Engaging Employees with Digital DEI Learning in a Hybrid Environment
In an exciting collaboration, IBIS and Gannett USA Today shared some of their best practices on building a competitive advantage at the 27th Annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Conference presented by The Conference Board. Participants learned how organizations can keep DEI efforts at the forefront during an economic downturn.
The key? According to these leaders, it's important to find sustainable and strategic ways to prioritize DEI learning while leveraging digital assets. Learn more about digital assets in this short video.
New and engaging digital assets can help address DEI needs, but it always helps to learn how they are applied within an organization. The audience heard directly from Gannett USA Today's Senior Director of Inclusion Strategy, LaToya Johnson, about key learnings and important considerations for leaders expanding their DEI learner journeys by using audio stories, custom workplace scenarios and e-learning.
Of the DEI approach at Gannett, Johnson shared, "We strive to meet people where they are, creating moments that matter while driving connectivity in a flexible, hybrid work environment. I am proud that Gannett offers a myriad of opportunities for employees to engage with each other in safe spaces, while providing education and awareness, information and experience sharing, personal and career development, and more!
"Gannett worked with IBIS to create a learner journey that included education on Unconscious Bias, Allyship, and Inclusive Culture.
One DEI education must-have?
Real-life stories utilizing embedded audio stories, custom workplace scenarios, and e-learning helped make the digital assets interactive and engaging so that learner motivation is never a concern. With leader testimonials, video scenarios, and more, the assets created by IBIS and Gannett always kept the learner excited to move forward. Learn more about them here.
An enhanced listening strategy aided Gannett in understanding the diversity challenges and opportunities by focusing on their Pride group. Through the engagement of their Pride group, they designed an Allyship e-learning for the entire organization.
The e-learning included workplace scenarios that highlighted the diversity challenges and opportunities that Gannett wanted employees to understand. It also reinforced their pillars of inclusivity and how to best support underrepresented employees in the workplace.
More tips to make your DEI Learner Journey the very best it can be?
Customize the learning for the audience
Get buy-in from leaders
Have a strong communication plan around the e-learnings
Incorporate metrics to measure success
The DEI Strategy at Gannett has always relied on a DEI roadmap, but over the course of a needs assessment with IBIS, a need for customized DEI learning emerged.
"The e-learning on Becoming an Ally was a big success," said Johnson. "Everyone on our Board of Directors took the course, the CEO took the course, and ultimately we created a whole campaign around this education that even included embedding it into everyone's e-mail signatures."
Watch our next newsletter for the webinar recording and learn more about:
Utilizing digital assets
Custom workplace scenarios embedded in the course
Obtaining leadership buy-in
Addressing the initial challenges faced by the team
Engaging the rest of the organization in this initiative
Measuring success
