DEI: Beyond the Tick Mark

One of the reasons why DEI remains superficial for most organizations is that many companies approach it merely as a box-ticking exercise rather than a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion - a "nice-to-have" rather than a "must-have" and don't understand the real benefits that come from having a diverse and inclusive workforce. Furthermore, many companies lack a clear understanding of what DEI means to individual employees, especially in a multi-national, multi-cultural setup; and how it really trickles down the entire length and breadth of the organisation. Unless you understand why it matters, how can it be achieved!?

And this becomes contextually even more important for smaller organisations, often in start-up mode where the focus remains ensuring a quick profitability and building investor confidence. VC's and the accompanying pressures for a Founder can be ruthless and this often would trickle down in ways that go unnoticed.

It is therefore imperative to take a more proactive approach to DEI, taking a closer look at internal policies and procedures to ensure they are not unintentionally creating barriers to diversity and inclusion. Sometimes an Organisation with the best policies fail because of a 'Manager' who is unaware of the culture he/she is breeding within the sub-group.

Might make sense to:

1. Start with a comprehensive assessment: Companies should start by assessing their current diversity and inclusion efforts, identifying gaps and areas for improvement. This will help organizations understand where they need to focus their efforts and what actions they need to take to create a more inclusive workplace.
2. Create a diverse and inclusive culture: Focus on creating a culture of inclusion that values diversity and actively works to foster an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and included. This can be achieved by promoting diversity in hiring, training, and leadership development, as well as creating employee resource groups and promoting a sense of belonging.
3. Implement policies and procedures that promote DEI: Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies often remain on paper and business priorities tend to 'blind-eye' an individual's issues. These policies must be communicated to all employees, and training should be provided to ensure that employees understand what is expected of them.
4. Hold leadership accountable: Promoting diversity and inclusion ensures holding leadership accountable. This means setting diversity goals, tracking progress, and tying executive compensation to achieving those goals. Bringing-in diversity in the leadership team often helps achieve this and in-turn also reflects the diversity of the workforce.
5. Measure and track progress: Often effectiveness or the lack of it go unnoticed if not measured and tracked. This means setting metrics, tracking progress, and reporting on results. This will help organizations understand what is working, what is not, and make adjustments as necessary.

On the ground it really means making it more humane and ensuring it is meant to really make a difference, to be able to actually make one!

The author can be reached via twitter: @georgekoshy

#DEI #Diversity #Inclusion #InclusiveWorkSpaces