City of Everett holds Monthly Lunch and Learn

City staff discussed the importance of neurodiversity-affirming hiring practices and being more inclusive to gender diversity in the workplace

Special to The Advocate

The City of Everett recently held its Lunch and Learn for the month of June at Everett City Hall. This month’s program focused on inclusive hiring practices in regard to neurodiversity and ways to be more inclusive to gender-diverse individuals in the workplace. City staff were pleased to be joined by Elise Wulff and Brett Mulder to discuss gender diversity – an umbrella term used to describe the proportion of males to females in an organization, as well as the number of individuals who identify outside of the binary framework – and neurodiversity, which is an umbrella term that can include ADHD, autism or other learning differences, such as dyslexia.

In recognition of Pride Month, participants learned about the importance of implementing hiring practices that are inclusive to neurodiverse individuals, as well as those who are gender diverse. The presentation considered and recommended ways to practice neurodiversity-affirming recruitment, interviewing and on-boarding. In addition, the presentation considered and recommended ways an organization can be more inclusive to gender diverse individuals in the workplace by implementing and normalizing practices like identifying the preferred pronouns of employees to create a safer and more welcoming environment. Following the presentation, those in attendance were encouraged to ask questions and discuss their thoughts and ideas with the presenters about the topic.

Lunch and Learn is a monthly program created and moderated by the City of Everett’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department. The program is an opportunity for City of Everett employees to come together, share ideas and experiences, and discuss new topics while enjoying lunch. The series is a part of the City’s commitment to engage, educate and elevate.