Commercial Integrator March 2021 - 16

AV AS A BUSINESS
Your Employees Can Relate to My DEI Experiences
Embracing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) isn't just about confronting overt racism. The subtleties
may be taking more of a toll on your employees than you realize. by Chris Turner
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed
here are those of the author and do
not necessarily represent the offi cial policy
or position of New Era Technology.
I HAVE MANY DEI (Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion) experiences related to my name.
When someone hears Chris Turner, it's
easy not to associate it with someone that
is Asian-American. In the past, when I submitted
job resumes and subsequently went
in for interviews, I could read the surprised
reactions on the interviewees' faces.
Ultimately, there should not be a reaction.
A reaction showcases that the interviewees
intentionally or unintentionally were putting
me in a certain category - one I did not fi t.
This is just one example of the hiring process
specifi cally. There are other challenges
within a professional career for a person of
color or for people with diff erent sexual orientations.
Another area includes " climbing
the ladder. "
Since I am Asian-American, I've had to deal
with Asian stereotypes: Asians are meek and
very quiet; Asians aren't going to conform
and battle their way up the corporate ladder
in what's considered a " conventional way. "
As a result, qualifi ed Asian-Americans can
get passed over.
Prior to my life in the audiovisual industry, I
had a job in which the leaders did not think I
could succeed - but I wasn't given a reason
why other than, " We don't think you're built
for it. " I had to prove to them that I could.
Of course, we all have to prove ourselves
in some capacity - but there are many
obstacles where people of color and women
have to prove themselves in ways that I think
others do not.
Embracing DEI Makes Good
Business Sense
From a business perspective, it simply
doesn't make sense to even unintentionally
marginalize employees.
We are coming. This industry can't be
one-dimensional if it wants to serve our
16
Commercial Integrator MARCH 2021
customers' increasingly global market.
If you don't know how to deal with other
cultures and diverse individuals, you will
not make advances with your evolving
customers.
Years ago, I was part of a project where
we were asked to help support one of our
customer's international locations. We
found a dedicated partner, and things were
going really well until there was a breakdown
in communication.
All parties were misinterpreting the
meaning and intent of what we were both
saying in emails. Rather than risk losing the
partner, the team, led by leadership from
our service department, traveled overseas
and met with the customer in person.
Each party came away with a better
understanding of who we all were and how
we could best work together. This was a big
step for us in realizing that DEI is important
because of the diff erent personalities and
cultures increasingly in our everyday lives.
If we can embrace DEI within our own
corporate structure, we will do well with
customers, too.
Backtracking to the talent development
aspect - If your company embraces DEI,
you open a completely diff erent talent
pool. The integration industry frequently
talks about the limited ability to fi nd the
talent needed to grow our companies. This
becomes less of a problem for companies
that embrace DEI in their company culture
and hiring.
Timing is Now
Now is the right time for corporate social responsibility.
Yes, it's a challenging business
market as the integration industry recovers
and repositions itself to solve customers'
post-pandemic challenges. However, this
should not be used as an excuse.
If organizations just keep saying, " Right
now we have to focus on revenue, " then
it will never be dealt with. This thought
process will only encourage losing existing
talent and prospective talent.
I believe it is important to make strides to
embrace DEI and defi ning what that means
within your organization's culture. Otherwise,
employees will begin to look elsewhere.
Diverse people might say, " They do not
understand who I am and what I represent.
I'm going somewhere where I am appreciated
for who I am. "
I am fortunate that New Era Technology
not only understands, but also practices
forward-thinking approaches to DEI. As an
organization, I think we embrace DEI very
well. We have women and people of color
in management positions.
Teams are comprised of salespeople, engineers,
project managers, fi eld installers,
service technicians, onsite technicians, and
NOC Support Services, who represent the
best of the best not only when it comes to
talent but diversity.
New Era has been focused on fi guring
out how to embrace DEI and make it a part
of our company's culture.
Next Steps for DEI
Increasingly, large companies have a chief
diversity offi cer to keep organization's
in-check when it comes to DEI practices.
While most integration companies likely
do not have the resources for this type of
position, organizations can consider having
a committee within their workforce to look
at what can be done better.
This group should be involved in interviewing
candidates and providing input
on hiring. This committee might recognize
cultural inequities, such as company recognition
of certain holidays over others and
LGBTQ related issues.
The most important thing is not to be
afraid to confront these issues. If you gather
diverse individuals within your company
and have conversations about DEI, that is a
signifi cant fi rst step.
Chris Turner is a managed
solutions account executive
for New Era Technology.
commercialintegrator.com

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Commercial Integrator March 2021

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