3 Ways to Sustain DEIB Momentum
As we are on the other side of the mid-year mark, staying diligent and focused on your DEIB efforts can seem daunting, especially with a political culture war at the forefront. Some are questioning how to move forward in this heightened environment where the fundamental practices of DEIB are challenged by those who seek to dismantle progress. However, you will be fueled to keep going as you reflect on the importance of a transformative workplace culture, the return on your commitment and investment, and the importance of driving commerce through diversity, equity, and inclusion. We want to assist you in your efforts to maintain your DEI momentum.
Three areas require attention that will keep your efforts afloat and garner marked progress as you finish the year strong: infrastructure, talent management, and key stakeholders.
It is estimated that 90% of Fortune 500 companies have employee resource groups, undoubtedly making it the favored approach building and sustaining the infrastructure for DEIB to thrive. Employee Resource Group (ERG) benefits are immense. They provide a sense of community, belonging, development and engagement for employees with similar interests and/or backgrounds. Typically organized around traditional dimensions of diversity like race, gender, abilities, veterans status and sexual orientation, ERGs also help companies attract new talent, strengthen its brand reputation in the community and promote a culture of innovation. Sadly, the employees who volunteer their time adding value to the workplace culture through an ERG leadership role, rarely receive significant recognition, training or development. To maintain DEI momentum mid-year, connect with your current ERG leaders to hear how they are motivating and supporting their group members now through the end of the year. Planning their education and engagement process for the remainder of the year will also ensure you understand the experiences of these employee communities and can provide the to support they need to achieve DEIB strategic goals. Why is this important? On our 24KEIRUS podcast last fall about ERGs, our expert guest was Dameka Stringer. She said, "Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are boots on the ground for your organization. They have an ear to the issues and concerns of your employees." We know that if ERGs are leveraged appropriately, they provide internal expertise on promoting appreciation for diversity within the organization. We share these keys in our ERG Connect program. Maximizing the activities planned for the rest of the year is essential to ensure they align with your DEI strategy. It is necessary to connect with their messaging to understand how they are supporting your organization while creating increased opportunities for belonging.
Secondly, many organizations complete performance reviews and make promotional decisions around this time. To maintain the momentum of DEI efforts, we suggest making these decisions through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Aneeliz Alamo, PHR, our Culture Transformation Leader, has an extensive background in global talent management and human resources. She advises, "When organizations want to focus on including diversity in their talent management, they often need to remember that it is not just hiring talent; it is ensuring they are developed for the future, so their growth and development continues. This knowledge gap needs to be closed if you want to maintain your DEI momentum and retention. Development of employees should encompass lateral movement, rotations, and promotions. In addition, allowing your employees to see the other sides of the organization, piques their interest, and gives them a long-term career trajectory while learning various aspects of the business.”
Alamo also shares, "A five to eight-year talent management outlook is not aggressive; it is smart planning". Intentionally planning stretch assignments, rotations, and cross-training keep your momentum for DEI secure, not just mid-year but for years to come.” Performance planning is critical to long-term success. Preparing all year with development sessions and creating a cadence of reviews ensures you develop your team members with equal opportunities throughout the year, not just at review time.
A few areas to be mindful of as you conduct mid-year evaluations: Is your leadership representative of your employees and community? Are you allowing your employees to experience who you are through exposure to different sides of your organization? Giving your employees a glimpse of future opportunities within your organization allows them to envision their future with you.
Thirdly, you must engage key stakeholders. Knowing who you need to align with internally and externally will ensure you strategize with others to gain diverse and equitable perspectives. This collaboration is at the heart of the innovation that diversity and inclusion produce. When you create awareness of who needs to be involved in the strategy, project or initiative, you can properly align and take advantage of crucial contributions that will help to solidify your processes and prevent holes and accidental overlooks on who should be at the table when certain decisions are made.
Key stakeholder alignment is deliberate, proactive, time-sensitive, and specific. You must look ahead with anticipation of being two steps ahead of the needs and opportunities your organization encounters. Preparation to include everyone who needs to contribute to gain perspective on projects that influence your diversity of thought is imperative to maintain momentum. Comprehensive stakeholder engagement is often the missing ingredient in the recipe for realizing the full benefits of DEIB. It is important to remember that you cannot connect with someone you are not comfortable communicating with daily. This communication reinforces the importance of diversity, inclusion, and C.A.R.E., our proprietary methodology and framework for learning and workplace culture transformation.
If you want to maintain your DEI momentum and are unsure where to begin or how to tackle the three key areas above, we can help you.
How Do You Want To Transform Your Workplace?
Employee Resource Groups and DEIB Councils
Establish and sustain an ecosystem for DEIB that nurtures innovation, engagement and productivity.
Human-Centered Education and Awareness
Educate and engage employees through interactive learning experiences that help you create a culture of C.A.R.E.
Attract, Develop and Retain Talent with a DEIB Lens
Create and sustain a diverse and inclusive workforce by equipping leaders to integrate DEIB across all talent practices.
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