Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Deconstructing Unconscious Biases

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is imperative for a sustainable, competitive and innovative company and society at large. Diversity also goes beyond the outward perception of a company – it includes how the internal structures work and signal the value systems of an organization’s management or leadership team.

Deconstructing Unconscious Biases

In this session, we will tackle how to deconstruct unconscious biases. Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside of their own conscious awareness. Unconscious biases can influence hiring practices, promotions and treatment within the workplace. To facilitate a diverse and inclusive workplace, unconscious biases must be acknowledged, challenged and deconstructed.

More information to come.

This event is the third in a series designed by Diversify to center Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. We are happy to partner with Diversify to address this important and timely topic. We look forward to seeing you.

Speakers

Roy Arne Hanssen

Roy, like many of this, has taken an interest in D & I. He doesn’t consider himself an expert, but his experiences and wide knowledge base have brought him to consider diversity and how we practice inclusion within our complex society.

Roy considers himself an introvert, a skeptic, a rationalist, a fact researcher and analytic, a secular humanist born of the enlightenment, a person that first of all likes the world to be fair and just with equal opportunity to follow whatever dream people want to follow. Roy’s economic philosophy supports sustainable economic eco-systems and he is a firm believer in giving incentives because it brings out the best in people. Roy has studied international business and economic history. Professionally, Roy has worked with tech startups since 1995, when he was involved with his first big internet startup, and has since then has remained in the tech sector.

Roy has always been very interested in the world around us, the people in the world and how all this, together with culture, has created a very complex society for us to manoeuvre in. His interest in D & I come from his belief that all people should be able to follow their dream and have an equal opportunity, where they are judged by their skills and ability and not by what they are and who they know. In order to achieve this, Roy believes that we need to understand how humans operate and think.

Chisom Udeze

Chisom is an Economist and entrepreneur who holds multiple undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. She is Nigerian and has lived and worked in six countries across three continents. In addition to actively building and driving growth at her companies, Chisom works as a consultant for intergovernmental organizations and SMEs across industry sectors. She is highly skilled in areas such as strategy, research, project design and execution, data analysis, and monetization. She is a fearless advocate for diversity, opportunity, and inclusion across social, economic, political, and professional lines. She believes in accountability and actionable processes, and that our words have no value if our actions contradict them.

Erik Falk Hansen

Erik is the founder of AvantGarde Search, a recruitment company looking to challenge the established and disrupt what has become a very conservative industry. He moved to the UK straight after college in 1998 to study International Business in Manchester. Since the completion of his studies he has worked within the recruitment industry, both as a recruiter and at management level in the UK and Norway as well as internationally. When working for the S-Three group in the UK, he was early involved in their “Women in Business” program, something which kicked off his interest for discrimination in relation to hiring processes. Upon returning to Norway in 2013, Erik was heavily involved with career development as well as taking an active role in media and social media in order to create a better environment for those looking for new jobs. His current company was established in January 2019 and is already seen as one of the most ambitious recruitment companies towards the tech-industry. The company aims to be the driver for change with significant focus on anti-discrimination. Key areas that are of interest to Erik includes: gender equality, anti-discrimination and exploitation of the weak. Outside of work, Erik lives with his wife and 2 year old dog, Scampi.

Moderator

Hyacinth Walters-Olsen

Hyacinth is a seasoned professional who has had a rich and fulfilling career. She has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience from her varied roles in senior management positions over the past 20+ years across several industries, all of which have shaped her to become the compassionate, structured, loving, and nurturing professional that we see and experience today. Hyacinth uses her insights gained to empower individuals to activate their purpose and maximize their potential.

Join us!

Please register for a Zoom link to attend this session.