Amidst the evolving landscape of diversity and inclusion, where genuine change often meets resistance, a new leader has emerged as a catalyst for innovation and growth. In the latest episode of the Disruption Interruption podcast, host Karla Jo Helms is joined by Michele Heyward, Founder and CEO of PositiveHire. Heyward, with a unique blend of engineering prowess and entrepreneurial zeal, is challenging outdated norms and championing inclusivity as a cornerstone of organizational excellence across the STEM and Engineering & Construction (E&C) sectors.
TAMPA BAY, Fla., August 19th, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Women represent about 27% of the STEM workforce, a significant increase from 8% in 1970, but still fall short compared to their 48% share of the overall U.S. workforce. (1) In engineering and construction, they are even more underrepresented, at 14% and 9% respectively, and face fewer leadership opportunities and challenges related to workplace culture and advancement. (2) Karla Jo Helms (KJ), host of the Disruption Interruption podcast, and Michele Heyward, the disruptive mind behind PositiveHire, a platform dedicated to empowering underrepresented women in STEM, engage in an illuminating discussion on the critical need for diversity in industries that require innovative disruption. “Disruptive innovation means changing the status quo for the better,” Heyward says. “Growing up in rural South Carolina, I saw how limited resources hindered talent, so my mission is to ensure everyone, regardless of background, has transformative opportunities.”
“Disruptive innovation means changing the status quo for the better. Growing up in rural South Carolina, I saw how limited resources hindered talent, so my mission is to ensure everyone, regardless of background, has transformative opportunities.” — Michele Heyward, Founder and CEO of PositiveHire.
Heyward Champions Infrastructure for True Workplace Inclusion
Heyward emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique challenges faced by underrepresented groups in the workplace, challenges that often go unnoticed in traditional HR data.
Through PositiveHire, Hayward is not merely advocating for diversity—she is actively constructing the infrastructure necessary for genuine inclusion within the workforce. Her mission is to establish a new benchmark for organizational excellence, where diversity and inclusion are not just aspirational goals but fundamental elements of success.
Tailoring DEI Strategies to Engineering and Construction
PositiveHire is advancing DEI in the traditionally male-dominated engineering and construction sectors by tailoring initiatives to the unique challenges of job site culture.
Heyward, a third-generation construction professional, emphasizes the need for DEI strategies that address both the physical environment and cultural dynamics, with organizations evaluating their impact through pre-and post-training assessments as well as long-term retention metrics.
“Very few DEI practitioners understand life on a construction site,” Heyward emphasized. “Many attempt to implement initiatives without spending significant time on the job site or building relationships with those who work there. For DEI to be effective in construction, it’s essential to grasp the unique challenges.”
Setting New Standards for Inclusive Workforce Excellence
Through PositiveHire, Heyward is actively building the infrastructure needed for true inclusion in the workforce. Whether in STEM or E&C, PositiveHire is helping to pave the way for a more inclusive future, ensuring that diversity and innovation go hand in hand.
Links
Disrupting the Future of Infrastructure: Michele Heyward’s DE&I Influence on AEC: https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-the-future-of-infrastructure-michele-he
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelecheyward/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MicheleCHeyward
Company Website: https://positivehire.co/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/positivehireco/
Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from today’s biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to adoption.
Disruption Interruption can be listened to in Apple’s App Store and Spotify.
About Disruption InterruptionTM
Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all manner of industries— MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping, logistics, and more—and COVID has moved their timelines up a full decade or more. But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say, “THAT’S IT! I’VE HAD IT!”? Time to Disrupt and Interrupt with host Karla Jo “KJ” Helms, veteran communications disruptor. KJ interviews badasses who are disrupting their industries and altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an establishment resistant to progress. She delves into uncovering secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that uncover common traits—and not-so-common—that are changing our economic markets… and lives. Visit the world’s key pioneers that persist to success, despite arrows in their backs at http://www.disruption-interruption.com.
About Michele Heyward
Michele Heyward is the Founder and CEO of PositiveHire, a pioneering tech company dedicated to connecting underrepresented women in STEM with management roles in enterprises. With a background in civil engineering and extensive project management experience in the energy sector, Michele aims to create inclusive workplaces for Black, Latina, and Indigenous women, while also equipping companies to effectively recruit and integrate these professionals. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Industrial Management from Clemson University. A South Carolina native, Michele enjoys family time, traveling, Toastmasters, and building professional networks.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.
References
1. “NSF’s NCSES Releases Report on Diversity Trends in STEM Workforce and Education.” NSF, 30 Jan. 2023, new.nsf.gov/news/diversity-and-stem-2023.
2. Martinez, Anthony, and Cheridan Christnacht. “Women Making Gains in STEM Occupations but Still Underrepresented.” United States Census Bureau, 26 Jan. 2021, census.gov/library/stories/2021/01/women-making-gains-in-stem-occupations-but-still-underrepresented.html.
Media Contact
Karla Jo Helms, JOTO PR™, 727-777-4629, khelms@jotopr.com, jotopr.com
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