Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Implementation & Challenges in 21'st Century

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment, or political perspective. Populations that have been-and remain- underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society. There’s a tendency to refer to people, or a person, as “diverse.” Even with good intentions, referring to people this way feels a lot like an “outside the majority,” or “different from the dominant group.”

Implementing diversity is misleading at best because it assumes we’re all the same, it’s a damaging oversimplification that alienates people, rather than includes them. It’s a problem we’ve seen echoed among many job seekers, talent acquisition specialists, and HR professionals as DEI cant are practising unless the roots of Mission with a Vision is strong.

Blanket treatment of diversity doesn’t work because all perceptions of diversity are the same. In our own experience, we’ve found that some groups, such as millennials, perceive so-called “workplace diversity” as a combination of many different backgrounds. At the same time, older generations tend to view diversity more through the lens of equal and fair representation. It’s important to remember that diversity is less about what makes people different—their race, socioeconomic status, and so on—and more about understanding, accepting and valuing those differences.

Common types of Diversity

? Race

? Age

? Nationality / Ethnicity / Citizenship /Location

? Culture

? Gender Identity | Physical & Mental Ability

? Education

? Professional Experience

? Political Views & Opinions

? Religious Beliefs

? Family & Marital Status

? Job Title, Role or Function

? Union Affliction | Seniority

Equity is promoting justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities within our society. Whereas diversity refers to all the many ways that people differ, equity is about creating fair access, opportunity, and advancement for all those different people. It’s about creating a fair playing field, to use a familiar metaphor

Let’s take the topic of transportation, to use an example so common to corporate environments. Not everyone within an organization will own a car, or even be able to afford public transportation on a daily basis. An organization can create a more equitable environment by accommodating the full spectrum of transportation needs, from policies around start times and working hours to stipends for both automobile and public transportation travel.

Of course, issues of access, opportunity, and advancement extend far beyond how we get ourselves to work. Women, for example, are historically underrepresented, as are various minorities throughout the world. It’s a problem that persists even today and people are fighting for it in 21'st Century, even advanced nations can practice this well. Successful equity initiatives, then, must build fairness and equal treatment into the very fabric of an organization. This requires a design for creating, maintaining, and protecting equity organization-wide—a framework that supports equitable talent screening, hiring, workplace standards, and so on.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those that are diverse actually feel and/or are welcome. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution, and your program are truly inviting to all. The certain degree to which diverse individuals are able to participate fully in the decision-making processes and development opportunities within an organization or group.

There’s a common misconception that environments in which diversity and equity are priorities naturally beget inclusion. You’ve built equitable practices into your organizational processes, after all, leading to far more diverse, well-represented teams. People have to feel included in a company like this, right? Inclusion is the extent to which various team members, employees, and other people feel a sense of belonging and value within a given organizational setting. The important distinction here is that even among the most diverse teams, there’s not always a feeling of inclusion. Women might be well represented at the senior management level, but still not feel included due to longstanding gender norms, salary discrepancies, and other factors.

Evaluating an organization’s inclusion starts with empathy. Why? 

Consider the fact that some 48% of employees believe that respect the most important to creating an inclusive workplace

That means not only respecting people’s differences but considering the environment more broadly—from their point of view. 

? Balance of experience for less represented groups.

? Barriers to entry both structural and societal that might be at play.

? Blindspots and assumptions that might be working against a more inclusive environment.

So why it is so hard to Implement this DEI?

? Top Management Approval - Even while hiring your CEO of the Company, you cant follow DEI.

? Business vs Reality - You need to practice day-in-day-out

? Policy and Procedures - Does not fit in

? Resistance to Acceptance - The biggest challenge with your Company

? Training Staff but not able to implement in practice - Human Resources - first and last line of defence, when they hire, they cant fit the candidate with DEI, the process gets broken down by Hiring Manager, Interviewers and Decision makers

? Practising What you cant Preach - Policy available in Company but can't practice it daily.

Taking a Giant Leap - Formal Strides Toward DEI Implementation

What successful organizations have in common is formalized DEI framework, built on three core pillars:

? Clearly defined and disseminated stance on DEI. In DEI mature companies, diversity, equity, and inclusion permeate the company’s mission, strategies, and practices in ways visible to the entire organization

? Specific plans and programs in support of DEI. Words, of course, only go so far. DEI mature companies have in place, or plans for, things like forward-thinking hiring and onboarding practices, DEI steering committees, and regular people and culture programs.'

                 ''Training staff is the only way forward, this should start with HR Department - front line and last line of Employee contact""

? Metrics - A means for measuring and reporting on performance. Beyond ideating and launching DEI programs, most mature companies have robust means for measuring and monitoring the performance of these programs, including supporting software and regular reporting.

Indeed, to be successful, diversity, equity, and inclusion have to be comprehensive—a top-to-bottom business strategy, rather than just an HR program. To be clear, the definitions and distinctions we’ve made between diversity, equity, and inclusion will depend on the industry, business needs, and context. However, this kind of closer scrutiny of DEI is necessary for laying the foundations for a robust and sustainable DEI program.

About the Author -

Suresh Kumar

GM at Ex Accenture | Ex Senior Manager at Hewlett Packard | Ex AVP at QFB

A People Advisor and People Manager at Fortune 500 where he has worked on several HR Transformations Projects. A core member of the DEI & Sexual Harassment committee

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