Diversity efforts taking shape at waste industry’s big companies, but serious work remains

What stands out, to us, is this: companies in the waste industry are talking about DEI in business terms (“multi-year labor shortage” and “better serving customers”) vs. more general speak around better ideas and engagement.

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Who’s interested: Primary – CXOs and Senior Leaders, Secondary – DEI Team and HR

Takeaways:
– The multi-year labor shortage for frontline positions such as drivers and mechanics has increased the industry’s focus on reaching underrepresented groups and making positions at all levels more attractive for a wider pool of candidates
– “Rather than [saying] ‘there’s work to be done, but it seems like an HR issue so I’m not going to touch it.’ Now it’s a business issue, a business imperative, a business opportunity,”
– Korn Ferry believes DEI challenges are solvable if organizations intentionally focus on challenges surrounding formal policies, informal practices and unconscious bias

ideascape View: While there are detractors, the waste industry is making real commitments to improving #diversityandinclusion across their organizations – and we’d implore you to find some ideas within the article. What stands out, to us, is this: companies in the waste industry are talking about DEI in business terms (“multi-year labor shortage” and “better serving customers”) vs. more general speak around better ideas and engagement. In our research, this move in DEI terminology links to our forecasted shift in where the function will sit in the future. Message us for more details.

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