Diversity in the Workplace: Ask Kayla Greaves
/Diversity in the workplace is an extremely important issue in today’s society. Living and working in Toronto, we find ourselves surrounded by diversity on a daily basis which is something that makes our city so refreshing and unique! So what do I mean by diversity? Individuals coming together from different nationalities, races, and religions to form an organization, most importantly, one that values and respects someone’s background and listens to their ideas and opinions. Diversity is one of the keys to success and should be nurtured in the work place, not fought. We had the pleasure of speaking with Kayla Greaves, Lifestyle Editor at the Huffington Post about her personal experiences with diversity in the workplace and how we can continue to promote the importance of diversity.
Why is diversity and inclusion in the office important to you?
As a woman of colour working in media diversity and inclusion is so essential in my everyday work. We need perspectives from as many groups as we can to produce high quality content that can reach a wide variety of audiences. We want our content to be reflective of the diverse Canadian population. And luckily, I can confidently say we have one of, if not the most, diverse newsrooms in Canada. Also, diversity makes potluck days A1.
What are some initiatives either in your current job or past jobs that you have done to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
We are currently working on a new series that will be investigating the experiences of children of immigrant parents in Canada, which I'm really excited about! I'm producing a lot of the video and visual graphic content for the series and also assisting on the editorial side. From day to day I work to attract talent from diverse backgrounds to participate in our videos, or panels etc. and make it my goal to write about underrepresented groups as much as I can. I'm also a member of the culture club at work where we think ways to celebrate culture and diversity in a way where everyone can enjoy and also learn about other people's heritage.
Do you have a specific experience (that you are comfortable with sharing) that affected your passion for promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
Yes. I previously worked for a large company that was not into the idea of diversity at all. The whole office, with the exception of two people (three including me), was primarily white. While I pushed for it, they typically made the excuse that it was too complicated etc. etc. I eventually left and moved on to find a place where I was a better fit.
Grab tickets to Diversity in the Workplace: Panel & Meetup below!