Ready to kick off your Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) strategy? 

For your DEIB strategy to be successful, it must be more than just virtue signalling or a compliance activity (quotas, anyone?). Unfortunately, it can also be tricky to effectively measure the impact of your efforts, which can see the initial buzz fizzle before it builds momentum. 

Here’s how you can really make an impact with your DEIB strategy. 

First, overcome the common DEIB challenges 

1. Get the right buy-in 

All successful change comes from the top. If your leaders aren’t invested or engaged in your DEIB initiatives and purpose, then your efforts may struggle to take hold in the general workforce, and quickly lose momentum. 

Think: 

• Are we shifting mindsets away from ‘DEIB compliance’ by communicating the benefits and purpose of an ​inclusive workplace, and how our productivity, innovation, culture, retention, and employer brand appeal ​improves? 
• Are we recognising and celebrating leaders for meeting diversity and inclusion goals? What are the incentives? 
• Are we providing DEIB awareness training and inclusive leadership development so that those who can drive change and influence company culture and behaviour are equipped to do so? 

Solution: Prioritise education and transparent communication initiatives that build awareness about social inequity and demonstrate the real impact that DEIB has for an organisation and manager/leader effectiveness. Shift mindsets away from it being a legal compliance initiative and move towards it being a strategic business decision. 

2. Overcome resistance 

It’s human nature to resist change. But change is particularly difficult for people when they don’t understand the value of the change or why it’s happening (e.g., it’s forced upon them without education to support the reason for change). Adding to that, is that the very process of becoming more inclusive and equitable requires us to examine our own privileges and biases that can feel uncomfortable, and for some, potentially a threat to their status and privileges. 

Solution:  Inclusive and empathetic DEIB training can help people feel more informed, attuned, and comfortable with the change process. Approach it with an empathetic view that acknowledges everyone’s change journey is different, and map out what it could look like and how every employee can get involved. Anticipate and mitigate their reasons for pushback. 

Second, infuse DEIB in your organisation 

1. Make talent attraction and retention inclusive 

Creating a workplace that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive requires a good hard look at your recruitment, reward and recognition, and retention activities for hidden biases. 

• How are we recruiting candidates? Do we really require what we’re asking for? Who is missing out as a result? 
• Who’s being promoted? 
• How long are employees from underrepresented groups staying with us? 

It may not even be obvious to you at first, but things like overly descriptive entry requirements (e.g. 20 years’ leadership experience or qualifications from specific universities) and restrictive promotion opportunities and pathways can make it difficult for people from diverse backgrounds to join and succeed. 

And if they do join but they’re not feeling the love, not feeling valued or safe to show up as their full human self, then they likely won’t be sticking around for long. 

Solution: Review your talent acquisition and retention strategies through a DEIB lens (and aah, psst, equitable hiring isn’t just about quotas).

2. Bake DEIB into your org culture 

A diverse, equitable, and inclusive company knows its DEIB initiatives serve an important business purpose. Not a rudimentary check box activity, DEIB is so deeply ingrained in their organisational culture, each individual lives and breathes it every day. But how to get there? 

Empathy, openness, transparency. 

Solution: Create a safe space for your people to reflect on and question ‘the way we do things.’ Invite employees from underrepresented groups to contribute to your DEIB strategy development, ensuring all experiences and voices can be heard. 

DEIB isn’t a quick fix, done-in-a-day deal. For your efforts to succeed, you’ll need to work consistently across the entire employee journey, shift mindsets, and prioritise leader buy-in with effective education, awareness training, and communication to get everyone on board. 

Reach out to us for a list of our preferred DEIB consultants to build your DEIB priorities in 2023.