- Basic Diversity Training
- Unconscious Bias Training
- Skills-Based Diversity Training
- Anti-Oppression Training
- Religious Sensitivity Training
- Cultural Sensitivity Training
We use these different types of training in order to ensure to everyone within PlanIT Group, and customers with whom we interact, feel safe, comfortable, and included.
Strategies for DEI Hiring Practices
While most employers and recruiting managers make the mistake of designing job descriptions in a way that excludes specific demographics, at PlanIT Group, we strive for inclusivity from the very start. For example, researchers have found that women are much less likely to apply to job descriptions that include 'masculine-coded' language such as "active", "confident", and "driven", so we look to use more inclusive language.
When crafting job descriptions, we refrain from using industry or gender-specific language that could deter some of the strongest and most marginalized candidates. This helps to support our goal of hiring the best candidate for the job, while being inclusive at the same time.
Learn More About PlanIT
Clients engage PlanIT Group for our expertise, innovative approach, and our exceptional team of managers and recruiters. Integrity and innovation are the core principles of our company philosophy, and we integrate that into everything we do. Our customers engage us to create solutions to complex mission challenges, and PlanIT delivers. Our staffing management, operations, transition, and quality control plans deliver proven high-quality services using proactive management practices, standardized processes, and a highly trained workforce.