Fifth Global L&D Knowledge Forum Wrap-Up
getAbstract’s fifth Global L&D Knowledge Forum on February 15, 2023, brought together international experts and L&D practitioners to discuss best practices for building a truly inclusive learning and work culture.
Keynote speakers included Joy Dettorre and Diane Delaney, Global DE&I Leaders at IBM, and Theo Smith, diversity advocate and author.
Download the conference summary here.
Here are the top take-aways from the conference:
1. Many Diversity Characteristics Are Invisible
When considering diversity, attributes like race, gender and ethnicity may be top of mind. In her keynote, however, Joy Dettorre highlighted data showing that over 70% of diversity characteristics are invisible. Someone may be legally blind or be a survivor of domestic abuse – experiences that impact how a person acts, works and makes decisions. Organizations that want to be truly inclusive thus will also need to recognize and accommodate invisible differences, such as in physical ability, brain function, behavioral traits and past experiences.
2. Neurodiversity Is a Natural and Valuable Form of Human Diversity
In his keynote, Theo Smith highlighted that we are all neurologically diverse – yet their neurodiversity impacts not everyone in the same way. He stressed that with the right support, people with neurodiverse backgrounds can make valuable contributions to organizations. For example, around half of successful entrepreneurs in the US have ADHD. Organizations that succeed at bringing out the unique strengths of neurodiverse employees will be able to boost overall productivity and retain talent.
3. Create Inclusion by Embedding DEI Measures into Every Stage of the Employee Life Cycle
Diane Delaney stressed the importance of weaving bite-sized learning on DEI topics into each part of the employee life cycle. Starting with the hiring process, IBM makes sure to include neurodivergent inclusive behaviors in job descriptions and to provide onboarding support for neurodiverse hires. IBM also promotes allyship and makes it part of employees’ performance reviews.
Download the conference summary here.
Read about our previous Global L&D Knowledge Forums. Stay tuned for future events!
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