Author: Aniela Unguresan
Founder, EDGE Certified Foundation
Global organizations are actively pursuing their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) strategies to drive transformational change. But as a business leader, how do you really know that your DEI strategy is working? How can you tell it is having the impact you desire?
The key is to assess the perspectives of four critical stakeholders:
- Your leadership team
- Your employees
- Their line managers
- Your HR professionals
Senior Leadership Team
You know that your DEI strategy is working when:
- Your senior leadership team is capable of very clearly articulating why DEI is important for your organization, and not simply repeating the generic case for investing in DEI that they may have read in a business magazine. They are able to describe why the organization is investing in DEI within the specific context of the business you are in, the talents you need to succeed and the clients you serve, and given the contextual opportunities and challenges ahead.
- Team members share personal motivations and devote real energy for supporting DEI in the organization. For example, some may be driven by a desire to leave a positive legacy or by personal experiences they wish not to see repeated. Team members expressing their emotions and personal journeys is a sign that your DEI strategy is working.
- The team is clear in a very specific way about where the organization stands right now and where it wants to go, and is well aware and supportive of the main programmes the organization is currently running to get to where it wants to be.
- Your senior team members are offering their own time, their experience and energy to be sponsors and mentors for diverse talent and are being mentees of diverse talent in reverse mentoring programmes. They are not only ready to share their own experiences and their support of others but are open to listen to others (who are very different to them and at a very different stage in their careers) about the challenges they face and the issues they are grappling with to build their careers.
- Your leaders engage fully in DEI-related conversations and events, contributing meaningfully rather than just delivering opening remarks.
- DEI progress is a regular topic in stakeholder briefings and is presented as essential to organizational sustainability and shareholder value.
- The performance of your leadership team is in part measured by their progress towards delivering the DEI strategy, and they are held accountable for it.
Employees
You know that your DEI strategy is working when:
- All employees, no matter their gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, working with a disability status or age, believe that diverse talent is given a fair opportunity to be hired, remunerated fairly, and given an equal opportunity for career advancement. They feel included in the decision-making process within their own groups and the wider organization.
- Employees feel comfortable discussing pay equity and can request pay equity reviews without fearing negative consequences. They should know how to report harassment or discrimination and feel confident that their concerns will be addressed appropriately.
- Employees recognize the commitment of the senior leadership team to DEI. There should be no significant gap between what HR teams perceive and what employees experience regarding leadership’s commitment to DEI.
- Employees would highly recommend their organization as a place to work to their friends with diverse backgrounds and identities.
- Your organization is able to attract, develop, motivate and retain a diverse pool of talent.
Line Managers
You know that your DEI strategy is working when:
- Your line managers are knowledgeable and comfortable discussing DEI with their teams. They should understand pay equity, the processes to follow when concerns are raised, and how to support the career advancement of diverse talent.
- Managers model inclusive behavior and address non-inclusive behaviors effectively. It’s important to not only recognize bias and discrimination but also to demonstrate what inclusivity, respect, and dignity look like.
- Your managers recognize the value of having a DEI strategy and include DEI indicators in their own Key Performance Indicators.
HR professionals
You know that your DEI strategy is working when:
- There is a rich pipeline of diverse talent across all levels of responsibility and roles, including those in counter-stereotypical positions.
- The organizational culture is becoming more inclusive, and there is measurable evidence of increasing diversity.
- There is good alignment between your organization’s intentions, the workplace experience of employees and the impact of your DEI programmes.
- The results of your DEI strategy stand the scrutiny of impartial third-party verification and are made visible and credible through an independent DEI certification.
