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<p>December 3<sup>rd</sup> is <a href=”https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>International Day of Persons with Disabilities</a>. The annual observance was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness and disability inclusion in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.</p>
<p>This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of the <a href=”https://adata.org/learn-about-ada” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” title=”What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?”>Americans with Disabilities Act</a> (ADA). The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation and places that are open to the general public to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.</p>
<p>You are no doubt familiar with the need to <a href=”https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2020/01/10-myths-about-workplace-discrimination.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>comply with the ADA in all areas of your business</a>, but disability inclusion reaches far beyond compliance with the law. Proactively supporting inclusivity in your organization can have important and meaningful impact for your employees, customers and communities. CEB, now part of <a href=”https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/diversity-and-inclusion-build-high-performance-teams/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Gartner</a>, found that highly diverse and inclusive organizations had a 26% increase in team collaboration and an 18% increase in team commitment. A <a href=”https://hbr.org/2018/01/how-and-where-diversity-drives-financial-performance” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>study by Harvard Business Review</a> showed that companies with higher-than-average diversity had 19% higher innovation revenues. So, how can you effectively and respectfully promote disability inclusion in your organization?</p>
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<p class=”size34 statement”><em>These are our clients, prospects, coworkers, and employees. How can your organization think about greater equity and inclusivity, especially during these times?</em></p>
<p class=”text-right mb-15 size20″>- Giselle Mota, board member of the ADP BRG, Thrive</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Practice inclusivity</strong></p>
<p>Be sure that your staff and leadership <a href=”https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2019/03/hiring-employees-with-disabilities-benefits-culture-and-the-bottom-line.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>includes a diverse a range of employees and perspectives</a>. When developing anything from internal policies to new products to client-facing marketing campaigns, getting input from employees and clients with disabilities helps ensure that you are addressing their needs rather than operating on assumptions. Martha Bird, Chief Business Anthropologist at ADP says, “It is important to design WITH excluded and diverse communities, not FOR them. Seek their expert input in the process.”</p>
<p>Representation is key to meaningful and genuine inclusion. If you have Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or Business Resource Groups (BRGs) in your organization, you can partner with them on inclusivity initiatives to get valuable firsthand perspectives. At ADP, the Thrive BRG has a mission to understand the diverse impact of disabilities, end the stigma, and bring awareness and education to ADP associates about people living with disabilities. Susan Lodge, a Thrive board member and mother to a son with a genetic disease says, “This BRG has given me a new appreciation for the company I work for and the people that I work with. I no longer feel like I am the only one who faces the challenges that disabilities can bring. We are all in this together.”</p>
<p><strong>Work to overcome bias</strong></p>
<p>Inclusivity isn’t an “issue” just for people with disabilities; it’s important for everyone in your organization. Once you set the goal and expectation for a diverse and inclusive organizational culture, follow up with education aimed at promoting understanding and awareness of unique challenges of people with disabilities as well as the importance of inclusion. For example, adopt a policy of using <a href=”https://odr.dc.gov/page/people-first-language” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>people first language</a> (PFL). People first language is a way of communicating that shows respect for people with disabilities by focusing on the individual and not their disability. For example, if you were discussing modification to your retail space for your clients, instead of saying “disabled customers”, you would use “customers with disabilities.” This recognizes that they have disabilities and allows you to be inclusive and respectful in your planning but doesn’t use their disabilities to define them entirely.</p>
<p><strong>Disability inclusion in post-COVID business </strong></p>
<p>Inclusion is particularly important <a href=”https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2020/06/10-problematic-practices-employers-should-avoid-during-covid-19.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” title=”10 Problematic Practices Employers Should Avoid During COVID-19″>right now</a>. The global health crisis has highlighted inequities for people with disabilities. Routine healthcare needs like diagnostic testing and therapies are no longer as easy to access. Virtual and masked communications also present challenges that disproportionately affect people with disabilities. As <a href=”https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2019/10/adp-women-in-stem-profile-giselle-mota.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” title=”ADP Women in STEM Profile: Giselle Mota”>Giselle Mota</a>, board member of ADP’s Thrive BRG, Principal Consultant at ADP on the Future of Work and moderator of an <a href=”https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=2822924&sessionid=1&key=DE1EC6419732E86511997F21F1D7C54E&regTag=&sourcepage=register” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” title=”Disability Inclusion in the Workplace: Best Practices for Engaging and Supporting ALL of Your People”>ADP webcast on disability inclusion</a> said, “These are our clients, prospects, coworkers, and employees. How can your organization think about greater equity and inclusivity, especially during these times?”</p>
