Page 10 - February 2021 Focus

Building a Culture of Diversity,

Equity & Inclusion

AF Group, headquartered in downtown Lansing has been a leader in
developing a culture committed to diversity, equity & inclusion.

iversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) have become
much more than buzzwords, or something HR
Dcan check off their list of things to do. DE&I
has become widely understood to be crucial to all
organizations of all shapes and sizes in every industry
sector of the economy.

One of the biggest concerns for business leaders worldwide
is having the right people on their team. DE&I has
moved to the front burner of issues that job candidates
consider crucial to determining where they want to work.
86 percent of millennial females and 74% of millennial
males consider company policies on diversity, equity, and
inclusion during their job hunt.

DE&I also has a direct positive impact on the bottom
line. In a recent CEO survey from Price Waterhouse, 85%
of CEOs said their formal DE&I program improved
their bottom line. Two reports from McKinsey noted a
10% increase in racial and ethnic diversity on the senior
executive team resulted in a .8 percent rise in earnings
in the U.S. The research also showed companies that are
more gender diverse are 21% more likely to outperform
others, and those that are ethnically diverse are 33% more
likely to outperform others. DE&I has also been shown
to promote innovation and lower employee turnover,
which is very costly for organizations.

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