For the eighth consecutive time, GLC Europe is organising the HR Minds Forum, which will be an ideal opportunity to learn and discover new strategies for better Employer Branding.
The 8th HR Minds Employer Branding Forum will happen on 28-29 September in Berlin: at this event Rachel Osikoya, Head of Diversity and Inclusion of Maersk Group will address on how to build Diversity and Inclusion into the Talent Cycle. Rachel will share her experiences at Danish conglomerate Maersk that has been the largest container ship and supply vessel operator in the world since 1996.
We have asked Rachel few questions about her presentation topic at the 8th HR Minds Employer Branding Forum and her point of view on the future of the HR industry.
What will be the main learning outcome of your presentation for the audience?
I intend to increase the participants’ understanding of the current diversity and inclusion challenges faced by global organizations and potential ways to address them within talent cycle, from attraction to retention.
What are the major challenges faced by HR Industrialists when it comes to managing diversity and increasing inclusion?
There are many, many challenges faced by HR professionals when it comes to managing diversity and increasing inclusion. Diversity is complex and subjective, however, in summary there are some major challenges:
- Gender: the biggest challenge I foresee for gender lies within education systems (this is for those countries where an equal percentage of girls have access to education as boys). With fewer girls entering into the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects than boys, this has a long term impact on their career options and on companies who operate in these industries being able to attract. The future landscape is technology, we should be encouraging schools to include this as a mandatory subject just as important as Reading, Writing and Mathematics. For countries where access to education for girls is still a challenge, the biggest threat is within cultural norms where women are expected to stay at home, however more and more young women are starting to challenge these norms.
- Generations: we are still looking at the employee life cycle in many companies in the same way as we did 20 years ago. It is not for me to say whether the research is right or wrong on generational theory but either way, we need to provide more flexible career options where we invest quickly in young talent to accelerate their careers and continue to invest in talent into and beyond the typical retirement age.
- Inclusion: many organisations continue to invest and push more for the diversity of employees than they do for investment in inclusion. Inclusion is difficult to measure and ultimately linked to the culture of the organisation and diversity is more tangible. If you invest in diversity without inclusion, your investment will not be sustainable.
What do you see as the main industry trend for next year?
Organisations will continue to invest in Unconscious Bias Training. It is a good step forward but the missing link is how you start to de-bias decision making across the entire organization, moving on from just people decisions but to business decisions. If organisations can get this right then the culture can start to shift to being more inclusive and innovative.
Participants who join us in Berlin for the 8th HR Minds Employer Branding Forum will be able to listen to real life examples presented by Rachel Osikoya and learn more about current challenges in attracting diverse candidates, the impact it has on employer branding and how companies can drive more inclusive recruitment practices. We look forward to see many passionate HR professionals who strive to create strong employer brands and cultures that are inclusive and innovative.