How to turn a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion into action
DEI initiatives can take many forms, and the conversations essential to leading sustained change are difficult and the solutions complex.
Although many companies have long held diversity, equity and inclusion as core values, public incidents over the past year have put those values to the test and inspired corporate leaders to examine whether their actions truly promote a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Most leaders, myself included, recognize that we can and should do more.
For many companies, renewed efforts toward DEI started with internal and public statements following high-profile acts of racial injustice, such as the deaths of Black Americans in police custody or acts of violence against Asian Americans. As those incidents rose to national prominence, a wave of businesses pledged to do their part to address systemic racism, intolerance and injustice. Together, corporations — especially those who employ large numbers of Americans and exert social and/or political influence — are positioned to drive real change in society.
Related: Which companies in the S&P rate highest for racial justice?
What’s important now is that business leaders put action behind those words, which may be easier said than done. DEI initiatives can take many forms, and the conversations essential to leading sustained change are difficult and the solutions complex. Here are a few considerations for how to approach this important process.
Build the coalition
Often human resources leaders are best positioned to lead DEI efforts, but they can’t be effective alone. It’s critical to have support from influential, top company officials who set corporate vision and help drive cultural efforts.
In the case of my organization, president and CFO Jim Cusumano publicly signaled his dedication to making Brighton Health Plan Solutions a more diverse and inclusive workplace by taking the CEO Action Pledge, which “outlines a specific set of actions the signatory CEOs will take to cultivate a trusting environment where all ideas are welcomed, and employees feel comfortable and empowered to have discussions about diversity and inclusion.” Through CEO Action we have a framework for how to approach DEI as an organization that our leaders can get behind.
In addition, having active support from individuals throughout the organization can help drive progress. In our case, we’ve had employees from all levels volunteer to be part of our DEI Project Team to shape our approach to these issues.
Take stock
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to drive lasting impact in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace without a programmatic approach. But a tricky thing about DEI is you can’t pull an off-the-shelf program and expect it to work. You must build a program around your organization’s culture and its gaps.
So before beginning any DEI initiative, it’s helpful to take stock of where you are. Do you see diversity in your overall employee roster? Is that level of diversity matched in leadership? Are there things you are doing wrong or could be doing better in recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce?
Our Project Team is working on our formal DEI strategy, and they are developing an employee survey and planning focus groups as part of the fact-finding process that will set the foundation for how we move forward.
Just begin
Resist the urge to delay action while you build or update your plan. Especially for larger organizations, a formal planning process may take months or longer. You can take steps to open a dialogue in your workforce and begin building toward a better future state while that planning process is ongoing.
For example, during April, CEO Action encourages its nearly 2,000 signatory companies to hold a “Day of Understanding” to allow for open dialogue and inspiring change among their collective 13 million employees. Engaging in candid and courageous group conversations can forge greater understanding and appreciation of differences in the workplace and serve as a jumping-off point for setting policies that will ensure lasting change.
At Brighton, our first Day of Understanding on April 28 set the expectation that our workplace is a trusting and welcome place to have complex and difficult conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. We started by sharing an update on the work we have done with our Diversity and Inclusion efforts. Then we welcomed guest speaker Ricky Kidd, a Black man who was wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and spent 23 years incarcerated before being released. Following his presentation and discussion, team members participated in one of six moderated small group meetings to facilitate ongoing dialogue. Using videos and interactive experiences led by the more than 95 team members who made the commitment to be part of our DEI Project Team, these discussions helped illuminate the experience of minorities in the workplace and elsewhere.
Similar to the CEO pledge, following our program we encouraged our employees to take the I ACT ON pledge to help drive inclusive behavior in their everyday lives.
Not a one-day program
These structured conversations are only steps in the journey. Realistically, it will take Brighton as long as a year to create policy from these discussions, but we believe it’s more important to get the program right than to get it fast. Our ultimate goal is to support DEI efforts across the employee life cycle, including recruiting, retention, training and development.
We plan to hold workshops throughout the year and continue to share information and training opportunities to keep these important issues top of mind as we simultaneously develop our plan. We have also created an employee-led group that hosts informal virtual meetings to create a safe space to discuss issues of racial injustice in the news and their own lives.
All employees deserve to feel equally valued and supported. But to enact lasting change, all of us must commit to continue learning and using the lessons and goals surfaced in our group conversations to create programs and policies that will, over time, build a more equitable, inclusive and diverse workplace. Start now.
Julie Bank is senior vice president of human resources at Brighton Health Plan Solutions. She has more than 20 years of experience managing HR for growing businesses and is a 2021 recipient of the OnCon Icon Award, presented to the top 50 human resources professionals worldwide.
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