On Thursday, September 1, we hosted our CommercialForum Diversity Summit.
During this event, our panel of thought leaders, including Collete English Dixon of Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate, Manny Flores of Somercor, Ronan Remandaban of Bradford Allen and Manikka Bowman of Project REAP, HarveyReed LLC, discussed tips on advancing a career while fostering diversity and inclusion.
Here are the top tips they shared:
Be a Reflection of Your Community
Flores described the importance of a company, and its team, reflecting the communities and people it serves. This, he believes, is an important part of a company being successful, because it ensures that you’re bringing a diversity of thought and and understanding to the table.
Diversity Attracts Diversity
Company culture is important, especially when it comes to diversity. As English Dixon said, one big part of attracting and keeping talent, especially in the commercial space, is to create a space where diverse employees feel comfortable. When people don’t feel comfortable, they’re less likely to feel like part of the team. One way for people to feel comfortable, English Dixon said, is to have people that look like them on their team.
Invest in Your Professionals
An important aspect of retaining talent, especially diverse talent, is to invest in their knowledge and experience. Creating and investing in opportunities to learn and grow will lead to more empowered and happy employees. Also, it’s important to strengthen buy-in from your team. When you see someone with potential, take the time to share your own expertise or resources, which will, in turn, make them feel more connected at work.