Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Follow Up & Follow Through
You’ve made a commitment, released a statement, maybe even convened a committee… now what?
Diversity and inclusion – the kind that really benefits your employees, your culture, and your company for the long haul – requires more than just good intentions. It’s being willing to lead changes that may be difficult or uncomfortable for some, even as they correct historic workplace inequities. It’s having systems in place that allow your employees to show up as their full selves, knowing that their voices are heard and their impact is felt. It is a people strategy based on data and best practices, but primarily felt in the welcoming, equitable and inclusive culture. For leaders wanting to do Diversity, Equity & Inclusion the right way, read on for inspiration, ideas and next steps.
First… What are other companies doing?
CONNECTING DIVERSITY TO A CUSTOMER-FIRST MINDSET.Johnson & Johnson has made DEI a leading tenet of their long-standing and trusted business model – because they recognize that their customers represent every race, experience, and socio-economic class across the globe. A diverse team helps them better connect with a diverse customer base. One of the ways they incorporate diverse perspectives is through Employee Resource Groups – employee-led, volunteer committees that convene to brainstorm issues related to different identities and experiences. Their goal is to use these views to strengthen the company and overall business.ADDRESSING NON-VISIBLE BARRIERS IN THE WORKPLACE.EY has developed a strong protocol for guiding managers around the accommodation of non-visible disabilities on teams. Inclusivity is an especially important concept for employees of differing abilities. Having a communication and accommodation plan in place to help employees be their most productive selves will expand the capacity of your team in ways you might not expect.Addressing non-visible barriers means thinking beyond race and gender. Baton Rouge is home to one small company on the cutting edge of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practices: Lighthouse Louisiana. This nonprofit creates jobs and advocates for people with disabilities, and they are intentional about diversifying the workforce across the spectrum of ability, nationality, culture, race and gender. For regional employers seeking to expand their accessibility and serve larger segments of the population, they are a great resource.BREAKING DOWN GENERATIONAL BARRIERS.Mastercard has instituted a “YoPro” (Young Professionals Business Resource Group) program that gives early-career employees opportunity to share their skills through reverse mentoring. Even something as simple as mentoring older employees on social media communications can bridge generational gaps in experience, perspectives and cultural expectations.PUTTING THEIR MONEY & RECRUITMENT WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS.PepsiCo recently committed to expand their cohort of Black managers by 30% over the next five years, double its spending with Black-owned suppliers, and increase its recruitment activities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Ginkgo Bioworks is placing $1 million towards building a more equitable company, which will include increased recruitment and training of biotech employees from marginalized communities.
So… What can YOU do?
HONESTLY ASSESS YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL DIVERSITY.Conduct a simple DEI audit at your company. You can use these questions to start:
- Do you have roughly equal numbers of men, women and POC in management and senior leadership roles?
- Did your employees all go to the same educational institutions? Are they all (or all not) college educated?
- Does your team contain political, ideological, and religious diversity?
- Do your employees have varying types of work experience – military, not-for-profit, governmental, corporate?
- Are people of different physical and neurological ability represented in your organization?
BUILD A CULTURE OF LEARNING.If Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is not currently a part of your company’s regular language, it can help to start with an employee training program. A DEI training, while not a panacea, can be a good way to start conversations, establish priorities, and fix ongoing expectations. Read this article for more detail on what an employee training might entail.DO YOUR RESEARCH.Your organization might not have the resources or reach of PepsiCo or Johnson & Johnson, but you can look to what large leaders in your field are doing in this area and emulate their practices at whatever scale makes sense for you. This can include your own employee resource group, a reverse mentoring practice, or expanding your recruitment areas to new regions and institutions. Industry leaders are often a good source of information on emerging best practices – although innovation can be found at companies of any size.DEVELOP THE LEADERS OF THE FUTURE, TODAY.Be ahead of the curve with talent development. This is especially important if your senior ranks are currently not as diverse as they could be. Canvass your teams for young talent of every background, race, gender and experience – and put resources towards coaching and training them for leadership.INVOLVE YOUR SUPPLIERS.Are you working with a diverse bench of suppliers and vendors? This can be a good way to take an immediate stance and use your company’s influence for good. In addition to supporting potentially under-funded businesses and sectors, supplier diversification just makes good business sense. CompTIA, an IT professional association, puts the case very well – “make a point of choosing [suppliers] that are committed to diversity too, as they often outperform their non-diverse competitors and provide other types of value, such as access to new markets and customers.”BE OPEN TO DIALOGUE.Never assume that your employees are not affected by traumatic events related to racism and injustice. A strong leader focuses on communication and transparency, because he or she knows that not talking about issues doesn’t make them go away. This type of leadership is exemplified by PwC Chairman Tim Ryan, who extended an open invitation to all employees to contact him with their thoughts after the killing of Botham Jean, a Senior Associate in Houston. Ryan puts it perfectly: “If you’re carrying all these concerns when you come to work—whether you’re a woman, whether you’re black—and you can’t share how you feel, the fact that we have you in the seat means nothing. We want you to be here in mind and body."MEASURE WHAT YOU CAN.Keep track of your stats, like the number of POC in your management pipeline, retention rates among young employees of color, the diversity of schools included in your recruitment processes, etc. As you start to build a strong Diversity, Equity & Inclusion culture, your metrics in these areas are likely to improve. But know that there’s a lot going on behind these numbers that can’t necessarily be measured – for instance, how likely employees are to stay if they feel heard and respected by leadership. As you grow more inclusive in practice as well as intent, the diversity of your talent pool will only grow – leading to great things for your people and your company.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is a long-term commitment, not a list of check-off tasks.
Implementing any of these measures may involve a significant culture change at your company – which is a great thing! The goal should be to develop and support a culture that thrives on inclusion and a diversity of voices, for the long haul. But, this won’t happen overnight, and will only be successful with buy-in from employees and management. As a leader, it’s important that YOU put in the work first to hear your employees out, make yourself available for questions or concerns, and openly communicate the reason and necessity for any changes at the company. Take these suggestions and use what you can to develop ways your company can improve and expand its DEI culture. It’s good for your employees, good for people strategy, and ultimately, good for business.Read our other posts on DEI and building a culture of inclusion in the workplace: Leading For Change: Strategies to Promote Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace and Listening Deeply and Responding Genuinely: Towards Inclusion in the Workplace.Success Labs is a leadership development and management consulting firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to grow leaders, build teams and drive results through great people strategy. Contact us to get proactive about expanding your company’s potential.