What do you do if your emergency management organization struggles to engage a diverse workforce?

I would want a skilled workforce who will work together to accomplish the tasks. I am not looking to meet government social programs ever changing quotas.

The key term here is "emergency" and all efforts must be focused on mitigating negative effects of that emergency. In my opinion successfully incorporating "Diversity" leans more toward experience and thinking than anything else. If the Emergency Management Team is an echo chamber of identical stale ideas and actively shuts down creative thinking because "that's not the way we do things around here" - it's failing. My preference is to approach team management without forgetting the word "team", as the leader in charge the success or failure of the approach is mine but the team, with all their diverse skills and experience is a valuable resource I wouldn't have if there were 10 of me in the room. Successful diversity = thinking differently

Conduct Comprehensive Assessment: Initiate a thorough assessment of current organizational practices to identify any biases or barriers that may hinder full participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds. This evaluation will serve as a foundational step in understanding existing challenges.

In my area we are not very diverse except in economics. I do not believe skin color, religious beliefs or gender should matter at all. Qualified and experience is the most important aspect.

Typically struggles to engage a diverse workforce are the result of a few factors that need to be understood and remedied. For example conscious and unconscious bias, inappropriate recruitment process and/or company policies. Tailoring the recruitment process to broader or more specific target groups, taking into consideration the barriers and biases existing for said groups. I would ask the question where are you searching, who is doing the recruitment and interviews - how does that look to your potential workforce? Policies implemented in practice aimed at protecting workers in the wider context as well as diverse groups, and mentoring, assist employee longevity, loyalty and performance.

Consider targeted outreach to underrepresented groups, revising job descriptions to eliminate bias, and partnering with community organizations to broaden your talent pool.

Recruitment tactics vary depending on the industry, but some common strategies include: 1. **Employer Branding:** Cultivating a positive image of your company as an employer through social media, employer review sites, and showcasing company culture. 2. **Job Postings:** Writing clear and compelling job descriptions that highlight the benefits of working for your company and the specific qualifications needed for the role. 3. **Employee Referral Programs:** Encouraging current employees to refer qualified candidates by offering incentives such as bonuses or additional vacation days. 4. **Networking:** Attending industry events, career fairs, and networking events to connect with potential candidates and build relationships.

Recruitment tactics is the basic foundation of recruitment process of successful organizations. In order to have resources with emergency management experience, screening of candidates must be holistic to find out resources with such experience. On determination, all such resources with requisite experience to be made part of recruitment process.

If youre catching the wrong fish, your using the wrong bait and dropping your lines in the same old fishing holes. Want different? Think different

Direct your recruiting to places where people have experience that may be tangential, like EMS, fire, and law enforcement. Advertise in veterans' publications and on veteran-related websites. Target schools like women's colleges and HBCUs. Talk to people of diverse backgrounds who are already working in the field; ask them what got them interested and how to attract more people from their communities. Doing the same thing gets the same results; pivot into something new.

To ensure that freshly recruitrd diverse workforce responsds and contributes efficiently in emergency management processes, their training must be tailored accordingly. Intially, the focus of traning needs to be towards understanding of emergencies and their management. Reputed emergency training imparting organizations may be approached for the training to ensure realistic and effective training. Besides, attention would also be needed to include training on cultural diversity to bring the entire diverse workforce in a uniform organizational culture. This will indeed yield beyond expected dividends.

To enrich training on cultural sensitivity, implicit bias, and inclusive communication, emergency management agencies should seek collaboration with community partners like local universities and organizations such as the Red Cross. These entities offer specialized Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) training, bringing expert knowledge and resources. Such collaborations not only enhance the training's impact but also underscore a commitment to deeply understanding and effectively serving the diverse needs of the community, fostering a truly inclusive environment where every team member feels valued and heard.

Com uma equipe bem treinada ,o serviço fica fácil !!! A integração de uma equipe vem pelo treino constante , assim cada um saberá que pode contar com o companheiro ,pois todos estão no mesmo nível !!!

Training programs are needed, always. The topics and audience planned and evaluated through pieces of training are still more sensitive, and are not given the importance they deserve.

Leadership and staff capacity building on DIE as well as on tackling power, privileges and biases has yielded significant outcomes for many orgs intentional on diversity. Investing in staff and by placing a premium on organisational development (OD) by donors and organisations can significantly improve on the humanitarian imperative and SROI.

Pair individuals from underrepresented groups with experienced mentors who can provide guidance, support, and networking opportunities to help them succeed in their careers.

