Listening: Allyship in the office
Updated: May 27, 2021
As recruiters, it is our job to find the best fitting workplace for your next move. Conversely we only present candidates to clients we are certain will thrive in the company's culture. When we engage with a client whom is looking to fill an open position, we start taking notes from those initial interactions. The conversations we have with HR and department heads give us valuable insight into how colleagues work as a team, how they communicate, and what ethics are shining through these interactions.
There are so many resources available today on how to be a team player in the office. Yet, what we are learning now more than ever is that we must address and improve workplace culture for people who have been historically and systemically oppressed. It starts with personal reflection, admitting our ignorance, doing our homework to see our blind spots, amplifying the voices of experts in this field, and empathetically listening to the stories of oppression, racism, and prejudice.
We like this definition of ally:
An ally is someone who whose personal commitment to fighting oppression and prejudice is reflected in willingness to:
1. Educate oneself about different identities and experiences,
2. Challenge one’s own discomfort and prejudices,
3. Learn and practice the skills of being an ally,
4. Take action to create interpersonal, societal and institutional change.
Here's an article from the Harvard Business Review we loved on how to be a better ally:
https://hbr.org/2020/11/be-a-better-ally