Tej Dhawan, Emily Schultz, Jennifer Rhoads (Photos: Duane Tinkey; EMC Insurance)
Writers: dsm staff
In the latest Fearless Gender Issues survey the Business Record publishes every April, readers were polled on several topics about DEI initiatives at their workplaces. The informal survey asked if the rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across business, education and government organizations was good or bad.
Although 66% of respondents overall disapproved of DEI rollbacks, the results diverged sharply by gender identity. Among those who identify as men, 71% took the opposite view, saying the rollbacks were a good thing. In contrast, 78% of respondents who identify as women or nonbinary said the rollbacks were bad.
This points to broader questions about what diversity really means for the workplace and what the greater business implications are when it’s promoted with intention.
We asked local leaders to share why representation, equity, and inclusion remain essential to strong businesses and stronger communities.
Tej Dhawan
“Innovation is all about discovering patterns and coloring outside established lines,” said Tej Dhawan, co-founder of the angel investor network Plains Angels. “It is about discovering what others find uncomfortable, unreachable and unattainable. It happens when individuals challenge established ideas, assumptions experiences and expectations.”
Dhawan used an example from a memoir by Australian comedian Sashi Perera: “The fingers and thumb on our hand are all different, but they must work together for the hand to work effectively.” Similarly, he said, the differences in team composition are imperative to achieve innovation. “So I, for one, look for team members who can question each other from divergent perspectives to pursue undiscovered territories.”
Emily Schultz
BrokerTech Ventures’ managing director Emily Schultz described the importance of being part of a welcoming team.
“I’ve been really touched by the relationships that I’ve built during my time here at BTV,” Schultz told Fearless editor Macey Shofroth. “I think that the insurance industry gets a certain reputation [of being mostly older white men] that we’ve been working hard to try to dispel. It’s honestly been a really welcoming place for me, and I think that curiosity and a person-focused approach is at the heart of it.”
Curiosity and an innovative mindset are assets in the insurance industry, Schultz added. That includes recruiting and retaining talent. Schultz said most people understand that a transformative industry needs all kinds of perspectives.
“I don’t think there’s a luxury of just looking in the same talent pools that have been the historically easy ones to look into,” Schultz said.
Go deeper: Fearless editor Macey Shofroth shares the full interview with Shultz later this month at fearlessbr.com.
Jennifer Rhoads
Jennifer Rhoads is vice president of talent and growth at EMC Insurance, where she oversees everything from company culture and inclusion to talent acquisition and employee learning and development.
She is also a woman in a wheelchair. After an accident her freshman year of college left her paralyzed, she was determined to thrive in her career and in life regardless of the circumstances. In her role at EMC, she encourages others to show up authentically and thrive, too.
“At its core, DEIB [diversity, equity, inclusivity and belonging] is all about enabling a culture where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered,” she said. “How can you argue with that?”
EMC aims to foster a welcoming environment for all. The feeling of belonging, Rhoads said, leads to a strong sense of purpose. And, she added, “employees are looking at company cultures, and they want to see that their company really supports their people. When people don’t feel supported, it really detracts from being able to attract and retain good talent.”
“The risks of people not being able to come as themselves creates a large amount of expended energy for questioning or fear around what they should or shouldn’t say, or can or can’t be. When we allow and encourage people to come as themselves and tap into their own lived experiences, they are able to bring more innovative thinking.”
Survey results
Is the rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across business, education and government organizations good or bad?
It’s a bad thing: 66%
It’s a good thing: 25%
Unsure: 9%
Respondents who identify as women or nonbinary:
It’s a good thing: 10%
It’s a bad thing: 78%
Unsure: 12%
Respondents who identify as men:
It’s a good thing: 71%
It’s a bad thing: 29%
Unsure: 0%
In the past year, how has your organization made changes to diversity, equity and inclusion-related efforts or practices? (Respondents could select all that applied.)
We cut efforts: 21%
We added efforts: 3%
We reviewed our efforts with a legal team to ensure they were in compliance with new regulations: 22%
We renamed or tweaked language to describe our efforts in response to the current climate: 21%
We kept things about the same: 54%
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