At the end of this month, the University of Houston – C.T. Bauer College of Business will host “Practices That Pay,” a panel discussion that will address the changing needs of a diverse workforce.
Today, six out of every ten families includes two working parents, a 20% increase from 1970. In order to address this change, Bauer College will host the “Practices That Pay” panel through the Working Families Initiative. The panel discussion will represent both academia and industry, and will discuss best practices for working families and the overwhelming benefits of a diverse workforce on an organization.
According to Bauer Dean Latha Ramchand, this dialogue is necessary because although companies increasingly acknowledge the importance of a diverse workforce, implementing this ideal into practice has not been happening quick enough and to proper degree.
“This issue is not just one of doing the right thing,” Ramchand said. “Creating workplaces that effectively leverage talent diversity is critical to the success of organizations.”
The July event will be the first for the new Working Families Initiative at Bauer College, which was established in 2015 after Dean Ramchand herself signed a set of best practices developed by a Council of Economic Advisors work-group in Washington, D.C.
Panelists will be announced early this month and will include representatives from academia and business, sharing best practices — such as flexible work and leave — that have had a positive impact in the industry.
The Working Families Initiative is made up of Bauer College faculty, staff, and local business leaders, and is led by Bauer College Board member and alumna Elizabeth Killinger.
According to Ramchand, the Working Families Initiative aims to increase awareness and incite change to help organizations properly leverage the talent they have.
“As an institution of learning,” she said “we believe we can effect change through research, learning and community impact.”