DE&I is a strongly talked about topic, with organisations across the world actively pursuing their relevant strategies and ensuring they offer inclusive workplaces.
But as a business leader, how do you know if your DE&I strategies are really working, and how can you tell if they are having the desired impact?
Aniela Unguresan, founder of EDGE Certified Foundation, has outlined four key considerations to help businesses:
1. Senior Team Members Need to be on Board
Senior leadership team needs to be capable of clearly articulating why DE&I is important for their specific organisation, and not simply repeating the generic case for investing in DE&I that they may have read in a business magazine.
An incentive for business leaders to recognise the importance of DE&I is more profit – research shows that diverse companies enjoy 2.5 times higher(1) cash flow per employee.
They also need to be offering their own time and energy to mentor diverse talent and to support others whilst taking on feedback from those who are at different stages of their careers. For any DE&I-related internal and external conversations, senior team members need to be present during the whole event – and any DE&I progress discussed should be taken to important stakeholder briefings.
Additionally, if those team members can share personal motivations for their support with DE&I, this is another sign that your strategy is working.
2. Employees Need to Feel Included
It is imperative that all employees in a business, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability status or age believe that diverse talent is given a fair opportunity to be hired and given equal opportunity for career advancement.
In fact, data shows that LGBTQ+ employees are increasingly prioritising a work environment where they can be their true selves, safely. 36% of LGBTQ+ and 65% of transgender respondents surveyed(2) have decided on where to work to avoid discrimination.
They need to feel as though they can have an open and honest conversation with their employers about pay equity and asking for a pay review. Also, employees need to know the protocols in place if they experience any concerns regarding harassment or discrimination – and feel confident about reporting it.
Employees need to recognise that a DE&I strategy is clearly in place in their company. Often a HR team will state that the leadership teams are committed to DE&I, but employees sometimes see it differently. Additionally, if your strategy is working, an employee is likely to recommend their company as a great place to work to their friends with diverse backgrounds and identities.
3. Line Managers Recognise the Value of DE&I
Line managers need to be knowledgeable on DE&I and feel comfortable to have these conversations within their teams. This includes topics on pay equity, DE&I protocols, and support for career advancement within a diverse team.
They need to be aware of what inclusive behaviour looks like and act when that doesn’t happen, and to recognise the value that DE&I brings to the company.
In fact, research shows that compared to individual decision makers, diverse teams make better decisions 66%(3) of the time.
4. HR Professionals Are Transforming the Culture
It is the responsibility of HR professionals to ensure there is a deep and rich pipeline of diverse talent across different levels of seniority and roles.
They need to make sure that the culture of the workplace is transformed to become more inclusive and that the numbers are increasing to support this. And it is through this shift in the culture that companies will achieve higher work engagement. Employees who feel more included are three times(4) more likely to feel excited and committed.
There needs to be a good alignment between the intention as an organisation, the workplace experience of the employees and the impact of the HR programmes.
And finally, if your DE&I results can stand the scrutiny of an impartial third-party verification and are made visible and credible through an independent certification, then this is paramount to knowing that your DE&I strategy is working.