eBooks

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | www.opensesame.com | (503) 808-1286 | 2 Adopting a meaningful and successful DEI initiative involves a wholesale culture change within all of the sectors of manufacturing. Product research and development, manufacturing operations, technical and engineering portions as well as offsite technicians, representatives and all business support teams must collectively participate in addressing attitudes, ways of thinking, and committing to behavioral change. The key to achieving success is to take a strategic approach that touches all aspects of the organization, cultivating a new language for how the company sees itself and performs its mission. This has been particularly challenging during a period of social and cultural movement around race and equity combined with a global pandemic that has greatly impacted all aspects of manufacturing. But the solutions lie in expanding the concept of DEI to address these issues, viewing them as a catalyst and not as an added mandate disconnected from real business needs. The manufacturing industry is recognizing the importance of DEI programs in meeting new and ongoing industry challenges and in supporting workplace equity and cultural change. 1 TechValidate Survey of OpenSesame users, 2020. 89% of organizations believe that Diversity, Equity & Inclusion are important drivers of business results. 91% of manufacturing companies agree that DEI is a growing training need. A 2020 DEI study by the Brandon Hall Group indicates that 89% of organizations believe that Diversity, Equity & Inclusion are important drivers of business results, and yet in most organizations, daily business practices do not reflect their importance. Specifically, 91% of manufacturing companies agree that DEI is a growing training need in most organizations and yet progress has been slow due to social, cultural, and logistical influences. 1

• Cover