Zooming in on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Note:  This blog was originally published on October 8, 2020. We periodically make updates to keep the references and our content relevant. 

When the news of George Floyd's murder dominated the news on May 25, 2020,  our collective attention was split between COVID-19 and the reality of racial injustice. With tensions high, and work environments in flux due to rapid and required health mandates, many companies committed to making progressive improvements. They began examining, evaluating, and adapting their initiatives on workforce and workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I.)

To put it simply, the world of work was redefined in 2020 —and this brings opportunities to (re)evaluate and make adjustments. The events of this year impact each other. If you're a large organization, this might mean you’re zooming in on initiatives that foster inclusion when teams collaborate remotely. And if you’re a small or medium-sized business, you might be exploring DE&I strategies for the first time —wondering how to begin, with a small leadership team and limited resources.

In any case, regardless of company size, strategic maturity, or budget; it helps to visit the basics (and get expert wisdom) to uncover new opportunities that drive organizational change. The result that you’re after? A company that celebrates and values differences — where employees recognize that a combination of viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences leads to creative innovation, productivity, and success.

Diversity

What it is:

It may sound counterintuitive when you’re just starting out, but diversity is about your larger organization, rather than individuals.

According to Fatima Dainkeh, Senior Coordinator of Dialogues at YW Boston , organizational diversity “includes all the ways in which people differ, encompassing the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another.”

An individual candidate cannot be ‘diverse’; but a candidate pool, team, and organization can be diverse— provided they’re comprised of individuals from differing race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, and life experience.

For many organizations, this means a shift in demographic structure, with strategies that begin even before hiring.

Ask yourself: Who is at the table?

What it looks like in action:

Companies typically focus their diversity strategies throughout all phases of talent acquisition, such as:

• Job descriptions & applicant sourcing
  
• Interview screening
  
• Hiring diverse candidates for every role; leadership through entry-level
  
• Succession planning
  

Expert Wisdom:

Executive Director of The Urban Labs , Malia Lazu, says that, “Hiring diverse candidates should not be the first step. First, focus on figuring out why you have not been able to attract and retain a diverse team.” According to SHRM, this often means deploying strategies within the communities and marketplaces that your company serves; with a focus on attracting and delighting diverse customers and suppliers. Camber Outdoors , a national nonprofit supporting workplace inclusion, equity, and diversity across the active-outdoors industries, suggests flipping the order of ‘DE&I’ to ‘IE&D’, under the premise that, “if inclusion and equitable systems are in place, hiring for and retaining a diverse workforce will come.”

Inclusion

What it is:

Having a diverse workforce does not guarantee an inclusive workplace. Verna Myers’ analogy is often cited to illustrate this: “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Once there’s a diverse group of people in the room, the focus shifts to everyday engagement and retention. To achieve this, supportive work environments, collaborative processes, and systems are needed —where any employee feels welcomed and encouraged to participate and make contributions that are valued. YW Boston describes an inclusive and welcoming climate as one that “embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people.”

Ask yourself: Do all feel they belong at the table?

What it looks like in action:

Inclusion strategies can be closely integrated into organizational culture, which is then reflected in policy and process:

• Retention strategies
  
• Engagement strategies
  
• Workplace flexibility
  
• Collaborative, supportive, respectful work environments; virtually and in-person
  

Expert Wisdom:

The team at YW Boston shares that, “it’s important to remember that inclusive spaces are not built overnight,” while offering a reminder that “it took hundreds of years to create these inequalities in our institutions, and it may take as much time to dismantle [them].” In business, everyone wants fast results, but with DE&I initiatives, lasting change is the ultimate goal. The important thing is to start.

Equity

What it is:

Equity is the fair treatment of all, with the understanding that not all employees have access to the same external resources, privileges, or support systems, in the past or presently. As a result, equity strategies seek to identify and remove obstacles that prevent participation, success and advancement of employees who are less privileged.

Camber Outdoors explains this by highlighting that, "Equality and equity mean completely different things. Equity recognizes that different people have varied needs, experiences, and opportunities. Equitable design in the workplace helps lift up those from marginalized groups so that they have an equal opportunity.”

Ask yourself: What are the barriers to getting to and staying at the table?

What it looks like in action:

Many companies start with policy design that’s focused on performance evaluation, performance management, and career development, such as:

• Fair treatment, and collaborative processes for performance improvement and conflict resolution
• Equal access to opportunity, training, and development
• Performance metrics based on excellence, productivity, creativity, and innovation
• Internal mobility, and paths to career advancement

Expert Wisdom:

YW Boston  recommends a strategy called using an ‘equity lens’ when designing diversity and inclusion strategies. When it comes to diversity, using an equity lens means asking questions about your talent acquisition practices such as the ones posed by Fatima Dainkeh:

• Where are you posting the job description?
• Is the language accessible?
• Are you listing skills that allow other people to apply?

During the process, you may recognize that while the job states “Masters degree preferred”, not all prospective employees have had access to graduate education, so it is worth evaluating comparable skills sets for the job, such as experience working in the community.

Get Started with an Experienced HR Contractor

DE&I is not easy work, and it’s not extra work (it’s actual work, which often calls for dedicated full time resources, or forming an internal DE&I leadership committee.) On their website, the team at YW Boston stresses the importance of “reminding folks there is no one way, no right way, but there is a way that works for you.”

If you’re not sure where to begin, or whether a full-time resource is needed, consider starting with an experienced HR Contractor. You’ll have an opportunity to discover what a Human Resources expert can offer your organization; you’ll gain understanding of their role; and see the differences they can make first hand, on a contract-basis, for any length of time.

This is just a sampling of what they can do:

• DE&I Needs analysis
• Custom DE&I Strategy Development
• Policy implementation and customized action plans that drive organizational change
• Training & Development selection, development & implementation

Book a Free Consultation

If you’d like to learn more about HR Contractors, click here to book a Free consultation with a Nielsen Recruiter.

Resources and Credits:

• YW Boston
  
• Camber Outdoors
  
• Ideal.com
  
• The Urban Labs