If DEI is so important, why does it seem to be failing? Because it lacks authenticity and employees ... [+]
Workplace diversity, equity and inclusion are not buzzwords; companies that get that are in the best position to benefit. Effectively embedding a DEI mindset into the workplace culture is imperative to recruiting, developing and retaining diverse talent that will drive business success.
So if DEI is so important, why does it seem to be failing?
Because it lacks authenticity and employees fail to see the benefit.
While companies are quick to say they are inclusive, they must ensure they are doing the work across the board. Focusing on one or two issues is not enough. It is myopic and can lead employees to think of DEI as a token program, which is often the case.
That’s why efforts to build an inclusive, engaged diverse, inclusive and equitable employee culture must be authentic. And that requires believable leadership.
It requires authenticity.
The Authenticity of Lived Experiences
When leaders are serious about proactively creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, everyone will understand exactly what that means. As a result, DEI will be less of a program and more of a company value. And, like other company values, it will become embedded into everything the organization does, including internal and external communications.
Leaders can’t do that alone. They need subject matter experts who understand the complexities. The only way to get actual experts is with adequate resources.
If leaders need to understand the delicacies of race and ethnicity, employ an expert who has lived that experience. If leaders need to understand gender issues, hire an expert who has lived that experience. If leaders need to understand the issues of workplace age bias, employ an expert who has lived that experience.
If leaders need to understand the delicacies of race and ethnicity, employ an expert who has lived ... [+]
That’s authenticity.
While DEI practitioners are trained to understand pertinent issues across the spectrum of diversity, more is needed. It is critical to have a representative of the dimension of diversity you want to understand, delivering the message to employees, shareholders, communities and the public. While that may sound over the top, it is how you deliver authentically.
Accountability Shakes Out the Fakes
It takes authentic leaders to hold others accountable. Take, for example, an online survey of 1,000 adults 18 and older questioning how they felt about working with colleagues much younger or older. The survey was to test the myth that different ages do not like working together.
The results showed that not to be the case. In the survey, 70% said they liked working with people from generations other than their own. That’s good.
But what do you do about the 30% who don’t like working with people of different ages?
What would you do with 30% of employees who didn’t like working with different races or ethnicity? Gender? Sexual orientation? Someone with a disability?
When leaders model diversity, equity and inclusion and hold others accountable for embracing those same behaviors, that leaves no room for holdouts. That requires accountability for sending exclusive employees packing, no matter how senior they might be. The more senior they are, the more authentic the action looks and feels to every employee.
That is setting and managing expectations. That is walking the talk and keeping it real. That puts a company in the best position to build and sustain a thriving, diverse and equitable workplace.
A Journey of Belonging
We're wired to seek a sense of belonging. But in the workplace, belonging can't be created by the ... [+]
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are created when a company takes mindful, deliberate actions. It’s the collective result of proactive, authentic actions taken over time to create an environment welcoming of everyone’s contribution.
Belonging is different. The company cannot create it. A sense of belonging can only be experienced by the individual.
In other words, belonging is an internal response to an external environment.
We’re wired, as human beings, to seek social belonging.
Employees who feel a strong sense of belonging experience a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, and a 75% decrease in sick days.
Belonging is the best recruiter. Employees who feel they belong are 167% more likely to recommend their company as a great workplace to others. That number is essential for any company’s internal and external reputation, especially considering that most job hires come from referrals, not the applicant portal.
It may sound trite, but the reality is that a company is nothing without its people. And that is why people strategies should be an ongoing priority.
While there are many important factors to creating effective people strategies, DEI being one of them, there is no one-size-fit-all. Leaders need to understand where they are, where they want to go and how to identify the gaps.
And most of all, they need to keep it real.
