Inclusion in Progress

Hybrid work has been most commonly defined as a blend of in-office and remote work. This form seemed like the perfect solution as we transitioned  post-pandemic because it promised flexibility and a balanced approach to the workplace.    However, many organizations have found themselves stuck in the middle ground where the emphasis is still on showing up at the office rather than focusing on produ...

In this episode of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we share more about our signature Inclusive Distributed Work™ — which we've used with tech companies worldwide to support their distributed teams.   At Inclusion in Progress, we define distributed work as physical distribution (remote, hybrid and in-office) and geographical distribution (global and multicultural). Which means that even before M...

In our post-pandemic world, many more companies have distributed workforces.    Which means many of the HR, Talent and People leaders that we engage with are having to rethink and redefine how to close the gender gap in leadership — when many no longer share the same physical office space or cultural context.    With that said, research shows that sponsorship remains one of the most effective ways...

We often hear about mentorship or sponsorship programs for companies looking to increase representation as a part of their DEI — or diversity, equity and inclusion — initiatives.    But how do you know which program is the best fit for your organization?   Inspired by our conversations with hundreds of HR, DEI and People leaders of distributed teams, we discuss how to close the gender gap in leade...

Organizations that claimed to support diversity and inclusion in the wake of the pandemic are continuing to mandate Return-to-Office policies today.    Leaders are clinging to the paradigm of in-office work as the gateway to productivity and performance — rather than using this moment as an opportunity to leverage the insight they've gained from their own flexible work experiences to innovate new...

In a 2023 Deloitte study, 92% of women believed their employers were NOT doing enough to honor their commitment to gender equity?   During the pandemic, women all over the world left the workforce and never came back.  Today, women leaders are now leaving their organizations at the highest rate ever.    Inclusion in Progress is committed to empowering organizations to prevent this backslide in gen...

In a time where we need innovation to discover solutions for our fast-changing world, is your company paying attention to the lived experiences of women (particularly at the intersection of race and gender)? How can you make sure there are more seats at the table for women — particularly women of color — to contribute the ideas we need to meet tomorrow's challenges?  For today's episode of the Inc...

Although gender equality has been a core focus of the inclusive workplace conversation, it still continues to be a concern — especially when we see a lack of women in leadership positions in many of the tech companies we partner with.    As a woman-owned business, Inclusion in Progress is all too familiar with the lack of growth opportunities in our past work environments. Which is why our mission...

On our last few episodes of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we've been sharing examples of the types of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work we've done with client partners.    In today's episode, we're speaking with Paul Barber, Vice President of Human Resources at Listrak. He oversaw the transition of the organization from a primarily office-based culture to a remote-first company and p...

On our last few episodes of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we've been sharing examples of the types of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work we've done with client partners.    In today's episode, we're speaking with Jimmy Rose, former Vice President for Employee Experience at Cotiviti. Since connecting with Jimmy in 2020, we were fortunate to partner with him to establish DEI foundations...

On the next few episodes of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we're sharing examples of the types of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work we've done with client partners.    In today's episode, we're speaking with Regina Lawless, former DEI Head of Instagram and Founder of Bossy & Blissful. Regina has led multiple diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to advance underrepresented talen...

On the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we've shared examples of the types of interventions and work we've done with client partners. But we've never featured any of them until now.   Many of our listeners have asked what it's like to work in DEI, both as an external contractor and as part of an internal DEI team. So in today's episode, we're speaking with Anthony Papini, the Global DEI Lead of Acti...

On our Inclusion in Progress podcast, we often talk about how we help our client partners from around the world design psychological safety for their virtual teams.    But what does building psychological safety look like on our own fully remote team at Team IIP? And how do we apply those same lessons to our company as we evolve?   That's exactly what we'll look at in this episode of the Inclusion...

This month, we're hosting a mini-series on "Hybrid Work & Company Culture'' where we'll be sharing what we've learned from speaking to tech companies like HP and HubSpot on whether or not hybrid work is killing company culture.     We have been discussing the importance of equity in a hybrid workplace, how to equip leaders for remote-first or hybrid teams, and how flexible working and company cult...

This month, we're hosting a mini-series on "Hybrid Work & Company Culture'' where we'll be sharing what we've learned from speaking to tech companies like HP and HubSpot on whether or not hybrid work is killing company culture.    In this second episode of the series, we will be discussing the importance of equity in a hybrid workplace, how to equip leaders for remote-first or hybrid teams, and ho...

This month, we're hosting a mini-series on "Hybrid Work & Company Culture'' where we'll be sharing what we've learned from speaking to tech companies like HP and HubSpot on whether or not hybrid work is killing company culture.    Over the next three episodes, we will be discussing the importance of equity in a hybrid workplace, how to equip leaders for remote-first or hybrid teams, and how flexib...

Most people think DEI is a nice-to-have for their organizations — and they're often one of the first programs to go in recessive periods.   But DEI is not only a way to keep your best people and ideas and support your bottom-line, it's actually non-negotiable for employees. And it influences their decisions around who they work for and the type of performance they will give while they're there.   ...

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, activism and DEI work are actually extensions of one another.   For us at #TeamIIP, we know that historically excluded or marginalized groups simply *can't* check their identities at the door when entering a professional workplace. To those we've spoken with and worked alongside, DEI is not just about fighting for equal opportunities in the w...

With a recessive period upon us, we've witnessed a growing trend of corporate leaders (particularly in the tech industry) embracing "bossism": a leadership style that emphasizes a top-down approach to management.   Sadly, that means the first programs on the chopping block are viewed as the nice-to-haves, including the DEI initiatives that many pledged to uphold following George Floyd's murder. It...

Often when we discuss supporting women in the workplace, the conversation immediately turns to maternity leave and motherhood. But more millennials and Gen Zers are choosing to be child-free by choice. This poses a challenge for employers to be more creative about how they approach supporting women's ability to achieve and advance in the workplace — beyond simply offering maternity leave and famil...

March is officially the start of International Women's Month.    But as our latest episode goes live today — do women really have something to celebrate?  Considering the uphill battle women face in their personal and professional lives? And considering how gender equity in the workplace seems to be backsliding?   In fact, according to LeanIn. Org & McKinsey's 2022 Women in the Workplace Report, f...

Meta. Netflix. Amazon. Spotify. Google. We've been watching as some of the biggest names in tech have implemented mass layoffs for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began. And while it's easy to look at the headlines in numbers, there is a very human cost that our teams face. Both for those who are laid off and those who are left behind.    In the wake of these layoffs, how do organizatio...

Quiet quitting was the buzzword of 2022. And although 2023 has barely begun, yet another phrase has surfaced as a potential solution: quiet hiring. Essentially, quiet hiring leans more toward developing the talent already within an organization or seeking specialists in the form of external contractors — instead of hiring and training new personnel.    But in the wake of many organizations restruc...

Work culture used to be defined by shared physical spaces. Now it's about the people, the ideas, shared values and the behaviors you model. Almost three years after the pandemic started, work culture continues to evolve and shift. With so much going on in the world, your team has become your constant as a proxy for the organization you work for. Which means the line between personal and profession...

It's hard to ignore the pandemic's impact on the increase of distributed workplaces, whether companies chose to institute hybrid or fully-remote work. But while remote-first workplaces have offered many benefits for both employers and employees, they've also brought challenges to teams' connectivity, collaboration, and psychological safety.   As we head into 2023, organizations now face a new chal...