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It’s been a minute since my last blog post, and honestly, sometimes the best thing you can do for your mental health is to take a step back and recharge. I did just that, and now I’m back!
October brings two powerful reminders about the importance of being seen, supported, and feeling safe both at work and in our communities.
At Expertis, we see a vital connection between mental health and work. Let’s be honest: we spend one-third of our lives at work. Creating safe, healthy workplaces isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s crucial for mental well-being. This is especially true for those who choose to “come out” or express their authentic selves at work.
When people feel accepted and valued for who they are, they can truly thrive, both personally and professionally. I can certainly attest to this, as I have worked hard to create that safe space for myself and for anyone who joins our team.
A Personal Reflection
I’ve personally struggled with being vulnerable and open. It’s not easy to come out in the corporate world. I’ve spent so much time trying to get ahead, always laser-focused on career growth and advancement. I was fearful that coming out would somehow negatively impact my career opportunities and derail any path to success. And I know that I’m not alone. Even today, I know many professionals in the LGBTQIA+ community who are still afraid to come out at work. I could not imagine living my daily life behind a mask. Not being able to live authentically would chip away at my soul.
Times have changed, and we’ve definitely made some progress – but in the current political climate of hatred and bullying, being authentic continues to be challenging. Building Expertis gave me the chance to create what I had always imagined: a safe, inclusive space where authenticity is celebrated, not questioned or feared.
How Do We Create Safe Spaces at Work?
Here are a few key practices that any organization can adopt to foster psychological safety and inclusion:
1. Lead with empathy.
It starts with leadership and echoes throughout the organization. Active listening and compassion are very simple yet can make a world of difference in someone’s day. EQ (emotional intelligence) is a key skill to have in leadership.
2. Normalize mental health conversations.
Talk openly about stress, burnout, and well-being. Offer resources and encourage employees to take care of themselves – without judgement and/or stigma.
3. Celebrate diversity, don’t just tolerate it!
Go beyond policies and make diversity visible in leadership, marketing, and your day-to-day culture.
4. Create clear inclusion policies and follow through.
A policy is only as strong as its implementation. Make sure equity and belonging are built into every process – from hiring to career frameworks for promotions.
5. Empower authenticity.
Encourage employees to bring their authentic selves to work. Whether it’s being open about identity, sharing ideas, or expressing boundaries – authenticity builds trust.
6. Provide training and support.
I’m a strong advocate for training and investing in education. Companies need to invest in DEI training and educate teams on unconscious biases, allyship, and inclusive language.
How Do We Move Forward?
Creating safe spaces at work isn’t a one-time initiative – it’s an ongoing commitment. It may be National Coming Out Day, but my reality is that I’m coming out every day! Every meeting, every partnership, every conference, and every conversation is an opportunity to show up authentically! Let’s continue to show up for one another, with kindness, curiosity and respect.
If you’re looking for an inspirational read on the power of belonging, I highly recommend We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging by Ritu Bhasin. She beautifully captures what it means to be accepted and honoured for who you truly are.
Because at the end of the day, belonging isn’t just about fitting into a mold – it’s about feeling free to just be yourself!
Authentically yours,
Nancy
Learn more:
Back in April, we attended the World Summit AI Americas at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal. From listening to the headliner speaker Yoshua Bengio, Scientific Director at Mila and IVADO, to panel discussions, workshops and networking, we were rubbing shoulders with the smartest brains in the world when it comes to artificial intelligence.
Several themes emerged over the course of the summit, including the need for guardrails for AI. But one of the topics that particularly interested us was recruiting in the AI space. How can we tap into AI talent to improve performance? Where will we find these resources? Will we still need humans in future? Yes, of course we still need Humans! These are just some of the things we were contemplating while trying to understand generative AI!
Overcoming the AI talent shortage
There will be 54,000 computer science graduates in the USA in 2029 and 1 million jobs available or added to the AI workforce by then. Do you notice there’s a very large gap between those two figures? There will be huge demand for AI experts and not enough talent to meet the need.
What can employers do about this shortage? There are several strategies you can deploy now to help bridge the AI talent gap. They include:
1. Training and upskilling: a strategy that we are currently using so that we can develop existing employees in various sectors. Bootcamps have worked well in the past, as have partnerships with educational institutions, but more on that coming up…
2. Focusing on diversity and inclusion: we can all promote diversity by actively recruiting individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives. How does this help with AI skills? Because diverse teams result in widespread approaches to problem solving, creativity, and new ideas – whether that’s finding innovative ways to use AI, or finding new ways to connect with much-needed talent.
3. Collaborating with AI startups and industry experts: we know that collaborating with AI startups, consultants, and industry experts will help us gain insight into best practices – not to mention help us access the best AI talent. Which is precisely why we attended the AI summit in the first place.
4. Partnering with academic institutions: luckily for us, Montreal is the AI hub in Canada. In particular, Mila is a community of more than 1,000 researchers specializing in machine learning and dedicated to scientific research and development. Most researchers openly welcome industry collaboration, and the flip side for organizations is increased access to AI talent.
