“There is a sea change happening now on pay transparency and it may help you improve pay equity OR catch you off-guard and highlight inequity. Not only are more states passing laws requiring pay bands to be published, but culturally we're seeing adults more openly sharing their pay. When a leader pushes back on sharing an employee's pay band with them, I typically say, ‘They can already see their pay band - on Glassdoor - the question is whether we want them to have the right band data or the wrong one.
For any company, pay transparency starts with explaining the who, when, why, and how - an education for employees on how pay works at company X, who decides pay changes, why they'd make certain decisions, and when. The more transparent ‘what’ (band info and someone's total rewards potential) should usually come after a lot of hard foundational work has already happened. But society is pushing now specifically on this part and companies are going to have to catch up.”
“Now that diversity, equity, and inclusion has become a core function for the majority of companies — nearly 60% of the organizations we work with have dedicated annual DEI budgets — executives are increasingly asking if they are doing the right things to make measurable progress. This is only increasing alongside economic uncertainty. The most successful organizations we work with are using data to guide their DEI efforts, understand what is (and isn't) working, and report on the impact of their initiatives to their executive teams and Boards.”
⭐️ Tip: How to Lead with Empathy for Your Working Parent Colleagues ⭐️
Remote work allowed working parents more grace and flexibility when “co-working” with their kids at home and when they went back to school. It’s not uncommon to see kids on Zoom meetings or for parents to take 20 minutes in the afternoon to get their children from school. But now that companies are opening up their offices again and colleagues are spending more time with each other in person, it’s going to become an adjustment (and for many, an experiment) for working parents trying to make in-person work again with their children’s equally busy schedules. Here's how you can lead with empathy: 1. Embrace async work. For the past two years, we've been in people's living rooms and have gotten a better understanding of the different obligations and responsibilities we all have. We must be empathetic to those taking care of their children, families, roommates, and pets. This means being more flexible; not everyone will be constantly available. Teams can achieve this by embracing async work: using technology to record meetings and give feedback via video or bringing on new collaboration tools that make it easy for working parents and those with obligations to get their work done on their schedule. Be mindful of time zones. Hybrid work requires us to work across different time zones and collaborate with folks worldwide. Teams should be aware of the responsibilities working parents have, work together to alternate time zones, and give grace when they need to take time during the day.
2. Design inclusive workplace events. As working parents return to the office, it's up to HR teams to create inclusive, family-friendly events. That can include bringing your children, parents, pets, and loved ones. HR teams should support parents, old and new, instead of a roadblock -- and ensure they're mindful of everyone's obligations.