DEI in an AI world

April 2, 2024

By Cathy Burns, IFPA Chief Executive Officer

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) is integrated into nearly all aspects of business, its presence is also likely to influence diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Fast Company reported that job listings for DEI roles were down 19% in 2022 compared to those in legal or human resources. A Harris poll also found 80% of employees said their employer has not made meaningful progress on building a more equitable environment for employees of color, while 81% of HR professionals reported that their companies have not increased recruiting efforts toward racially diverse recruiting since 2020.

When it comes to inclusion in recruiting and representation, a year ago popular gaming platform Roblox allowed some potential hires to represent themselves with digital avatars during initial job interviews conducted via a virtual career center. The thinking here is that since applicants may have spent time playing on the platform, they are also more likely to research company history in the center's library or participate in virtual problem-solving assessments.

While this may work for the heavily tech-driven environment of online gaming, for the fresh produce and floral industry AI and DEI does not need to be as complex.

As I mentioned in the 2023 State of the Industry at the Global Produce & Floral Show last October, for DEI efforts, AI algorithms can flag biases in hiring, performance management, and compensation policies helping to ensure equal opportunities for employee growth.

It can also help a company identify when underrepresented groups feel disengaged, unearth root causes, and launch targeted interventions to improve talent retention and advancement. The disengagement is key as multiple studies have shown high levels of employee burnout.

It is important to keep in mind that as much as algorithms and machine learning can enhance and expedite Human Resource processes, they also have the potential to mirror human biases and flaws.

Axios recently reported that “deleting information from computer storage is a straightforward process, but today's AI doesn't copy information into memory — it trains neural networks to recognize and then reproduce relationships among bits of data.”

Training AI to un-learn is a problem that programmers and developers are currently addressing.

That said, I believe when it comes to AI it’s important to remember the “human” part of Human Resources and not rely solely on tech.

Much like with any technology, thoughtful implementation of AI will be key as it is used to deliver DEI initiatives and the impacts those initiatives will have on people.

DEI remains a topic our industry must continue to explore and invest in, and we continue to build DEI resources for our members – from town halls to toolkits.

For all female leaders in produce and floral, I encourage you to join our women’s mentoring program if you haven’t already. The purpose of this program is to create mentorship relationships among women in the fresh produce and floral industry.

The mentor/mentee relationship provides benefits including increased job satisfaction, productivity, diversity, and retention rates in the workplace. At its launch last April, our program enrollees were:

Age range of 25 to 61

1 to 31 years of individual work experience

Spanning more than 50 locations around the world

1,999 combined years of work experience

Topic interests of management styles, business acumen, marketing, finance, and professional development

Throughout this year, expect IFPA to model for our members and industry the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs we offer. IFPA staff will complete DEI training using the same resources available to our members via our DEI Toolkit and Online Learning Academy as part of our staff professional development programs for 2024. We will proactively provide resources and opportunities to showcase the welcoming and inclusive nature of our industry and expand access to previously untapped talent and business partners.

We’ll also create a DEI online community for produce and floral, continue our work with the USDA Regional Food Business Center in the Mississippi Delta, and expand our Women’s Fresh Perspectives portfolio, with the annual conference already sold out!

At the end of the day, a company's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining talent and, increasingly so, buyers and consumers.

DEI will soon become a baseline expectation of what it means to be a trusted brand in a global market that has unprecedented visibility into how that brand behaves - where it sources its products, who it hires, and ultimately what it stands for.

And IFPA is no exception.

DEI in an AI world

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