Theory to Practice: How Can Managers Advocate for and Foster Pay Equity?

Posted: December 12, 2022

By: Institute of Public Service and College of Arts and Sciences


Theory to Pracitice LinkedIn
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 5–6 p.m.

Seattle University's Institute of Public Service debuts a new quarterly livestream event highlighting the latest faculty research and demonstrating how it applies directly to the workplace and career development. Join Dr. Rashmi Chordiya, assistant professor, Institute of Public Service, and Bobby Humes, executive and leadership coach with a wide range of human resources and organizational strategy/culture experience, for this conversation.

Livestreamed on LinkedIn Live. Register here.

What will be covered?

1) Putting into practice the principle of pay equity which goes beyond "equal pay for equal work" to include "equal pay for work of equal value to the organization."

2) What are the biases and barriers that get in the way of pay equity (i.e., resources wise, analysis wise, framing and communication wise) and how to address them?

3) How advocating for pay equity is both head and heart work for managers and leaders.

4) Why administrators, supervisors and managers need to care about pay equity and,

5) Frameworks that can support actionable behaviors from managers and leaders to advocate for and foster pay equity in organizations.

Speaker Bios

Bobby Humes is DEI strategist, executive and career coach, facilitator and a keynote speaker. He is an executive and leadership coach with a wide range of human resources and organizational strategy/culture experience. He brings presence, discernment, a sense of humor and a mindful approach to change to his work with clients. As an executive coach he helps his clients to plan, identify barriers, and identify the values and superpowers they can bring to their situation. He believes that managers and leaders that he works with are resilient and capable of achieving their goals with focus, self-awareness and accountability. He has deep experience developing dynamic leaders and teams.

In the past, he served as chief HR officer for the City of Seattle providing executive leadership consultation to members of the executive cabinet and their executive and HR teams. He currently serves as the director of Human Resources at Washington State Investment Board. He also serves on several community boards providing leadership for diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, policies and programs. He is a proud U.S. Army Combat Veteran who knows first-hand the challenges and successes of transitioning from the military into civilian workplace culture.

Rashmi Chordiya is an assistant professor of public administration at Seattle University's Institute of Public Service. Her teaching, scholarship and praxis philosophy is anchored in doing the work of integrating inner change and collective change for social justice and collective liberation. She approaches her work from an embodied social justice lens that is trauma-informed, healing centered and intentional about centering the margins. Her scholarship focuses on advancing the theory and praxis of public sector human resource management to improve job satisfaction, organizational commitment, retention, belonging and inclusion in diverse teams and organizational contexts. Her peer-reviewed journal articles are published in prestigious public administration journals including Journal for Social Equity in Public Administration, Administrative Theory and Praxis, Review of Public Personnel Administration, The American Review of Public Administration, Public Management Review, Public Personnel Management, and Public Administration. Her upcoming book is entitled "Managing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Public and Nonprofit Organizations.”