5. D&I: Being invited to dance, not just the party (feat. AJ Schinkelshoek)

D&I - understandably complex and sensitive, it's probably the least '5 minutes' topic you can get! 😬 So we did things a little differently this episode, focusing less on the audience questions and inviting an awesome guest star, the self-proclaimed DEIB advocate AJ (@Ard-Jan Schinkelshoek on LinkedIn). Just some of the topics we discuss: ✨ Should D&I KPIs and quotas be a thing? Doesn't it risk 'positive discrimination'? ✨ D&I, DEI, DEIB - what's the difference? Why is 'Belonging' so significant? ✨ Do we really need to categorise people into separate 'boxes'? Isn't inclusivity about including everyone? Chapters 0:39 Episode intro 1:01 About today's guest star 1:33 How to be a DEIB advocate (even if you're not a professional) 2:46 Why is D&I important? (Top 3 actually tangible reasons) 4:13 D&I, DEI, DEIB - what's the difference? Do we need all 4 letters? 5:19 What do we actually mean by an "inclusive" workplace? 6:15 Do we really need to put people in 'boxes'? Isn't inclusivity about including everyone? 9:01 The bigger inclusivity challenges for smaller start-ups and scale-ups 10:12 The diversity 'vending machine': change what you put in, to change what you get out 11:05 Lead by example: the impact of a genuinely engaged leader 11:44 Where to start if you're trying to change an established team needing more diversity 12:54 Building a diverse team from scratch 14:55 Are you focusing on D&I for the 'right' reasons? 16:10 Recruitment tips & tools for unbiased hiring 19:18 Should we have enforced D&I KPIs and quotas? What about positive discrimination? 22:42 Not just an HR topic - what is the HR team's role vs what individual employees can do 26:11 If you are the one struggling in a less inclusive workplace... 27:36 Hiring for D&I vs retention: consider the whole employee journey 30:12 Can you have inclusion without belonging? 31:12 Top practical tips: show the business case for DEIB 34:02 Final points of wisdom Prefer your podcasts more visual? This episode is also on YouTube! Search "7people podcast" About this podcast Say hello to your favourite new HR podcast! 👋🏻 Join People & Culture professionals Flo & Paul from 7people as they dissect the weird, funny and strange topics they encounter in their day-to-day HR work. Each episode we'll focus on a variety of People-related topics and share our experiences, stories, tips and tricks, inspired by the many fascinating real-life "Have you got 5 minutes?" questions shared by our listeners. Thank you to our friends at Personio for sponsoring this podcast. About 7people 7people is a People and Culture consultancy based in Amsterdam. We're on a mission to create irresistible organizations, by providing practical and creative HR solutions for start-ups, scale-ups and innovative companies all across Europe (and beyond!). For more cool HR insights, follow us on LinkedIn (@7people), Instagram (@7people_team) or subscribe to our monthly newsletter through our website (www.7people.team).