The Reality of DEI

Jose Varghese, Director - Human Resources & Learning, Accuro

Reality or Buzzwords ……………...

DEI, we’ve been hearing this acronym so much lately, so much so that we forget what it really means. Let’s call a spade a spade; in many spaces, it doesn’t hold much weight and perhaps relegated to annual mandatory workplace seminars. But the potential and value thesewords hold is enormous.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, has power far beyond buzzwords and corporate workshops. Rather, genuine investment in DEI has the capacity to shape the trajectory of theworld.

When we empower and include the diverse talent pool through equal opportunities for advancement, everyone benefits through enhanced innovation and productivity, lower poverty rates and improved health and employment outcomes, and so much more.

The full works! Enticing right?

In order to unlock the superpowers of DEI, we need to understand the basics and determine the value addition it brings to the business as a whole.

Let’s start by defining DEI.

DIVERSITY - Welcome and engage all people and perspectives.

EQUITY - Ensure fair access to opportunities.

INCLUSION - Create an environment where everyone belongs.

This is just the beginning…….

1. Implementation

The real challenge is implementation by HR and people managers
• Start with a top-down approach (Management buy-in is very critical)
• Focus on inclusive recruitment strategies
• Provide a safe space for all employees
• Connect with employees on a human level
• Give employees multiple ways to provide feedback

2. Defining Responsibilities

Once buy-ins are established from different internal stakeholders, define the responsibilities of all segments.

Employees: 

DEI is the responsibility of every employee, which can be fulfilled through purposeful actiondirected towards
• Respecting the dignity and diversity of all people
• Creating an inclusive and safe space that is free from discrimination, harassment, and bullying
• Increasing awareness of conscious and unconscious biases that may hinder the ability to be more inclusive
• Focusing on intentionally driving diversity, equality, and belonging
• Speaking up about workplace behaviors that are not consistent with the company’s D&I policies

Managers:

People leaders are accountable for specific DEI responsibilities and for achieving DEI outcomes as part of their job performance. These responsibilities include but are not limited to:  
• Ensuring that employment-related decisions are free from discrimination • Setting individual DEI goals to foster diverse representation and an inclusive environment within their teams 
• Engaging in conscious inclusion and other behaviors that promote equity • Drawing from a broad pool of talent in a region to inclusively reach talent, create diverse slates, and, ultimately, a workforce that reflects the communities we serve • Creating an inclusive and safe work environment that supports DEI and behaviors that reinforce our values
• Consistently displaying inclusive leadership behaviors valuing all perspectives, and listening to diverse points of view
• Being a positive role model and demonstrating responsible behaviour in all work-related activities and creating a safe working environment
• Actively seeking opportunities for training and development in related areas to stay updated with current best practices for supporting the differently abled and neuro-diverse populations within the workplace

Human Resources:
• Recruiting talent from diverse populations, including the differently abled, neurodiverse, and people of determination
• Creating a company diversity and inclusion policy and adhering to it
• Mitigating potential conscious and unconscious biases in employment decisions and talent practices (Including recruitment, training and development, performance management, career progression, and compensation)
• Driving equal pay policies across the organization 
• Setting up inclusive recruitment policies starting with writing inclusive job descriptions and inclusively designing the application and interview process
• Actively seeking and developing partnerships with experts in the field of inclusion and diversity to set up inclusive recruitment and employment procedures

3. DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVE RECRUITMENT 

Diversifying the portfolio of the workforce is the way forward toward long-term and sustainable growth. To make this part of the corporate DNA, the below practices have to be ensured. 

Sourcing & Selection 
 • All recruitment adverts posted internally or on social media should carry the below inclusive message. “We celebrate diversity and encourage people from all diverse backgrounds to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome people of determination and the differently abled."
 • Recruitment materials such as brochures, websites, and posters will include images of people with disabilities and, if possible, quotes by participants with disabilitieswho have participated in the recruitment drive successfully. This will create aninclusive employer branding
 • Participate in inclusive hiring events or job fairs or hosting
 • Job descriptions will use inclusive language and terminology acceptable to all diverse sensibilities
 • Focused attempts to place job adverts where they are more likely to be seen by marginalized applicants
 • Use calibration for hiring decisions
 • Share and collect feedback from and to all candidates
 • Set diversity targets for recruitment
 • Analyze recruitment data to prioritize inclusion efforts

Network with Local, Regional and National Organizations
 • Identifying contacts at organizations that are led by and work with Neuro-diverse anddifferently-abled populations is essential for recruiting People of determination

Promote Diversity & Inclusion as an Organizational Value
 • Strive to convey the message that our organization values diversity and inclusion• Through our varied business presentations, literature, websites, and social media posts,we aim to communicate that we promote workplace diversity

Training 
 • Ensure that disability-inclusive policies are communicated to all internal stakeholders• Training will be provided by inclusion experts to ensure gold standards for the organization
 • People who are involved in any aspect of promoting the organization’s programs—whether answering phones, attending conferences, giving community presentations, or other public relations activities—will be prepared to answer questions about the organizational policy on, including people with diverse backgrounds within the workforce
 • Efforts will be focused on finding the right match between jobs and candidates,including additional training if needed for the employees
 • Existing employees will also be provided with appropriate training on attitudes and behavior toward diverse employees

4. Value addition

Diversity and inclusion efforts in the workplace are becoming increasingly less about a box that HR can check off and more about how it can help drive business success.

A diverse and inclusive workforce is necessary to drive innovation, foster creativity, and guide business strategies. It fosters a healthy work environment. It increases employee engagement and productivity.
 • More informed and diverse decision-making (avoiding group think), diverse perspectives, diverse experience, increased innovativeness, and critical thinking that comes from inclusion
 • It’s used as a means to ensure fairness and rebuke discrimination
 • The creation of role models for others
 • Building a deeper understanding of and access to desirable customer bases and markets
 • Incorporating new perspectives and generate learning, industry knowledge, strategy and financial experience
 • Higher Staff retention and loyalty
 • Becoming an employer of choice

“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen Covey.

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