

Insights from Elena Richards, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
Organizations are re-imagining the future of work with the employee experience top-of-mind to best retain and grow talent, and ultimately serve clients.
For us, we believe a hybrid workforce — a blend of fully remote, hybrid, and on-site teams — has the potential to sustain deeper connections among current and potential employees and leaders, creating new and lasting relationships that will deliver a competitive edge. We believe we can deliver an exceptional experience for our people by combining the benefits of flexibility with the ability to connect for meaningful discussion, coaching, brainstorming, and a little fun.
We call it "Flex with Purpose."
Importantly, though, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) must inform engagement from the top-down to ensure everyone can thrive. There are also risks for organizations shifting to a hybrid work environment that effective DEI engagement can mitigate.
“The pandemic reshaped employee expectations and preferences, and organizations must see both the opportunity and risks from a diversity, equity and inclusion perspective as they invest in new ways of working,” said KPMG Chief Diversity Officer Elena Richards. “Engaging everyone effectively on DEI will enable a more effective and flexible workforce, delivering on the promise of this new way of working.”
KPMG aims to advance this ongoing discussion on the role of DEI and the future of work through this first in a series of reports: “Hybrid’s success hinges on diversity, equity, and inclusion.” This first paper draws from other research, KPMG’s own experience, and insights from leaders throughout our organization to explore a number of issues, including:
Going forward
Next in this series, we will discuss these issues with Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers across sectors to identify fresh insights and unique perspectives to build upon and learn from each other.
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