Page 23 - LRCC May 2023 FOCUS
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been done but includes protecting
        our digital resources as well as the
        mental health and well-being of staff
        and students.”   

        One of the shifts that technology
        is creating in health care will be an
        increased reliance on telemedicine.

        “It has especially been successful with
        younger people,” said McKeague.
        “They are very comfortable with online
        conversations, especially in behavioral
        health settings involving psychologists
        and psychiatrists. They like to be able
        to stay at home to receive that sort of
        care and avoid having to encounter
        any of the stigma that unfortunately
        all too often attaches itself to obtaining
        those services.”
        ORGANIZATIONS                             Employers are employing
        WILL CONTINUE TO
        ADVOCATE FOR DEI                          new tactics to recruit talent.
                                                  LAFCU recently had considerable
        Organizations of all shapes and
        sizes have made sustained efforts to      success with its first ever jobs fair.
        advance the cause of diversity, equity
        and inclusion (DEI) in their culture.
        The commitment to DEI is allowing
        employees and companies to thrive
        and perform better. A report from Accenture shows that   “Companies that have not made DEI a priority or have
        U.S. Companies are leaving $1.05 trillion on the table by   identified that as the first place to cut, that’s a shame,”
        not being more inclusive. Analysts found that companies   said Ellsworth Etchison. “Striving for an environment of
        where employees felt more engaged were more likely to     being better human beings and respectful to others no
        demonstrate higher profit growth. Closing the gap by 50   matter our differences, just makes sense.”
        percent, or making employees feel more included, led to
        a 33 percent increase in global profit growth.            OTHER TRENDS

        “In just seven years Generation Z will make up 30         One key term that comes up when talking with experts
        percent of the workforce,” said Ellsworth Etchison. “Gen   about the future of work is flexibility. TechSmith’s
        Z rated working for an organization that is diverse and   Casciotti says achieving a balance in how work is done
        inclusive among their top three priorities, according to   will continue to be a high priority for both employees
        Gallup. The future of the workforce is expecting DEI to   and employers. Finding a path forward won’t come
        be a priority for their employer.”                        from broad stroke reactive policy changes, but rather
                                                                  through experimentation.
        Despite the compelling business case for DEI, many
        organizations report receiving pushback from              One example of this experimental mindset is when
        employees who feel alienated by or even resent            TechSmith’s employees asked to have “fewer, better
        their organization’s DEI efforts. Additionally, recent    meetings,” leadership listened — and they initiated
        layoffs around the country are wiping out some of         a month-long experiment that sought to drastically
        the diversity gains of the past few years. Nevertheless,   minimize meetings for the entire month and seek
        experts say the positive benefits of DEI far outweigh     a greater understanding of which meetings were
        those concerns and will cause organizations to remain     imperative to keep moving forward. The 2022
        steadfast in their DEI Commitment.                        experiment was called “Async-First in July”.

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