The Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre’s Straight from the CPAs Mouth podcast explores DEIA progress.
“People are our purpose.” “The heart of our organization is our people.” “Our people are our number one asset.”
Sound familiar? There’s been a lot of attention brought to light over the past few years on the topic of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), and these are common statements posed by organizations of all sizes who are stepping up to condemn oppression in all its forms and make commitments to prioritize DEIA initiatives. But what’s actually happening behind all those commitments?
While the constant cultural attention is a relatively new phenomenon, organizational aspirations to the principles of DEIA are not entirely new. In fact, early advocates had accomplished a great deal of progress towards inclusion in the workplace long before DEIA became a buzzword. And while progress is being made, there is still much to be done.
In the most recent episode of Straight From the CPA’s Mouth, our guest host, Kyra Cusveller from CPA Alberta, speaks with Rae Shungur, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Recruitment Partners, about this significant cultural shift and what DEIA progress can look like in the future.
”Our society is a tapestry–a rich, beautiful fabric,” explains Rae. “And organizations that exist within that tapestry should reflect the community outside of the building.”
“In the context of DEIA, we are light years ahead [of where we were],” Rae acknowledges in the podcast. “We have moved into territories that we had no concept of in the early to mid-2000s.” He goes on to suggest that 10 years from now, “we hopefully won’t be as concerned about this as we are today,” and that we’ll have reached “a point of intolerance for intolerance.”
Listen to the full conversation here: Episode 404: Rae Shungur – Exploring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
An initiative of the CPA Education Foundation, the Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre is a virtual hub of resources and materials featuring Alberta CPAs sharing their unique perspective and vast expertise on a wide range of topics and issues. One of the many resources of the Hesje CPA Knowledge Centre, the Straight from the CPAs Mouth podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Spotify.