<p><strong>Learn more</strong></p>
<p>Register for or replay this webcast for more discussion of this question and tips from ADP experts: <strong><a href=”https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=2822924&sessionid=1&key=DE1EC6419732E86511997F21F1D7C54E&regTag=&sourcepage=register” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Disability Inclusion in the Workplace: Best Practices for Engaging and Supporting ALL of Your People</a>.</strong></p>
<p><em>To learn more about ADP’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, please visit our <a href=”https://www.adp.com/about-adp/corporate-social-responsibility.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Corporate Social Responsibility site</a>.</em></p>
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<a href=”https://www.adp.com/spark/tags.aspx?tag=People Management and Growth&id=8585991f-c7aa-4894-b279-1105733787d1″>People Management and Growth</a>
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<p><strong><a href=”https://blockads.fivefilters.org”></a></strong> <a href=”https://blockads.fivefilters.org/acceptable.html”>(Why?)</a></p>
<p>For employees in many organizations, their workplace is organized in a hierarchical fashion. There’s a clear structure that tells people who reports to whom, who’s in charge of what resources and how information should flow.</p>
<p>But is that model the most effective? ADP has discovered that implementing a dynamic teams approach works best for their employee population.</p>
<p><strong>Dynamic Teams in Action</strong></p>
<p>Within the matrix relationships that come with dynamic teams, there are still formal reporting lines like human resources, legal and IT, but when it comes to the actual work relating to products and sales, these silos cross over formal boundaries to support projects or objectives. This changes the nature of direct and indirect reporting. For example, when a senior leader is assigned a project and a team to help execute it, the team will include some direct reports within the leader’s traditional team and others who are not. This can result in more diverse perspectives and skill sets collaborating to complete the project.</p>
<p>Jay Caldwell, Vice President, Human Resources, Global Product and Technology at ADP, says ADP used to be organized in the more traditional fashion because it had a more diverse offering of products and services. That began to change around five years ago when Carlos Rodriguez, ADP’s CEO, decided to go “all in on HCM” (human capital management), according to Caldwell. The focus shifted to figuring out where the organization’s business units and functions had things in common, and in some cases made structural changes. This realignment allowed for more functional hardlines, with more <a title=”What we offer – talent” href=”https://www.adp.com/what-we-offer/talent.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>matrix-style teams</a> to be implemented across the enterprise, and this structure is seen as a more effective way to operate.</p>
<p><strong>A “Radical Shift”</strong></p>
<p>Caldwell says dynamic teams represent “a radical shift for the culture,” so working in this fashion can be challenging for leaders.</p>
<p>”There’s a certain comfort that comes from hardline reporting relationships, partly because it gives managers the ability to better direct their team and resources,” says Caldwell. “In a matrix environment, you’re working more through influence and alignment to get things done, rather than control.”</p>
<p>So how do leaders need to change? Caldwell highlights that network leaders should be comfortable operating within a tangled web as opposed to a hierarchical structure. They will have fewer direct reports yet more stakeholders involved. Working with dynamic teams in this fashion will require patience, effective communication skills — you may need to communicate more to reach a decision — and influencer skills in order to make sure everyone’s on the same page.</p>
<p dir=”ltr”><em>”This hasn’t been a process change; this has been a culture change”</em></p>
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<p class=”text-right mb-15 size20″>- Jay Caldwell, Vice President, Human Resources, Global Product and Technology at ADP</p>
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<p dir=”ltr”>Having key metrics that can be tracked can be helpful for gauging the effectiveness of dynamic teams. At ADP, they <a title=”Engagement Pulse: Team Leader Effectiveness Through the Eyes of Employees” href=”https://www.adp.com/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/2/2015-engagement-pulse-white-paper.aspx?referrer=” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>look at engagement</a>. Caldwell says that because they use ADP’s own <a href=”https://www.adp.com/what-we-offer/products/standout.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>talent activation</a> solution, he and his team leaders know that teams are having more coaching conversations, and they can actually measure engagement in these dynamic teams, rather than just the formal hierarchy. The dynamic team approach has changed the course of those conversations because team members can be on multiple dynamic teams. Their feedback is that they’re connecting with matrix leaders in new and impactful ways – sometimes in even more stronger ways than with their formal leaders.</p>
<p>Team leaders say the approach has led to them getting to know their team members more quickly, which allows them to stay on top of how team members are doing. As Caldwell puts it, this constant review helps with “building trusting relationships in a faster way.” With stronger trust, team leaders can build on the influence and alignment they need in the dynamic team environment. And with the majority of ADP’s workforce currently working remotely during COVID-19, building trust is even more critical. “Providing tools that can help leaders connect with team members that don’t report to them, and they’ve never met in person, is more important than ever” says Caldwell.</p>
<p>”This hasn’t been a process change; this has been a culture change,” Caldwell says of how things get done at ADP. And the work isn’t stopping with dynamic teams. The organization is currently rethinking all approaches in human resources (recruitment, performance management) with a strengths-based focus — i.e., what do associates love to do and how can the business enable them to do more of that?</p>
