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Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been a topic in the workplace since at least the 1960s, when the Civil Rights era sparked public attention and helped push forward essential legislation such as the Equal Pay Act (1963), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967). Most recently, the movement saw a resurgence in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, which inspired nationwide protests and dialogue around racial justice. Major corporations made significant gestures, pledging at least $340 billion towards initiatives such as diversity training and building entire DEI teams.
Three years later, we find ourselves in a different cultural moment. The same companies that were vocal about DEI then are now laying off those workers or slashing their departments entirely. Meanwhile, major political decisions such as the U.S. Supreme Court's recent rollback of affirmative action are delivering devastating blows to crucial initiatives meant to preserve and protect diversity in higher education – and in turn, in the workplaces that these students will eventually staff and lead.
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Already, 13 Republican U.S. state attorneys general warned the country's 100 largest companies that certain workforce diversity policies, permissible before the Supreme Court's decision, could now be illegal. More than ever, leaders – especially those in HR and benefits – need to double down on their DEI initiatives and reinvest in these programs in the workplace.
There are several steps that HR and benefits leaders can take today to combat today's cultural climate and encourage greater diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplaces.
First, leaders need to signal to untapped populations that they are interested in attracting them. This can be communicated in several ways, from website and marketing images to direct and targeted outreach. HR leaders need to audit their entire recruitment and external communication strategy, ideally sourcing input from diverse members of their workforce to ensure that all people are being spoken to and invited in. Recruitment and ambassador programs that partner with employee resource groups (ERGs) and draw from untapped talent pools are another way to increase diversity.
In addition, HR and benefits managers must create equity in the hiring process. This includes prioritizing pay equity and transparency, and making sure the interview process is inclusive of individuals with differing abilities and backgrounds. Making sure the workplace is inclusive before employees even sign a contract will maximize diversity and equity and bring in the highest-quality candidates.
Employers must also give weight to the whole employee and value their lived experiences as much as the skill sets and degrees they have conferred on paper. These experiences expand and enhance what workers have to offer the workplace and inform their approach to situations. Considering lived experiences is also an opportunity to increase engagement among current employees who are willing to share how their perspective has been valued within the workplace and contributed to their career trajectory.
Often, an employee's lived experience provides a fresh perspective from which everyone on a team can learn, and can give leaders insight into how to best nurture and support their staff in an intersectional way.
Recent trends aside, resisters to these initiatives are fighting a losing battle. Census data shows that our country continues to become more racially and ethnically diverse, and employers that are planning for the future must build toward a more inclusive workforce. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also makes the most business sense.
Time and time again it has been proven that more diversity within companies leads to better-performing, more creative teams and drives greater employee satisfaction. More culturally diverse groups have been shown to excel in developing innovative ideas and solutions that are informed by the diverse perspectives in the room. In addition, investing in DEI programs improves businesses' financial and operational performance.
We can't change individual biases overnight, but as HR and benefits leaders we have a duty to promote change within our organizations. We must educate and invest in our employees to help them understand the importance of equity within the workplace and reaffirm that it is a company priority, regardless of what the courts may rule.
No workplace is truly inclusive until all employees have an opportunity to obtain positions in equitable spaces where their voices are not just heard, but listened to. In times like this, it's more important than ever to remind ourselves and our workforce why DEI initiatives were created in the first place and take actionable steps as leaders to ensure our companies continue to progress toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world for all.
Carole Smith is the director of marketing and executive advisor of the diversity, equity and inclusion council at Aquent, a global work solutions company, that helps guide businesses toward the talent, technology, and services they need to create a better future of work.
