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USAA

Why DEI Programs are Falling Short

Tiana Carter

Tiana Carter

A Recipe for Success

You may recall that post-May of 2020, the chief diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging officer became one of the hottest job postings within the industry. Recent events catalyzed a surge of energy, focus, and commitment in both communities and the public and private sectors about the impact of systemic injustice. This led to a greater acknowledgment of the lack of understanding about the real issues faced by underrepresented groups and historical investment in programs geared toward addressing these issues. Countless studies have cited the value that results from being a diverse organization including better innovation, market growth, increased profits, and decreased turnover rates.

So why, three years later, does this work continue to fall flat?

My assessment: Companies are often focusing on the symptoms and not the cause.

This approach can be compared to an ill person taking medication to suppress the symptoms of a cold, soothing them in the short term rather than addressing the root cause through preventative methods such as strengthening the immune system.

Effective diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts require us to focus on the systems and not just the symptoms.

There are critical components that must be in place to prevent futile approaches and check-box exercises that mask real issues. There has to be more of a scalable systemic approach that has clearly defined tangible impacts on the organization.

Leadership, Engagement & Alignment

Everything begins with leadership.

If your employees are going to support, execute, and celebrate change, it needs to derive from the key leaders who have the most deciding power within the organization. Leadership and C-suite executives must talk about the change and model it for the larger organization. Moreover, leaders should be educated on what diversity is, why it is important for society and business, and how supporting diversity initiatives is more than simply hiring a diverse workforce.

"It is important to seek out education programs that are geared toward diverse audiences and provide something for everyone "

Leadership should ensure key decisions systematically incorporate diverse perspectives. Practical ways to accomplish this are by building diversity in their team or tapping into voices of marginalized populations in other ways (e.g., shadow board, employee resource groups, etc.). Incorporating diversity role models that leaders value diversity leads to better decisions. Without senior leadership support, your program likely consists of a myriad of activities that will, unfortunately, lead to limited impact.

Education

While many people are self-proclaimed allies, do their actions and results match? If not, education may be the problem. In the face of competing priorities and complex issues with no clear blueprint, DEI may be overlooked and not receive the amount of dedicated time it needs to be fully addressed. The result: organizations launching programs without clear guidelines or outcome measurements. While something is better than nothing, poorly designed programs can sometimes do more harm than good.

It is important to seek out education programs that are geared toward diverse audiences and provide something for everyone. Content should be curated to offer a path of self-discovery along with tools and resources to easily act upon the learnings.

Most importantly, educational programs need to go beyond concepts and into real-world application while remaining a constant vs ‘one and done’. Everyone is on their learning journey from a unique starting point; therefore, education needs to be implemented regularly in bite sizes over time along with opportunities to practice.

Those who own, design, and operate structural systems are a priority for education (e.g., HR Leaders, product owners, employee resource group leaders, people leaders, etc.). These are the people who can de-bias systems (e.g., processes, tools, technology) that can lead to sustainable impact for your DEI efforts.

Metrics and Measurement

Metrics help you to determine where your organization stands and what may be lacking, which makes it easier to implement policies and programs that will more effectively help to create positive change. Developing initiatives based on assumptions without researching the root causes may lead to changes that are only superficial or appear performative.

To set your organization up for success, it is crucial to have a game plan that identifies and addresses what talent challenges you are trying to solve for the business and how to adapt your DEI programs to help grow that talent.

Factors to consider before you begin to develop your objectives for your DEI initiatives may include:

• Do you understand employee sentiment by various diverse dimensions?
• Have you created an accessible work environment?
• Do your employees consider your workplace to be diverse?
• What are your hiring selection, promotion, retention, and turnover rates by demographics?
• Do you have equal pay for all?
• Are there systems in place to support the various needs of your employees’ mental health, cultural beliefs, and physical and emotional needs?
• Does your leadership reflect the diversity of your frontline employees and/or customer base?
• Are you currently allocating a budget to support DE&I investments?

We all know what gets measured gets done, so if you are not measuring what you are solving for, you may not be making the strides you intend to. Measurement should evenly span Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. For example, consider measuring representation at all levels (‘diversity’), employees’ felt sentiment about their work experience (‘inclusion’ and ‘belonging’), and promotion, retention, and attrition rates (‘equity’). This trifecta limits gaming the system by creating checks and balances that mitigate the risk of a revolving door of diverse talent.

Intentions don’t equate to impact.

Championing diversity requires more than education and metrics, it demands action. Requiring diversification of hiring slates and panes, intentional and targeted development of an already diverse workforce, and ensuring business leaders are a part of the development of DEI initiatives are all actions that can be taken to create a positive movement towards a more diverse workplace.

When approached holistically, DEI initiatives yield a substantial return on investment for businesses. Ensuring you are intentional and strategic in the design and implementation of your DEI programs will go a long way in ensuring that your programs are sustainable and impactful.

The articles from these contributors are based on their personal expertise and viewpoints, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employers or affiliated organizations.
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