Introduction

In this episode of the podcast, Brooke speaks to Sonia Kang, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Chief Scientist at the Behavioural Economics in Action Research Center at Rotman School of Management, and Canada Research Chair in Identity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Their conversation addresses some of the major diversity and inclusion pain points that job candidates, employees, and employers encounter throughout the HR cycle, from recruitment to onboarding and training. Sonia shares fascinating insights from her research, and offers practical advice for organizations seeking to improve the processes they use to attract talent, and ensure their employees feel as though they belong and are valued in their workplace.

Some of the things discussed include:

Recruitment barriers, from gender stereotypes to biased application systems.

Zooming out to the wider picture when searching for the right candidates, and how hiring in sets can help identify the best people for your existing teams.

Making employees feel like they belong through onboarding co-creation.

The use of defaults to encourage promotion competition.

Practical steps organizations can immediately take to address gaps in their inclusion and diversity strategies.