#8 THE WORKPLACE: DEI: Intent meets execution
Oana Iordachescu
Talent Leader | TA, DEI Advisor & Conference Director | Founder - Fair Cultures
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Let’s be honest, most corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training programs are well-intentioned but often miss the mark. The classic "unconscious bias training" is nice, but is it actually changing behaviours? Is it making leaders more accountable? Or is it just another box-ticking exercise?
So when intent and execution don't match, instead of wasting time and resources on initiatives that make us look good but don’t necessarily drive real change, let’s focus on what actually works. Here’s a no-nonsense guide to what companies should stop doing, and what they should start doing instead to foster an inclusive workplace while also protecting themselves from legal and reputational risks. Some might be a a bit in the "unpopular opinion realm". What's your take?
1. Don’t do: Generic unconscious bias training
Do: Bias-aware enablement sessions tied to business metrics and values
Preferably your business metrics business mission and core cultural values you're looking to promote. ??
Unconscious bias training has become the go-to DEI initiative. (Fun fact, they started with US police force and army back in the 80s and 90s as a result of cognitive psychology research on implicit bias). But the reality is simply making people aware of their biases doesn’t mean they’ll change their behaviours. In fact, research suggests it can sometimes backfire, making biases even more ingrained.
Instead, companies should focus on bias-aware enablement, sessions that tie directly into company values, leadership performance reviews, and real-life business scenarios. For example, if hiring managers consistently promote people who "come from this amazing school, I happened to go to as well," measure their hiring decisions and hold them accountable for diversifying their teams. Bias training should be about behaviour change, not just awareness.
I love Pete Stone 's work here, for example!
2. Don’t do: Feel-good DEI workshops with no accountability
Do: Manager training on legal repercussions & compliance
Having a leadership team that nods along in DEI workshops but doesn’t act when discrimination occurs is worse than having no training at all. Leaders need to understand the real risks of failing to act, from legal fines to reputation damage and loss of top talent.
Every manager in the organisation should go through a mandatory legal employee rights and compliance training covering:
When managers understand that they personally can be held accountable for enabling a toxic workplace or even more be responsible for the entire company's financial and reputational loss, they’ll be much more likely to act.
3. Don’t do: One-off DEI statements & social media posts
Do: Policy audits & structural changes
Posting a supportive statement on LinkedIn during Pride Month or Black History Month is great, but if your internal policies don’t reflect those values, it’s performative at best and hypocritical at worst.
Companies should conduct regular policy audits to identify gaps in pay equity, hiring, promotion pathways, and workplace accommodations. Instead of just "celebrating diversity," make sure your policies actually enable it.
4. Don’t do: Opt-in employee rights training
Do: Mandatory sessions on reporting & protecting against discrimination
Employees can’t protect themselves if they don’t know their rights. While many companies offer DEI training as an optional program, this kind of knowledge should be mandatory, especially for marginalised groups who may be more at risk of workplace discrimination.
These sessions should cover:
When employees know exactly how to protect themselves, companies are also better protected from legal action.
I must confess, I've never seen one deployed, but I can only assume it will have a high attendance, especially in this day and age.
5. Don’t do: "affinity groups" with no decision-making power
Do: Inclusion councils that influence company policies
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can be great spaces for community-building, but if they’re just glorified social clubs with no real influence, they won’t drive change.
Instead, organisations should establish Inclusion Councils with actual decision-making power. These groups should:
A company that listens to its employees and makes changes accordingly is a company that retains top talent and avoids legal trouble.
Can't wait to hear more about the practical approach on this from Megan Cadd , DEI Director at Gartner, at the workplace inclusion conference in May in #Barcelona.
6. Don’t do: DEI as a side project
Do: Make DEI a business strategy with KPIs
If DEI is treated as a "nice-to-have" instead of a core business strategy, it will always take a backseat when budgets get tight. Companies should integrate DEI into their business performance metrics, just like revenue or customer satisfaction.
This means setting clear KPIs such as:
By making DEI part of overall business success, organisations ensure it’s taken seriously.
If you are an SME and looking for inspiration here Sarah Elizabeth Crane from Eurail is your go to.
7. Don’t do: one-time hiring targets
Do: Long-term talent pipeline programs
Hiring a certain percentage of diverse candidates in one recruitment cycle is not a sustainable DEI strategy. Companies need to invest in long-term talent pipeline programs, such as:
If DEI isn’t embedded in your entire talent lifecycle, you’re not really making a change, you’re just putting a band-aid on a broken system.
Talking to Head of TA Marie-Sophie Jammes I loved learning about Wallapop 's roadmap and level of accountability to look at representation with a long-term lens.
Anti-discrimination legislation in the workplace was put there due to some very real issues that we have not solved at scale. Therefore the sole existence of business is tied to their capacity of being accountable for these pieces of law. Companies that get DEI right not only create better workplaces, but also protect themselves from legal risks, increase employee retention, and outperform their competitors.
An in-depth comparative analysis of EU countries (rights, punishments and measures) and coming this week on www.faircultures.com blog and Fair Cultures , so stay tuned.
Let’s stop wasting time on ineffective initiatives and start focusing on what actually makes a difference. If you’re a leader, the question isn’t "Do we need DEI?" The question is, "Are we doing DEI right?"
Time to step up.