By Alexandra McGroarty, Co-founder, Managing Partner, Author & HR Consultant — McGroarty & Co. Consulting, LLC
The benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) profoundly affect your company’s long-term success. When implemented correctly, DEI initiatives impact every aspect of your workplace culture. For this to happen, however, DEI must be thoroughly implemented into the system. To create a truly inclusive community, upper management can’t just talk the talk; they have to walk the walk.
Why aren’t DEI initiatives working in your company?
Your business faithfully implements corporate diversity training each year and during onboarding, but you do not see a change. Research clearly shows us that DEI training alone doesn’t achieve changes in workplace culture for underrepresented groups.
The fact is that these programs were never designed to bring about transformation. They have the power to cover the company in case of legal issues, but nothing more. Attitudes and biases don’t change after a video or scripted presentation. Changing the culture of a workplace goes much deeper.
The problem lies in how your company sees diversity. Is it a quota or a mindset? If your organization views its contribution to inclusion as hires that can check a box, it’s time to start thinking outside of that box. Instead of thinking of diversity as an easily solvable numbers game, start thinking of it as an ongoing plan which has many actionable and measurable goals to meet along the way.
Diversity isn’t just a trend to benefit underrepresented groups; it’s a movement to bring belonging to everyone in the workplace. It isn’t about the things we see on the surface. It’s about the perspectives and life experiences that make each individual unique. Diversity isn’t just about race, gender, or gender identity — it’s about nationality, age, religion, education, and experience.
One annual training session will never deliver the diverse viewpoints you want to flourish in your organization. These perspectives only thrive in a workplace exhibiting an ongoing mentality of inclusion.
The benefits your company will reap from a strong DEI strategy
Diversity is positive for everyone in the workplace. Creating a culture of inclusion brings with it a sense of belonging. When employees trust one another, everything improves, including collaboration, creativity, decision-making, and even your bottom line. A recent study indicates that diverse management teams claim 19% higher revenue. Another demonstrates that diverse companies have a 70% higher likelihood of capturing new markets.
Actionable DEI initiatives impact people and transform workplaces. When employees feel valued, they become far more productive and engaged. In fact, according to a study by McKinsey, corporations identified as diverse and inclusive outperform their competitors by 35%.
Diverse teams cultivate a variety of viewpoints, perspectives, and life experiences. Creativity and innovation depend on problem-solving from multiple angles. No wonder studies show a relationship between innovation and diversity.
How can you support DEI Initiatives in your workplace?
You can support the DEI initiatives in your workplace by collecting feedback, keeping diversity at the forefront, and using accurate tools to measure progress. Feedback is critical when gauging the effectiveness of DEI initiatives. Frequent surveys enable you to keep a pulse on workplace opinions and engagement. The information they contribute will allow you to adjust initiatives to meet needs more effectively as they evolve.
Workplace culture won’t change overnight. The research and strategy behind an effective DEI plan is an ongoing process. Instead of relegating diversity and inclusion discussions to yearly training sessions, keep them in the forefront by reporting on initiatives in regular meeting agendas. A senior manager should be accountable for keeping the program updated and visible. By integrating DEI initiatives into your company’s goals using carefully researched statistics, targets, and objectives, everyone can monitor progress.
To be effective, your company’s DEI objectives must be both actionable and measurable. If your initiatives do not outline specific and quantifiable results, they will not bring you closer to fulfilling your mission. Use tools such as employee engagement software and recognition platforms to track progress.
Determine key performance indicators, or KPIs, to measure your company against industry standards before and after DEI initiatives are implemented or adapted. These quantifiable measures of performance provide tangible targets to guide your team. For example, KPIs concerning retention can be gleaned from patterns in how long employees stay with your company. Goals can be set to increase retention across various demographics, and exit surveys can provide the data. KPIs concerning promotions can focus on how long employees stay with your company before being promoted. Recruiting KPIs can include targets for bringing on more people from underrepresented populations.
A truly diverse workplace is one where all employees can be themselves. This freedom is proven to boost innovation, engagement, and productivity. Establishing a long-lasting inclusive atmosphere isn’t a quick fix, but the benefits are worth every bit of effort.