In order for diversity and inclusion to be successful in any organization, it must be embedded throughout the organization with leaders at all levels driving its success—committed and accountable leadership. This requires inclusive leadership skills and an understanding and comfortability with the complex concepts and languages of the discipline of diversity, equity and inclusion.

At Equity Residential, we understand diversity and inclusion competency and awareness building requires continuous curiosity and learning. While we have offered unconscious bias training company-wide over the years, we have expanded our diversity and inclusion training and development to create deeper learning for managers of people. In 2020, we introduced a pilot diversity and inclusion microlearning platform to provide on-going diversity and inclusion awareness building. By receiving weekly articles, videos and quizzes, we aim to elevate managers’ thinking and boost awareness around the concepts of diversity and inclusion. The weekly modules are curated with relevant and interactive content.

Through our diversity and inclusion microlearning platform, managers access a resource library accessible at any time to help build their cultural awareness competency around inclusion topics and helps them become more comfortable having conversations around these concepts and topics. Participants are encouraged to keep these important conversations going by leveraging the weekly micro-lessons to help facilitate dialogue with their teams.