How we approach diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity, and integrate it into our business

By Dean Delpeache, Fiix’s Director, Talent and Diversity

Fiix is on a journey to ensure we create an organization that is inclusive and equitable. A place where each individual feels valued for who they are and can bring their whole selves to work.

In 2021, we’ve set goals to increase the number of women and racialized employees in the organization, committed to an education and training plan for all employees, and are exploring ways to align our diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity (DIBE) efforts with our parent company Rockwell Automation. As we grow, we require our recruiters, hiring managers and leadership to consider a diverse pool of candidates. We’ve also diversified our hiring panels to ensure we are hiring skilled and qualified talent while reaching our DIBE goals.

Educating our staff around topics that include implicit bias management, inclusive leadership, and cultural awareness is key to developing our collective knowledge around DIBE so we can all participate in creating a safe, supportive, and productive work environment . Each employee receives access to Crescendo, an education tool that helps individuals build competence around DIBE-related topics. We also host monthly Crescendo Conversations, which is a dedicated time for employees to get together and discuss relevant topics in our current climate, like allyship and anti-Asian discrimination.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) have also played a supporting role in building community and educating the organization on key issues related to mental wellness, black inclusion, LGBTQ education, and supporting women and non binary professionals in tech. We’re aiming to integrate these efforts with those of the Rockwell ERGs by the end of 2021.

Below is a highlight of our current progress to date on some of our DIBE Goals:

As the remainder of the year unfolds, we will gain a better understanding of Rockwell Automation’s approach to DIBE and integrate key components from the company’s program to make us a better organization together. Here are some key areas of focus within the next quarter:

1. Education and training: We will continue to educate and support our leaders through Q3 as we discuss implicit bias management. We also look to improve our Crescendo user rate through the tool’s new platform that will allow greater customization.
2. Recruitment: We continue to review our current recruitment process and, where necessary, add various methodologies (i.e. two-and-two technique) to ensure we are building our talent pipelines with greater diversity.
3. Employee engagement through ERGs: As Fiix’s employee resource groups continue to grow, we will integrate with Rockwell Automation and share our diverse perspectives. We seek to create greater community and inclusion where employees can find a sense of belonging.