5. Working with talent experts: people like us! Here at Expertis Solutions, we’ll continue to expand our IT talent pools, especially when it comes to AI talent. So, if you want easier access to IT talent, a leading IT recruitment firm is a good place to start.
AI is here to stay. How will your organization prepare?
Trust us when we say AI is only just beginning to shake up the world. There’s a long road of innovation and discovery ahead. As such, organizations need to take proactive action to bridge the talent gap and build a skilled and diverse AI workforce.
Do you want to work with leading talent experts in AI? Let’s make IT happen!
We recently attended a Snowflake presentation at the Four Seasons in Montreal. Besides enjoying a delicious breakfast spread, we also found the event very helpful and insightful. (Not to mention a welcome return to in-person conferences after years of Zoom sessions!)
But why is it so important to attend industry events like this? As leaders in the IT talent environment, it’s vital we stay “in the know” and keep abreast of new and emerging technologies. It’s how we stay relevant. What’s more, it means we can continue to have meaningful conversations with our IT resources and clients alike. Since data is a critical area for our talent pools, this event – all about cloud-based data solutions and platforms – was unmissable.
We find that attending industry events also allows us to better serve businesses like yours. How? Here are just a few ways:
• Better understanding of job requirements. By staying informed about tech trends, our IT Talent Business Partners (TBPs) can better understand the requirements of the positions they’re sourcing talent for. This helps them identify candidates with the right skills and experience, and ensures that they can attract the best talent for the job.
• More effective candidate screening. Staying up-to-date with technology trends means our TBPs can also improve their screening process for candidates. This allows them to identify candidates with the right technical skills, and also helps identify candidates who are familiar with the latest tools and technologies.
• Enhanced candidate engagement. Candidates are more likely to engage with TBPs who are knowledgeable themselves about the latest technologies and trends. By staying informed about cloud-based data platforms and other emerging technologies, TBPs can engage with candidates more effectively, and build stronger relationships based on relevant topics.
• Alignment with your business needs. Cloud-based data platforms are becoming increasingly popular among businesses. And because our TBPs are familiar with the technology, they’re better able to align hiring strategies with the needs of your business. To put it another way, staying informed allows our TBPs to identify candidates who can help your organization leverage new technologies and drive business success.
• Networking, networking, networking. Who attends these conferences? People who work in our industry – many of them passive candidates with other likely degrees of connections. We stay in touch with professionals in our niche markets in order to learn from their experiences, share our own insights, and collaborate on new ideas and projects.
Here at Expertis Solutions, staying informed is what we do. Which is why we also attended the recent AI World Summit in Montreal – AI being another key area for our talent pools. It’s this commitment to staying connected that allows us to identify, engage, and hire the right candidates for your organization.
Do you want to work with leading IT talent experts in the industry? Let’s make IT happen!
How diverse is your supply base? It’s an important question because, as we’ll see in this article, there are significant business advantages to working with diversity suppliers.
But what exactly is a diversity supplier? It is any business that is (at least) 51% owned and operated by a group or individual that’s part of an underrepresented section of society. That’s a pretty wordy definition, but essentially, we’re talking about minority-owned and women-owned enterprises, as well as LGBTQIA-owned, disability-owned and veteran-owned business enterprises.
Here are five compelling reasons to bring more diversity into your supply base.
1. It demonstrates your company’s commitment to diversity – and your interest in working in diverse markets. Basically, it signals that your company is striving to be more inclusive.
2. It promotes innovation and creativity. Working with diverse suppliers allows your business to tap into new perspectives and mindsets. Diversity of thought, to put it another way. What’s more, because diversity suppliers often tend to be smaller organizations, they’re well placed to innovate, adapt to market changes, and stay agile.
3. It will boost your company’s resilience. Because diverse suppliers are so agile and responsive, they can bring more flexibility to your supply chain – which is increasingly important in these, let’s say, changeable times. If that wasn’t enough, having multiple procurement options can help you improve the quality of your goods and services, and reduce costs.
4. It will make your company more attractive to candidates. Nearly 80% of people want to work for a company that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. And you can’t have a robust DEI program without considering supplier diversity. Interestingly, the same survey also found that employees who were happy with their employer’s DEI efforts were happier in their jobs overall. Win-win, then.
5. It’s the right thing to do. Clearly, there are commercial advantages to working with diversity suppliers. But more importantly, every organization has a moral and ethical obligation to do what’s right. Championing diversity suppliers is part of that.
Given the many advantages, why wouldn’t you want to work with diversity suppliers? One great way to broaden your supply base is to work with a talent business partner that’s also a diversity business. As a women-owned enterprise, certified by WBE Canada, Expertis Solutions is on a mission to connect organizations with expert IT talent. Let’s make IT happen and bring more diversity to your supply chain!
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Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/30/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-are-important-to-workers-survey-shows.html
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