DEI — Diversity, Equality and Inclusion — Why, Why & How
2020 has been a year like no other. Our worlds have been tossed up and twirled around. We have seen royalty leave the royal family, pandemic hit the world, stock markets crash and bounce back like magical phenomena, a woman Vice President elect in the 2020 US Presidential elections (not a big deal anywhere else in the world perhaps, in the world;s greatest economy and democracy it is!!!), and last but certainly not the least, the Black Lives Matter movement.
Unfortunately the loss (read killings) of the precious lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, sparked waves of protests, both peaceful and not so peaceful. There were demonstrations and a show of support all over the world. This brought Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) front and center in our discussions. It made many of us take a step back and think. Numerous corporations all over the world noticed and took action.
DEI became an international focal point. Support groups were set up, committees formed, coaching provided, discussions had. A long overdue topic was finally being addressed.
Being a first generation immigrant, in a nation of immigrants, I may have suspected occasional experiences of racism. Boy I was wrong! In this new era of open racial dialogue — I have heard thought-provoking and disturbing stories of prejudice from friends, colleagues, and neighbors. How they need to dress up to make their voices heard, how they have to ensure they are in full view of cameras so as to not be accused of an unethical act they did not commit, how some do not go for walks/runs in certain neighborhoods due to fear of racial intolerance or targeting.
For me, DEI had a new meaning and a new importance all together. It is now time to quit being an observer and to be a part of the change.
What is DEI
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Translated in plain english, “Hire, include and provide equal opportunities to underrepresented groups”.
Diversity: Hire people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, race and gender.
Equity: Provide everyone the same opportunities.
Inclusion: Include everyone in decision making.
Why we need DEI
Studies have shown that diverse teams are more innovative and make better decisions. A study conducted by McKinsey & Company in partnership with The Society for Human Research Management (SHRM), evaluated the performance of companies with different levels of workplace diversity. They found that companies that exhibit gender and ethnic diversity are, respectively, 15% and 35% more likely to outperform less diverse peers. The same study found that organizations with more racial and gender diversity bring in more sales revenue, more customers, and higher profits.”
Now the How:
Now we understand what DEI is and why it is important for an optimal workforce. There are so many open questions.
- Who is responsible for DEI
- What should I do to promote DEI
- Where does my organization stand in DEI
- Am I biased ?
Glad that you have questions. This means now we are thinking. Congratulations, this is the first step.
Let’s take it step by step and answer these questions
Who is responsible for DEI?
What do you think? The President, CEO, HR, Business Leader, Engineering Leader, Manager?
My short answer, All of the above. Yes the buck stops at the top, however, everyone is responsible for DEI. We all have our parts to play.
What should I do to promote DEI?
Follow the ‘simple’ steps:
Hiring: Make sure there is equal representation during the hiring process.
Education: Now that we have hired the right people. We need to educate the employees about what is DEI and how to be aware of biases. More about biases in a bit.
Voice / Empower / Reassurance: Make sure every employee has a voice to speak and contribute. They should feel empowered. It is important to reassure the team members that everyone is treated equally.
Where does my organization stand in DEI?
As they say charity begins at home. The first step is to look around, do you see your team is a representation of the population? Are there more males than females, do you have people from other races and cultures? This is the first check.
You can see how your team/organization stacks up with population and industry standards. Below are some examples based on demographics of Philadelphia and a hypothetical industry and hypothetical company/organization/team. Note: the ratios vary based on industries.
Race Comparison:
Here we see this company is significantly less diverse compared to both the local population and the industry they are in.
Gender Comparison:
We see the women in this organization are more than the industry. This means, while they are doing good, they have room to improve. Their ratio of women to men is below the population and effort should be made to improve this ratio.
The organizations may measure the DEI Maturity Index.
https://www.cupahr.org/surveys/dei-maturity-index/
Am I biased ?
Another good question. There are two types of bias:
- Conscious or Explicit Bias
- Unconscious or Implicit Bias
It is important to note that biases, conscious or unconscious, are not limited to ethnicity and race. Though racial bias and discrimination are well documented, biases may exist toward any social group. One’s age, gender, gender identity, physical abilities, religion, sexual orientation, weight, and many other characteristics are subject to bias.
Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing.
Unconscious bias is far more prevalent than conscious prejudice and often incompatible with one’s conscious values. Certain scenarios can activate unconscious attitudes and beliefs. For example, biases may be more prevalent when multi-tasking or working under time pressure.
The Bottom-line: Culture
Ask me about Agility, Productivity, or pretty much anything. And I will tell you, it boils down to the culture. For anything to thrive and grow, we need a conducive culture for it to thrive in and grow.
1- Access
2- Create
3- Maintain
Bibliography and Credits