<p>Dynamic teams can allow other organizations to better leverage their strengths because it gives more opportunity to apply those strengths in new and different ways. This requires matrix leaders to get back to the basics of leadership in a new environment – getting to know those on their team and motivating them to do great work.</p>
<p><strong>Go Deeper</strong></p>
<p><em>Read the <strong><a title=”The Best Teams” href=”http://images.adpinfo.com/Web/ADPEmployerServices/%7Bfe2802ff-ed0f-4f90-905a-9d64a89b9521%7D_ADP_HBR_Big_Idea_Excerpt_on_Teams.pdf?cid=elq_sales_enablement_27278&campaignid=27278″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>5 ways leaders can improve their teams</a></strong></em></p>
<p><em>Learn about<strong> <a href=”https://jobs.adp.com/life-at-adp/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Life@ADP</a>.</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong><a href=”https://blockads.fivefilters.org”></a></strong> <a href=”https://blockads.fivefilters.org/acceptable.html”>(Why?)</a></p>
<p>One of the most powerful people-driven tools for promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion at an organization are passion-driven teams known as <a href=”https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2016/08/how-employee-resource-groups-fulfill-diversity-objectives-and-grow-leaders.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” title=”How Employee Resource Groups Fulfill Diversity Objectives and Grow Leaders”>Employee Resource Groups </a>(ERG) or Business Resource Groups (BRGs). These groups enable associates to influence the business, develop their careers, participate in service projects and support vital causes, during “off” hours from a traditional workday. At ADP, there are nine groups, several with a global footprint, that bring together associates with common backgrounds to advocate for diversity and foster inclusion.</p>
<p>Daina Bowler, Vice President of Sales for HRO and iWIN co-chair, believes that the structure of ADP’s BRGs and the commitment from all levels is key to BRG success. “It starts at the top. When senior leaders are fully committed to help drive the goals and initiatives of a BRG, then the groundwork is laid for a successful BRG culture.” Across the organization, Bowler notes, associates are encouraged to join multiple BRGs. “The suggestion to join one BRG you associate with and one that you do not creates the first step in inclusion.”</p>
<p><strong>How ADP Women Are Supporting Their Male Allies During Movember</strong></p>
<p>In this first blog in a maiden series focused on breaking barriers and influencing social change, we’d like to shine the spotlight on the International Women’s Inclusion Network (iWIN). iWIN’s mission is to engage, equip and empower women to achieve personal and professional success. Year round, 6,496 iWIN members in 40 chapters across 25 countries focus on programming to support their mission.</p>
<p>As a strategic initiative, iWIN has focused on the importance of allyship to both increase reach across the ADP organization, and, more importantly, to bring more diverse experience to their programming. As explained by Doug Politi, President of ADP Compliance Solutions and executive sponsor of iWIN, “BRG allies widen the lens to bring in broader perspectives, involve more people in important initiatives, and promote inclusion across the organization. This in turn helps to promote a culture of acceptance, support and caring at ADP as an organization, and lends more power to chosen initiatives.”</p>
<p>During the month of November, iWIN supports its male allies by sponsoring Movember. Amanda Lee, Legal Director and iWIN leader for Latin America explains, “This year, iWIN is sponsoring Movember, a social movement focused on increasing awareness of men’s health risks such as prostate and testicular cancer and other physical and mental health issues. iWIN has chosen to support this cause through our BRG in an effort to show our support to our fathers, sons, husbands, grandfathers, coworkers, and mentors.”</p>
<p>Daina Bowler agrees. “Our current support of men’s health through Movember is an initiative I am proud of. By extending our hand as an ally for men, we are hoping to start a powerful chain reaction to encourage a greater sense of allyship in ADP and beyond.”</p>
<p><strong>How Allyship Can Create Change</strong></p>
<p>Allyship is a powerful tool for effecting diversity and inclusion-related change. “I am a strong believer in paying it forward. By supporting people and celebrating their strengths, it allows the pendulum to swing forward. My simple action could ignite other future actions, ultimately leading to support for all individuals. One small action can create a small change,” says Bowler.</p>
<p>As a woman-focused BRG, iWIN believes that forming alliances with men in the business and showing support for men’s health is not only the right thing to do, but will strengthen its ability to address issues unique and important to women in business. Together with its members and allies, iWIN leadership can address issues that arise both within ADP and in the broader global business community. During the pandemic, for example, a disproportionate number of women have left the workforce. Broader support for women juggling these circumstances is vitally important.</p>
<p>For iWIN, and indeed all BRGs at ADP, <a href=”https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2020/06/mentorship-and-allyship-navigating-toward-diversity-and-inclusion.aspx” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” title=”Mentorship and Allyship: Navigating Toward Diversity and Inclusion”>allyship is an important building block</a>. As colleagues learn about one another’s unique circumstances and support one another through personal and professional challenges, they build connections that form a foundation for a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive organization. These types of organizations can in turn act as a powerful force for inclusivity in our global business community.</p>
<p><em><strong>To learn more about ADP’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, please visit our <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.adp.com/about-adp/corporate-social-responsibility.aspx”>Corporate Social Responsibility site</a>. You can also donate to <a target=”_blank” href=”https://us.movember.com/mospace/network/view/id/50508″ rel=”noopener”>ADP’s Movember campaign here.</a></strong></em></p>
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