1. Recognize the value of diversity: Understand how a diverse workforce can enhance emergency response and better serve diverse communities. 2. Assess your organization: Identify areas for improvement in recruitment, retention, and inclusivity. 3. Develop a diversity and inclusion strategy: Set clear goals, objectives, and metrics to increase diversity and foster an inclusive culture. 4. Outreach and recruitment: Target diverse communities through job fairs, social media, and partnerships with organizations representing diverse groups. 5. Mentorship and development: Provide opportunities for professional growth and mentorship to retain and develop diverse talent. 6. Inclusive policies and practices implement policies supporting diversity

Well, I'm a ground operator so when I show up, we're on an incident. The enormity of that usually solves any peeves people might be having about whatever beforehand. Nothing like being on a mountain that's on fire or a post-hurricane zone to remind everyone how small we all are and differences are really superficial at the end of the day.

Mentorship programs can be instrumental in retaining a diverse workforce and fostering professional growth. By pairing experienced professionals with newer employees from various backgrounds, organizations facilitate knowledge transfer and bridge cultural divides. Such programs provide underrepresented staff with valuable support and connections within the organization, fostering a sense of belonging. Additionally, having a mentor serves as a crucial sounding board and accountability partner, enhancing personal and professional development. A successful mentorship initiative not only boosts job satisfaction and engagement but also strengthens organizational cohesion and diversity efforts.

As you move closer to your diversity and inclusion goals, keep an eye on your progress and make any adjustments to your strategy. This could entail gathering input from staff members and community stakeholders, conducting employee surveys, and monitoring demographic data.

Golden rule....platinum rule....lots of sage ways to inspire. Showing interest and care is a game changer. Tokenism and insincere gesture on the other hand is worse than doing nothing.

This may involve revising hiring practices, promoting equal opportunity, and addressing any systemic barriers that may exist within the organization.

Review existing policies and procedures for potential biases or discriminatory practices. Update policies to promote equality and equal opportunity and prevent discrimination. Implement transparent and fair evaluation criteria to ensure objective assessment of all employees.

Offering remote work is a big draw, especially to candidates with disabilities ir other challenges. That can be physical (if I don't have to get my wheelchair through four inches of frozen slush onto the bus twice a day, I'm a much happier employee), psychological (I have crushing social anxiety in person, but I'm fine by Zoom), or logistical (I'm about to move 800 miles to care for an ailing parent, but I can still work from there if you'll let me).

En environnement hospitalier où je travaille mobiliser une main-d’œuvre diversifiée dans la gestion des urgences est crucial. Voici comment agir : Adapter les politiques de recrutement. Sensibiliser à la diversité. Mettre en place des programmes de mentorat et des partenariats locaux. Promouvoir une culture inclusive. Ensemble, nous renforçons notre capacité à servir efficacement notre communauté.

Actively engage with the community to build relationships with various population groups and strengthen trust. Support programs and initiatives that promote diversity and advance equality. Utilize social media and events to showcase your commitment to diversity and inclusion and serve as a role model in the industry.

By recruiting people from the affected communities, particularly women, the agility and humanitarian outcomes can be multiplied, and there are several examples of the same. Many humanitarian orgs have been able to achieve success in their cash for work, distribution of relief materials; beneficiaries selection- leave no one behind, reach the last child/family; post-intervention social audits by ensuring their DRM staff/teams have adequate local participation, including at senior humanitarian program leadership level.

Community engagement is an important principle of primary healthcare that enable the community to participate in decisions regarding their needs.This will in return enhance more workforce and build back better a strong and resilient community.

I believe it starts here! Creating a relationship with local schools or starting explorer programs can get the ball rolling! Young people of all backgrounds need an avenue of exposure to help cultivate experiences that can help them decide if this is the right career path for them to pursue. To me that’s the best place to give your department a chance at expanding diversity while maintaining your level of service to the people you serve.

Actively engage with the community to build relationships with various groups and gain the trust of potential employees. Support local initiatives, offer internships, and participate in events to showcase your organization as a diverse and inclusive employer.

Transparency! The more transparent local, state/provincial, and/or federal governments are with their constituents, the less perceived resistance the latter will receive in time of need. Early involvement of the citizenry during the early stages of the response and subsequent recovery also creates cohesive ties between organized responders (police, fire, medical, military, etc) and emergent citizen groups.

N'oublions pas qu'à force de viser la rentabilité, elle se perd. Il faut valoriser ses employés ! Un employé malheureux coûte beaucoup plus cher qu'un employé qui se sent chez lui.

You will not get buy in from your community unless you get endorsement and support from executive leadership. You have to engage with and convince those in charge that emergency management is important and that it is necessary for them to push that message out to their subordinates. If they don’t care, the people that work for them won’t see it as a priority.

There are much more people excluded and discriminated by the administrative process of the medical organization than those who claim only for diversity Being inclusive is not only pay attention to the gender, but also consider all of our colleagues excluded by the system with excuses made up behind administrative/ bureaucratic nonsense process

Ensure that your leadership team is diverse and represents a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Foster an open dialogue about diversity and inclusion and encourage employees to actively participate and provide feedback. Continuous assessment and adaptation are crucial to ensure that your emergency management organization builds and maintains a diverse and resilient workforce.