The feedback you shared with the Inclusion Council helped us assess our DEI practices and highlighted where we should make improvements to ensure each of our team members feel that they belong and their voices are heard.
Have been with HumanGood for
Less than one year
0%
1-3 years
0%
4-6 years
0%
7-10 years
0%
11-20 years
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More than 20 years
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Role at HumanGood
Affordable Housing team member
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Life Plan Community team member
0%
Community Support Center team member
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Affordable Housing supervisor/manager/executive
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Life Plan Community supervisor/manager/executive
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Community Support Center supervisor/manager/executive
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other
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Survey Response Location Demographics
Survey Respondents by Community Location
Overall Team Member Location Demographics
HumanGood Team by Community Location
Survey Response Ethnicity Demographics
Survey Respondents by Racial/Ethnic Identity
Overall Team Member Ethnicity Demographics
HumanGood Team Members by Racial/Ethnic Identity
Summary of Findings: The culture of HumanGood
Overall, a high level of confidence and approval of HumanGood as a workplace – some even referred to it as a “family” – of committed team members.
When asked, team members repeatedly used words like “caring,” “committed,” “kind,” “service oriented,” “innovative,” “open,” and “forward thinking” to describe HumanGood.
A strong majority of survey respondents (ranging from 70% to 90% depending on the question) agreed or strongly agreed that HumanGood has fostered a welcoming environment and exhibits genuine commitment in many aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
However, self-identified African American, Latino/a/x, and multi-racial individuals were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to disagree or strongly disagree compared to their White counterparts. (The number of self-identified Native American and Asian American respondents who indicated disagreement or strong disagreement was too few to draw general conclusions.)
Summary of Findings: Perspectives on DEI work at HumanGood
Most interviewees and survey respondents who provided comments indicated positive support for HumanGood’s current efforts and culture related to DEI. Some noted “it is a shame that it took the events of last year to bring this into focus and be made a priority for the organization, but I am glad it is being worked on now.”
A few individuals, however, said things like “HG is doing great on DEI, no need to make any changes” and “we simply need to see value in others without focusing on the color of their skin. We need to focus on their character.”
A small but significant percentage said “there is still a racism problem in the workplace,” and HumanGood has much work to do in order to embed the values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion throughout the organization.
Diversity: To what extent does HumanGood acknowledge, honor, and use the diverse backgrounds of its team members, residents, or partners?
A majority of team members (including over 80% of survey respondents) believe that HumanGood has a diversity of cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, styles and beliefs; and that the organization has a genuine commitment to diversity.
At the same time, a number of team members noted that there is a lack of racial and gender diversity within HumanGood’s management, leadership, and board roles.
There is also a lack of diversity among the line staff, which we inferred means that there may be significantly more people of color in these roles (for instance, Latino/a/x housekeepers or dining staff) but not necessarily of a diverse mix of team members working together in a community.
Occasions like The Big Connect as well as marketing materials are often missed opportunities to highlight a true diversity of team members and residents.
Race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and religious background were named as important aspects of diversity for HumanGood to cultivate, and a few people also emphasized a need for diversity in thought, workstyle, and vision for the organization.
Inclusion: To what extent does HumanGood’s culture welcome, value, respect, and support its team members, residents, or partners?
A strong majority of team members (including 80% of survey respondents) believe that HumanGood offers a welcoming environment and is culturally sensitive to its team members, partners, and residents; and that its culture respects individuals and values difference.
Significantly, 32% of survey respondents indicated that they work in roles at HumanGood “other” than the categories that were offered in the survey. Of these, nearly 15% are in dining services, another 14% are in housekeeping and maintenance, 12% are in nursing.
A number of team members noted the distinction between line staff and management, and the need to provide more opportunities for training (including DEI training), career advancement, equal pay (and benefits for part-time staff) and support for line staff as well as management.
Religion was also mentioned, with some saying, “I sometimes feel uncomfortable about reference to god and religion and praying,” while others lauded the shift they have seen from the organization’s faith-based history to a more inclusive sense of spirituality.
Many team members described the importance of the organization creating space for listening, as it has done following the death of George Floyd; or in another example when the Armenian community was grappling with war in their home country.
Affinity groups were suggested, as was the need for team members as well as residents to find strategies and develop skills to have dialogues about uncomfortable topics.
Equity: To what degree does the HumanGood culture convey a commitment to professional development, career progression, visibility, mentoring, etc. for ALL team members and residents?
Though still strong in this area, only 70% of survey respondents felt that HumanGood has an explicit commitment to equity; or that opportunities at HumanGood are the same for all people; and only 69% agreed that diverse team members advance in their careers throughout HumanGood.
One of the most salient divisions mentioned is the difference in perceived status between team members in the areas of Affordable Housing and Life Plan communities, highlighted through the representation (or lack thereof) on HumanGood’s website, at events such as The Big Connect, in “airtime” allotted during Morning Drive and other meetings, and other examples.
Likewise, a number of individuals in the interviews as well as surveys spoke about how residents “self-select to some degree by virtue of income”, and that divisions also exist between residents and the staff.
A need was mentioned for training “for hiring managers for their unknown biases, and how to move past; when they can’t pronounce a name, they still have to interview that person. Or interviewing men for roles traditionally held by women; need eye opening.”
Relatedly, there were a number of references especially among management team members that, because loyalty is so strongly valued within HumanGood, newer or younger generations may be excluded or not feel as valued as people who have “worked with so and so for 20 or 30 years”.
Racially and/or ethnically, I consider myself to be (please check all that apply)
Affordable Housing Team Members
Life Plan Community Team Members
CSC Team Members
Affordable Housing Managers/Executives
Life Plan Community Managers/Executives
CSC Managers/Executives
Management Perspectives
Racially, 33% of AH, but only 6% of LP and 8% of CSC managers self-identified as African American, compared to 23% of overall respondents; 25% of AH, and only 16% of LP and 6% of CSC managers self-identified as Latino/a/x, compared to 23% overall; less than 5% of AH and LP managers who responded to the survey self-identified as Asian American, compared to nearly 12% overall; and 33% of AH and 63% of LP and 61% of CSC managers self-identified as White, compared to 46% overall.
Over 50% of managers and executive leaders completing the survey have been with HumanGood for 7 or more years; and at least 33% have been with HumanGood for 11 or more years.
However, nearly 20% of CSC supervisor / manager / executives responding to the survey have been with HumanGood for less than one year; perhaps due to recent affiliations, but also pointing to the possibilities for change and growth within the organization.
In general, managers tended to be at least as satisfied or even as much as 110% – 125% moreso than the total survey respondents with HumanGood’s track record around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
However, managers were also more critical than the overall survey pool, with 1.5 to 3 times as many indicating that they disagree or strongly disagree about HumanGood’s performance in many of these areas.
Many managers and executive leaders emphasized that it’s “Not just a DEI issue, but it is growing our own within the organization from an HR perspective … Reaching out into all communities to be able to draw more diverse populations, and making sure we are representative of the areas in which we operate.”
HEAR ABOUT OUR WORKPLAN GOALS
Get Involved
Join an Inclusion Work Plan Group to help improve DEI within our organization, and attend one of our upcoming town halls to learn how you can get involved.
Thurs., Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
Thurs., Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET