Set the tone at the top: Put simply, senior leadership must make DEI a stated priority. CEOs and their executive teams must set real targets, fund initiatives and appoint management to lead programs with clear accountability. And the C-suite leaders must walk the talk by modeling these new expectations.
Mandate culture change: Develop or evolve your company’s culture and values going forward and connect them to your organizational purpose. Communicate the change enterprise-wide to explain the rationale and lay out expected behaviors and people practices, including hiring and promotion. Build a culture not just about rules but also to create an atmosphere where open, honest conversation is welcome and everyone can be their authentic selves, speak up and challenge the norms. Include all employees at all levels in the journey and embed strategies to measure and recognize the adoption of these values and behaviors.
Listen to diversity groups: Form and empower internal diversity groups as safe spaces for employees to connect, share and contribute to organizational culture change. You can partner with respected external community groups with expertise, networks and credibility. Then, listen to these groups and involve them in DEI plans.
Get better insights from data: Intensify your use of data & analytics to understand and respond to DEI challenges. Collect and analyze richer workforce data, both internal and external, to understand current workforce and market attitudes, needs and issues. Then, track granular performance and progress in reaching D&I targets.
Reimagine workplace programs: With a DEI lens, review existing workplace programs for alignment, from hiring to promotion, to benefits and wellness supports and introduce relevant new employee-centric offerings. Ensure performance management programs recognize and address potential issues and challenges faced by diverse groups.