The Symbiotic Relationship Between Agile Staffing & DEI
As the event industry continues to adjust to the changing work landscape and companies are reimagining workplace culture, the significance of prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has never been more apparent. DEI efforts are a top-tier priority for many organizations, and employees alike. According to a Ceridian 2022 Executive Survey, 46% of respondents said that DEI was the leading strategy in their organization to ensure change readiness in their workplace cultures.
A focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion also creates a stronger infrastructure for agile staffing strategies which also help companies retain talent, flex to market conditions, and innovate faster.
In this article, we’ll explore the symbiotic relationship between DEI initiatives and agile staffing, and how it helps create workplaces that respect and elevate all types of talent and sustainable companies.
Benefits of an agile staffing model
Put simply, an agile staffing structure provides more opportunities for more people, supporting the growth and effectiveness of an organization's DEI efforts. This flexibility attracts a variety of experts whose talents would not be leveraged to their fullest potential or would go entirely unutilized.
The main attributes of agile staffing models that attract a more diverse workforce include:
Access to work that aligns with strengths, neurodiversity, experience, and beliefs
Ability to work remotely or in a hybrid work environment
Flexibility in work schedules and workload
The impact agile staffing models have on DEI initiatives include:
Retention of and access to a diverse pool of employees and freelancers
Equitable work environments for all talent to thrive
An inclusive workplace where talent feels valued for the uniqueness and safe to share their opinions
How DEI solves the industry’s greatest problems
A focus on representation in the workplace can help solve industry problems. Let's explore some of the demographics and equity that can make the greatest impact.
Women in the workplace
Women have been among the most impacted by voluntary pandemic-induced unemployment exiting the workforce 4x the pace of men mostly due to an increased need for caretaking and domestic responsibilities. A Harvard Business Review survey found 2/3 of highly skilled women would not have dropped out of the workforce if they had access to more flexible job arrangements.
Agile staffing solutions provide caretakers the opportunity to stay engaged in part-time or more flexible work instead of fully exiting the job market. This not only helps the current talent crisis but reduces the experience gap due to a career pause, helping women to transition back to full-time work with the titles and roles they can do.
Additionally, giving caretakers access to the freelance workforce allows them to reallocate some of their job responsibilities and create the flexibility they need in their roles.
Diverse environments empower people
A recent survey found that “81% of U.S. Black knowledge workers say that they prefer a hybrid blend of in-office and remote work going forward.” A contributing factor was working from home reduces the need for “code switching” - the ways in which a member of an underrepresented group (consciously or unconsciously) adjusts their language, syntax, grammatical structure, behavior, and appearance to fit into the dominant culture.
The growth of freelance platforms gives members of underrepresented communities a place to find remote job opportunities that allow them to be in an environment to produce their best work and provide greater access to companies and job opportunities that best align with their workplace needs.
Organizations in the event business can tap into the diversity of the freelance workforce to increase inclusivity within their organizations and at the events they produce. As Anika D. Grant, Founder & CEO of Idlewild Experiential put it “Racial diversity is crucial because, without it, our industry is missing out on the innovative approaches and perspectives that vendors from different racial backgrounds can bring.”
Leverage generation gaps to solve challenges
Two contributing factors to the talent crisis in the meetings and events industry include the lack of young professionals and the retirement of experienced talent.
Young Professionals
When the pandemic occurred, most companies in the hospitality and events industries retracted offers to pending graduates, laid-off entry level talent, and froze hiring for entry level roles causing the current lack of early career professionals in our industries. While younger talent may not have all the domain knowledge and experience companies want, they do have diverse skillsets that companies need and understand what Gen Z’s are looking for in event experiences.
According to Statista, 30% of the U.S. freelance workforce is Gen X (26-41 years old).
Freelance work is attractive to younger generations because of the flexibility it offers in location, work schedule, and type of work. We actively recruit young talent and provide them with the resources and education they need to thrive in event industry roles increasing the diversity of the talent pool our customers can tap into.
Retirees
The volatility of the event and hospitality industries over the past few years has led to an increasing number of industry exits due to retirement. However, many of the retirees we spoke to are interested in staying involved in the industry, mentoring younger talent, and working on a part-time or contingent basis.
According to Statista, 26% of the U.S. freelance workforce are Baby Boomers (55+ years old). The freelance economy allows companies to tap into the knowledge of seasoned experts they otherwise may not have access to.
Agile staffing is the future of work
There are currently 70.4 million freelancers in the United States – a nearly 20% increase from the start of the pandemic. The growing freelance economy is forever changing the event industry – and perhaps for the better.
The future of work is agile and diverse. The symbiotic relationship between an agile staffing infrastructure and a focus on DEI has the power to transform organizations, manage change, and support innovation and business growth.
At Soundings, we want to contribute to this relationship within your organization. Our talent platform has a network of 1,800+ meeting and event professionals with diversified specialties and work and life experiences that can help you take your business to the next level.
Schedule a meeting to learn more about how we can support you.
