DEI Conference Talks About Differences

by Suzanne Seay

Solomon on Generations

You cannot talk about racial diversity without talking about generations, according to Raven Solomon, the opening keynote speaker at the recent Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conference in New York City, held by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), and the Life Insurance Council of New York (LICONY).

In her dynamic and energetic talk, she described the characteristics of the four generations currently in the workplace – Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z – and how these characteristics can lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding. She said Boomers tend to be loyal, rule followers, respectful of authority, and they “live to work.” On the other hand, the younger generations tend to be loyal to themselves and their careers, not their employers. They tend to question long-standing rules and embedded lines of authority and hierarchy. And they “work to live.”

Solomon doesn’t take sides with the perceptions or qualities of any one generation. She is adamant that if we don’t try harder to understand the sometimes diametrically opposed attitudes that each generation brings to work, we can’t create an environment of inclusion for everyone.

To help foster empathy, Solomon showed a video where actors depicted a workplace meeting over many decades. In each scene, the younger generation brought ideas and technology to the table and the older generation resisted. The point taken was that the older generation used to be the younger generation, and we all need to remember that.

Taylor on What Workers Want Now

The closing keynote address was given by HR superstar Johnny C. Taylor Jr., who focused on what employees are looking for at work. His company, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), offers an actual pension plan, open leave (which means you can take as many days off as you want), tuition reimbursement, and competitive salaries. Despite its generous package, SHRM still has a 29% turnover rate. The average turnover rate is 25%. No more 30 years and you get a watch, he said. Now the average new hire plans to stay three years.

In 2020, when the pandemic hit, workers wanted remote work, which they got. But now, workers want the flexibility to work in-person and remote. Many empty nesters have had enough of being home alone all day.

At the beginning of the pandemic, employees were looking for job security and employer sympathy. Now, the desire is for career development and employer empathy, said Taylor, whose company continually surveys workers around the globe.

After learning that 72% of workers who quit their jobs during the pandemic now regret it, SHRM routinely calls ex-employees six weeks after they left and asks them how it’s going? It’s just one more way to recruit in a knowledge-based economy with a shrinking base of human capital.