Episode 59 - The Impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Shifts in the Workplace with Louisa Benedicto

Welcome back to Talent Titans! In this episode, I welcome Louisa Benedicto, a Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Hays. Louisa, who brings her extensive recruitment and DEI expertise from across the UK, Japan, and North America, discusses the evolving corporate attitudes towards DEI strategies, particularly in North America, where many companies are reevaluating their commitments amid economic and societal pressures. We refer to the pendulum effect post-2020 that has led some organizations to shift their focus back to profit-driven areas, while still considering the crucial role of legal, social, and ethical factors in shaping their DEI approaches.

While navigating DEI challenges in the workplace is complex, Louisa and I examine the need for inclusive recruitment practices, advocating for the removal of unnecessary barriers such as degree requirements and lengthy tenures, and the importance of transparent job ads that cater to underrepresented groups. We also highlight the importance of systemic changes within organizations, employee morale concerns, transparency and honesty, ensuring opportunities for all are based on skills and potential.

Key Moments:

How companies are shifting from the DEI efforts of 2020.
DEI covers so many more areas than just hiring from marginalized communities.
Get clear about what you want to do. Do you truly welcome diversity?
Employee morale is at an all-time low. Companies taking steps back in DEI initiatives come across as though they don't care.

Favorite Quote:

"The essence of effective DEI strategies lies in systemic change—ensuring opportunities are based on skills and potential, rather than arbitrary qualifications."

Louisa

Connect with Louisa:

Louisa Benedicto is Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sustainability at Hays – covering the Americas region including Canada, the U.S. and Latin American Countries. She specializes in DE&I within the recruitment process, enabling our clients to implement best practices that ensure everyone gets a fair opportunity in the recruitment practices.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisabenedicto/

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit