How can you ensure equity in career development initiatives?

A large piece is looking at the outcomes of your customers. Are the outcomes the same or not and dive into why that might be. Policies and culture is a huge part of this. Are your staff set up to be able to increase belonging and ensure inclusion. Do you provide PD to increase their awareness and understanding or are your own hiring practices equitable.

It should begin with an in-depth interview to gather background information, followed by self-assessment and a review of past achievements and experiences. Candidates should be able to find different career pathways based on their interest and education. Networking is also a crucial external factor. Conduct an in-depth initial interview to gather information about candidates. Ask clients to complete interview practices on tools like Google Interview Warmup & Shadowing.ai and reflect on the analytics of their interview answers to improve domain knowledge and articulation. Regular monitoring and feedback help adapt the career development plan as needed, ensuring a personalized and effective approach.

Creating career focus groups within an organisation that represents true diversity and show that tangible equity initatives are being demonstrated. Some organisations do shy away from this for fear of not standimg "politically correct". However, this is a great way to really imbibe the "Equal Opportunities " employer that most organisations preach about This is can be implemented from a CSR angle where career development can adopt a reverse mentoring perspective. This way, everyone is accountable for their development while contributing to sustainable career objectives

Implement and communicate inclusive policies that ensure equal access to career development opportunities for all employees. Avoid favoritism and nepotism in promotions or special assignments.

Measuring progress is the one area where most individuals fail. It's easy to take action, but it's hard to follow through and measure the impact of that action and track it consistently. My favorite tool is using a Project One-Pager for each project and professional development goal. Putting the key metrics, goals, and status updates on one visual slide can help track progress and is very easy to communicate up the chain of command.

Remove all barriers to career development and advancement. Placing the emphasis on qualifications to the exclusion of those without these qualifications is in fact discriminatory. The emphasis needs to be placed on the capabilities of the incumbent and on his or her past experience. Over the years many employees gain competencies which qualify them for advancement but they are often overlooked in favour of those with an educational qualification. Whic is the more important - education or competence?