Embody Curiosity, Take Risks, & Other Actionable Tips for Your Allyship Journey, From a DEI Manager

When asked how she defines being an ally, Kacey Jones, senior manager of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Robert Half, shares that “beyond using one's power and privilege to impact, support, or help an individual or a community, an ally is a confidant, risk taker, and change agent.” 

In practice, Jones says an ally may intervene as a bystander, advocate for others, organize or attend community events, and share resources and power. She also says that individual allies pursue their own personal learning and growth by doing things like listening to podcasts, engaging with thought leadership, and taking classes. Ultimately, allies consistently show up and are not static.

There could be 100 ways to define an effective ally, Jones tells Fairygodboss. But there are still some simple good measures of allyship. For example, “if you see something, say something,” she says.

Here, we caught up with Jones to learn more about allyship in personal and professional settings.

To start, what is your best advice for other people who want to be better allies?

My advice would be to remove the mystery of allyship and encourage anyone interested in allyship or being an ally to first do some personal work. Assess your own identity and its impact on others — whether that be around family and friends, at work with your colleagues, or out in your community. By taking a moment for personal introspection, it can help guide your energy and direct you to situations that serve you. 

Remember that allyship doesn’t have to be complex or grand in its expression. It can be but meet yourself where you’re at and start there. Make it fun! Keep it light without it being dismissive and unimportant or unimpactful.

Do you have any suggestions for books, podcasts or other forms of media that share advice on being a better ally?

Raise your self-awareness. For instance, you can listen to podcasts that are close to what you care about based on how you choose to engage in allyship. There is no shortage of human interest stories, and there are a lot of allyship lessons to be learned by carving out empathy to understand the life journey of others. In building empathy, you focus on the relationship between your emotional intelligence, empathetic nature, and self-awareness.

The beauty of books, podcasts and other forms of media is that these tools allow us to travel as far and widely as possible, learning from individuals and communities we may not be familiar with. All from the comfort of our own home we get to find out how other people have lived, what music, food and traditions are part of cultures around the world, and what experiences we are facing today that are impacting generations to come.

Allies understand the power in taking concerted efforts to put themselves in places or engage in conversations where they are not in the majority. It’s not second nature for individuals who do not identify as allies to do this, but I think we can all learn how to put ourselves in positions of being the minority.

We hear a lot about performative allyship. In your experience, how can allies support their colleagues without being performative?

In not wanting to be performative, allies constantly put themselves out there even if they don’t know what to do or how to say it. They are available to participate in dialogue and action and embody curiosity without letting fear hold them back. Being genuine in this pursuit means that there is a willingness to learn, relearn, and unlearn.

In the workplace this could look like extending an overture to a colleague you are unfamiliar with, taking action to discover an unknown attribute or sharing an aspect about yourself that you haven’t previously with your team, as you feel psychologically safe to do so. It also means embracing an openness to feedback when you act with good intention but leave a harmful impact. 

Outside of work, this could mean attending a cultural festival in your community or participating in a volunteer event for an organization that resonates with your personal values. 

What has been your best learning moment in your journey to becoming an ally?

With a career centered around talent management, organizational learning and development, and leadership, I’ve learned that there is a creative way to position topics in new and interesting ways. When content is presented with an attitude of experimentation and willingness to find the right path forward collectively, I think people are more likely to engage authentically. 

When innovating new ways of experiencing inclusion and belonging — especially as a member of a DEI team or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) team, community engagement team, or really anything under the corporate social responsibility umbrella — it’s important to be relentless in the pursuit of achieving what you set out to achieve. 

What do you do in your day-to-day work life (and beyond) to serve as an ally?

My primary effort is to provide DEI learning programs for our workforce and nurture our employee network groups (ENG) maturation and development. Our team creates and facilitates content around allyship, psychological safety, facilitation, and bias and have remained innovative and agile.

Day-to-day this means presenting ways for colleagues to get involved in our efforts and practice allyship regularly. I serve as an ally by finding a way to be persistent in creating and facilitating our DEI learning programs and keep allyship available, even as the labor market, employment trends, and business priorities change.

Because DEI is focused on people, we know that there is constant evolution with respect to how we speak about and support individuals with wide-ranging experiences and identities. As we set out on empowering people through education and awareness, we align with Robert Half’s commitment to create a dynamic workplace where our people can connect with each other, thrive through opportunities, and grow in the communities where we live and work.

Finally, can you tell us more about how Robert Half fosters a culture of equality and fairness?

At Robert Half, we are dedicated to the well-being of our employees, while fostering career options and connections and the positive change they bring to our business and our communities. We do this through our ENGs, strategic alliances and partnerships, community impact, and environmental, social, and governance initiatives.

With inclusion being one of Robert Half’s enterprise values — in addition to integrity, innovation, and commitment to success — we have DEI embedded into programs, policies, and initiatives that shape our corporate culture. Creating a culture of inclusion and belonging requires intentional and coordinated leadership, employee trust and buy-in, and good workplace design. It’s important for people to become familiar with the many organizational structures, processes, and practices that impact DEI outcomes, and to know how to work within or outside of those structures to effect meaningful change.

Are you inspired to join a company where DEI is at the forefront? Check out open roles at Robert Half via the link below.

Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Robert Half. Find a job there today!