One reason why DEI is important is simply that employees demand it. DEI is not a new concept it has been around for quite some time, but due to the racial and social justice movement we saw in the summer of 2020, which was sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery,Breanna Taylor, and many more lives,there was a bright light shined on this particular area. Considering that many social issues were playing out in the workplace, most employees have an expectation there will be a DEI practice in place. For years, many minorities have expressed feeling undervalued, unsafe and unwelcome in the workplace. In many cases, these feelings have not been expressed due to a fear of reprisal and a degree of skepticism over whether those feelings would actually be addressed.
The Numbers don’t Lie
The research clearly shows that traditionally, minorities have experienced negative outcomes when it comes to hiring, promotions and performance evaluations. The numbers show another compelling point in favor of DEI initiatives: namely, that companies with effective DEI initiatives in place create a significant competitive advantage. “It is a factual point that companies that are more diverse and inclusive are more likely to outperform their competitors,” explained Lightfoot.
Higher levels of diversity bring different perspectives and this leads to greater innovation. Also, DEI practices can positively impact recruitment/retention efforts. Companies should consider a DEI strategy in terms of creating a competitive advantage, making sure that everyone feels like their contributions are respected and valued is critical.
Review and Audit Internal Processes
The first step is to identify any barriers, inequities, or gaps that exist in the organization for minorities. Prior to investing into a corporate culture, it’s critical to understand the demographics and what is valued, to gain a better understanding of current dynamics. The objective is to be a place where everyone feels they can advance and be promoted.
Analyzing HR recruiting policies and hiring practices is essential. Companies need to ensure candidate pools are diverse, so the places where candidates are sourced should be reviewed. Identifying whether or not bias exists in job descriptions and on interview panels are also important steps in the process. You need to look at every aspect of your organization when creating a Positive Environment for DEI.
The next part of the journey toward building an effective DEI strategy begins with education. People need to understand what diversity, equity and inclusion actually mean at a foundational level before a change can happen, so any effort should have training as a first step.
During training initiatives, avoiding the use of trigger words is paramount. All demographics need to understand what their peers experience in the workplace. Whether it’s in a fireside chat, a listening session, roundtable discussion or in a CEO meeting, learning more is vital if bridging gaps is the goal.
Understanding what other people go through is the key to getting everyone to pull together on behalf of the organization. This is not just about black and white. It’s also about racial and sexual orientation, gender identity and nationality. Making sure that everyone is engaged is essential, and that should include frontline employees. Diversity, equity, and inclusion get lumped together, but they’re all different things. Diversity covers different characteristics of individuals, but inclusion is more about bringing people
together from differing backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to reach a common goal.
Implementing Equitable Systems
The final step in implementing a DEI strategy is to ensure that both internal and external systems are equitable. Leaders need to look at every level of the organization through the DEI lens. This would include making sure company products and services are accessible to everyone. It would also include ensuring women and minorities have opportunities to advance within the organization.
