HR needs a DEI Overhaul...Yesterday

Let’s get straight to the punch line:

Human Resources (including Talent, People Operations, and Recruitment) need a serious DEI overhaul….the truth is that it’s been needed for a very long time.

And as someone who spent time simultaneously leading HR and DEI work in organizations (an experience to examine a different day), I think it’s time to call it what it is.

But first, in order to overhaul what’s present, Human Resources has to actually acknowledge that there’s a lack of DEI embedded in the traditional design of its core systems to begin with.

One that started over 150 years ago, with the origin of Human Resources departments.

Then called Labor Departments, they were originally created in response to addressing workers’ rights and grievances. And as the need for the department grew, so did the team’s responsibilities to encompass both a genuine focus on the employee and simultaneously, on protecting the organization by ensuring labor and productivity standards were met. This two-fold focus has often been in direct tension with one another, with the latter often taking priority.

Yes, y’all, when people say things like HR is really to protect the organization, not for the people, they aren’t wrong; just look at the origins.

Since the early 1900s, when the first Personnel Departments were more formally introduced? , the Human Resources field has worked to shift past its history and bring a more people-centric culture to its focus. Shifts in workstreams, responsibilities, and priorities have pushed HR Leaders to get beyond compliance and operations and into building employee systems that support the organization’s mission and strategy. No matter what you call it (Human Resources, People Operations, Talent, Recruitment, Culture Leadership, etc.), HR is still not positioned to be for the people in a truly equitable way, because at times, reaching equity may be in direct conflict with what the organization needs.

And yet, many have somehow adopted a philosophy that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work should live directly under Human Resources.

The direct tension expands.

DEI work has similar origins to Human Resources in why and whom it was created to protect (a discussion for a different day) but ultimately the shift past its own history is to center people through a truly equitable lens. Human Resources departments may have the best intentions to embrace this through their own work but are not able to do so for 2 reasons:

#1: Lack of direct training and education: Traditional Human Resources training has not been centered around DEI principles and instead is focused on operationalizing systems and compliance to build an effective and engaged workforce.

There are now shifts happening in this area, as we see national organizations such as ?SHRM? develop DEI education programs into their core competency and training.

However, these programs primarily consist of learning about DEI from a theoretical perspective and not with a tangible, action-oriented perspective (i.e. what can we do to bring more equity into our performance review process?).

HR Leaders are still left to answer questions like the latter on their own and if they are not seeking additional DEI training that is more tailored to DEI leaders, they may find themselves causing more harm than good in their own organizations.

#2: The myth that it's naturally embedded: As hard as it is for many to admit, there is a narrative about Human Resources that simply says “ Well, naturally DEI is embedded into HR because HR is about humans, right? While incorrect, I have come across many leaders who felt that way were absolutely equipped to lead DEI work simply because they had been in HR for a number of years.

These same individuals have the best of intentions but fail to understand that this linear way of thinking leads to practices that are the opposite of equitable and inclusive.

It also means we may have been departments and leaders not taking the time to get educated, expand beyond a one-dimensional lens, and shift beyond the traditional HR approaches because they have not accepted the reality that they don’t know how to embed DEI into their work and need support and partnership to learn.

The reality is this: Individuals in Human Resources have not been traditionally trained in DEI practices or to see their systems and practices through an equity lens. Instead, they need to proactively seek out this education and partnership from those who do “ get it” in order to move the needle forward in their own practices and behaviors.

So, how do we overhaul HR departments to center DEI at its core? HR Leaders must commit to 4 things:

1. Do your own work; Understand your biases, sure, but more importantly, get educated on what it means to operationalize DEI principles in every part of their work.
2. Actively partner instead of fighting against DEI Leaders who are trained to understand how to make shifts that lead to more equitable and inclusive experiences for people.
3. Deeply understand the difference and the impact of equity vs. equitable practices in your key talent systems including compensation, performance evaluation, promotions, and career opportunities.
4. Be ready to break the standard. If we’re really honest with ourselves, HR practices have continued to be passed down from workforce generation to generation without meaningful examination and understanding of whom it continues to benefit or harm. Note: I recognize that breaking the standard is the responsibility of the leader in the organization, particularly the CEO, and not just HR. This reflection, however, is focused on HR leaders, whom I do believe hold some responsibility in pushing that conversation forward.

If we truly want to see DEI embedded at the core of the work, HR leaders must be ready to break past the norm, dismantle what’s common, and do what’s right for the people… and not just a compliance dashboard.