Inclusion Award
ach year, the Wisconsin SHRM State Council recognizes an organization for its efforts and accomplishments in the areas of diversity and inclusion. The diversity, inclusion, and belonging award is presented annually at the WI SHRM State Conference in October at the Kalahari Resort and Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. In 2024, the Committee had the difficult task of selecting our winner from the 14 nominations. The Council sought to recognize an organization or organizations that holistically embrace diversity, inclusion, and belonging, evidenced through intentional leadership actions, company policies, and consistent behaviors, where all employees feel safe, secure, and sup- ported as they engage with the rest of the organization, can bring their authentic self to work and feel heard and valued.
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pledges to creating and maintaining an environment that respects diverse perspectives, traditions, heritages, and lived experiences.
THREE FINALISTS Three finalists were selected to be honored for their inclusion work: Exact Sciences, Promega, and Quartz Health Solutions. These organizations shared numerous inclusive practices in their applications. What was clear from these nominations was that all employees had opportunities to excel at these organizations, and the organizations intentionally fostered efforts to ensure all employees felt included. 2024 DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARD WINNER PROMEGA was selected as the 2024 WI SHRM diversity, inclusion, and be- longing award winner. Promega is an international company with offices in 16 global locations, benefiting from the unique cultures and experiences of every individual employee. The company’s portfolio of over 4,000 products supports a range of life sci- ence work across areas such as cell biology; DNA, RNA and protein analy- sis; drug development; human identi- fication and molecular diagnostics. In advancing science, Promega acknowl- edges and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals and
human resources professionals are in a challenging position that may not be resolved any time soon. Where do we stand? The answer is unclear, but SHRM, with its ‘commitment to pol- icy, not politics,’ provides guidance. SHRM recommends that “all private companies evaluate their inclusion and diversity initiatives to ensure they provide equal access to opportunities, skills development, and do not give special advantages to one person or group over another, avoiding any per- ception of identity-based favoritism” “[Companies] should also review their initiatives to determine whether they foster inclusivity or inclusive work- place cultures.” As noted by Anthony Haller, an attorney with Blank Rome in Philadelphia, who has provided com- ments to SHRM, “inclusion—defined as making sure that every employee is given the necessary support and tools to achieve their performance goals, perform at their highest levels, and bring their whole selves to work—is a central hallmark of a nondiscrim- inatory policy, and is supportive of a merit-based system. To equip lead- ers to navigate the shifting DEI land- scape, SHRM’s BEAM framework (Be- longing Enhanced by Access through
Fast-forward less than four months from our award ceremony. The po- litical environment has changed. The legal landscape is exceedingly different. Many companies, human resources professionals, employees, and humans are feeling vulnerable and uncertain, even though, at their core, they know inclusion still mat- ters. While some companies are roll- ing back on or renaming their diver- sity and inclusion; other companies, like Apple and Costco, are holding firm to their initiatives despite efforts to impede them. Organizations and
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