WISE DEI Training Program Super Student

When WISE introduced our DEI Training Program last year, we were very excited to launch a program with various tracks as we wanted the training to be relevant to everyone professionally and personally.  What we didn’t foresee is that we’d have some people who invested their time in registering for all three of our tracks.  One of those people is Angela Atamian, HR Generalist at JBSS.  See what she has to say about the importance of DEI initiative in the workplace and how the WISE DEI training program supported her efforts to be an ally.

WISE:  How long have you been involved with WISE?

Angela:  It’s been about two years now.  I had been participating in WISE programs as a member when I was approached about being on the Junior Board in late 2021.

WISE:  You registered for our first DEI training series, all three professional tracks in fact!  What compelled you to do that?    

Angela:  When the program was announced, I was managing a small team as the General Office Manager, but I was also preparing for my career transition to HR.  When I saw the program descriptions, I felt that each one applied to me in one way or another.  I was curious as to how the training applied differently to each aspect of my job and how the content varied for each career path.  Thankfully, I also had the time to work on personal development.  I was interested in any opportunities for individual growth.  I like to take every opportunity to surround myself in diversity, equity, and inclusion programming so it becomes more and more my second-nature.

WISE:  What were the most valuable take aways from the training series?

Angela:  Overall, the biggest message was about awareness of our differences and awareness of unconscious bias.  There are biases such as gender, race, or age that you think of all the time.  There are other biases that I didn’t even recognize or were less common such as education, physical ability, job classification and much, much more.  Also, the HR track provided several tools to assist me with the position which I was transitioning into.  I was given tools that can help me implement better practices, things such as unbiased recruiting activity, scorecards, behavioral interview questions, etc.  The information was very applicable to my position.

What I also found very valuable was the discussion with professionals outside of my organization.  When you’re in the cocoon of your own company, you tend to experience group think.  But when you attend something like this with an external organization, you pick up new ideas and a feel for what other things are happening in industry.  If you don’t go seeking that, you won’t find it.  The small group discussions focusing on specific problems and lived experiences were the best.

WISE:  As an HR specialist, talk to me about how important DEI is for business success.

Angela:  For me, DEI is the most important component of hiring and it’s a pivotal time to educate others.  On the contrary, there are still individuals who believe that DEI and being aware of biases is a fad.  In HR, it’s our job to make sure we are educating the organizations we support, but we also should be guiding hiring managers to understanding that “a gut feel” is not a valid form of approving a candidate. We also need to set the example in our words and actions to continue to create change.

The transition to a truly diverse culture is going to take time.  People of color and women are still working their way into higher-profile roles, and we need them positioned to bring others up.  In coming decades, we’ll see a bigger shift.  I believe we’re doing a good job of educating the masses on biases and need for diversity right now.  We must continue to do DEI training and keep surrounding ourselves with people who are also promoters of the movement.  We must make it part of our normal now.

WISE:  What are your biggest challenges in promoting or managing a DEI program within a company?

My talent pool for recruitment can be pretty narrow.  That’s a huge challenge.  You rely on standard recruitment tools like LinkedIn and Indeed, but that doesn’t guarantee diverse candidates.  Even posting at local colleges, you’re pulling from a certain demographic.  You can be active in diverse groups, that doesn’t automatically drive applicants to openings.  I continue to struggle as well with establishing myself as an ally within groups when I’m not a member of that group.  For example, we have five ERGs within JBSS.  I can join any one of those groups as an ally, but I’m not African American or Latina for example.  How do I become relevant and genuine within that group and not just be seen as someone who wants to fill a quota?

Another challenge is bringing our DEI programming to all employees.  We’re 80% plant employees, which is also the most diverse community.  It’s hard to develop programming that caters to both office and plant employees at the same time.  You need to account for shift work and varying hours, access to technology, and language.  We also have to continue to work on shifting the mindset around the value of programming so that management is on board to support their teams involvement in ERG programming.

WISE:  What is your advice for anyone who wants to be an ally for DEI within their own workplace? 

The biggest step is just getting involved, sitting in on meetings you’re invited to.  You don’t have to have something to add right away.  It’s ok to be present to learn and not say anything.  Join a group even if you’re not comfortable actively participating right away.

Also, speak up when you can.  When you spot things that are unfair, say something.  Even if you can’t speak up in the moment, make sure that the individual you saw victimized knows you recognized what happened.  Let them know you saw something and ask how you can support them.