DEIA: Continuing Our Commitment for a Better Future
09.12.23
DEIA Task Force
DEIA: Continuing Our Commitment for a Better Future
Honoring a Promise of an Inclusive Company Culture
InVision believes that diversity and inclusion are not just catchphrases; they are core values that shape our company culture, drive innovation, and empower our employees. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued, heard, and respected. We strive to inspire and connect with our community to drive meaningful discussion and change. As our DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) Team reaches its third anniversary, we would like to share the initiatives that we have been working on this year.
The DEIA Team
Our DEIA team is dedicated to cultivating an inclusive culture that makes InVision a safe space for people to fully be themselves. The team designs initiatives to embrace diverse perspectives, celebrate differences, and support employees from various backgrounds. Transparency is ensured so we can make a real impact on our community of staff and clients as well as the larger industry. With our goal of consistently improving, we look for ways to embrace diversity and allow all voices to be heard at InVision. We want to give employees a safe space to ask questions and learn; from that, we grow.
The Employee Experience
InVision’s workplace culture is rooted in engagement and open conversations with employees. Our annual employee engagement survey is a chance to hear our employees’ anonymous thoughts and feedback. The 2022 survey revealed that on a scale of 1-5, employees reported an average of 4.3 when asked how much they felt they belonged at IVC. Although this is a good number and up from the previous year, our goal is to continue to improve so that all InVisionites feel confident that they belong.
We provide opportunities for engaging conversations through the DEIA Team’s monthly “Media Moments,” where we encourage employees outside of the DEIA team to share social and cultural issues they’re passionate about. The sessions involve viewing relevant media pieces around cultural events, heritage months, and current social issues, and facilitating discussions afterward. These group conversations enable us to learn from and understand each other and our different cultures and experiences. Our recent DEIA moment celebrated Pride month and was hosted by employee Ray Zilberberg. Ray shared a historical perspective on LGBTQIA+ experience in advertising and developed an informative conversation that built understanding with the team.
Nurturing Future Talent and Industry Change
The DEIA Team has also focused on our hiring process. InVision recognizes that the events industry has been a historically homogenous environment, primarily due to referral-based hiring practices. To address this, we challenged ourselves by asking: in addition to being deliberate in the hiring process, how can we help feed that funnel from the ground up? In response, we have a partnership with the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP). By collaborating with MAIP, we support their efforts to provide opportunities to accomplished, diverse candidates, ensuring our company and industry's futures are more representative and equitable.
Supporting Employee Well-Being
In a post-pandemic workplace, InVision recognized the importance of supporting our staff’s mental health. The hybrid work model we enacted increased flexibility, giving employees more of a work/life balance. From the voice of our employees, InVision proactively introduced additional resources and benefits to support employee well-being. Our revamped wellness features to our insurance coverage and dedicated mental health days aim to create an inclusive and aware workplace that promotes healthy work-life balance and prioritizes mental health.
Make Change
To combat the effects of the recent introduction of bills targeting the LGBTQIA+ population for exclusion, InVision took a strong stance against discriminatory treatment through action. We signed the Human Rights Campaign National Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ+ State Legislation that asks public leaders to support equal treatment, respect, and opportunity for everyone. We're proud to have built a progressive and innovative workplace that embraces diversity and fosters an inclusive community. After all, without our teams, there isn’t an InVision.
The Journey Forward
InVision is dedicated to creating consistent, valuable change through our ongoing DEIA journey. We believe in an inclusive culture and empowered workforce, but this will only be reached through meaningful action and collaborative efforts. For our employees and our industry, we will continue to improve our initiatives to create a workplace that embraces diversity, empowers every individual, and paves the way for a more equitable and inclusive future.