Radical Empathy, Talent Pipelines and Other Core Elements of DEIB+

The conversation around underrepresented people in the workplace needs to go beyond lionizing “the only” or “the first” people from a certain background to do something, says data journalist Sherrell Dorsey, author of “Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us.” “I want to get to a point where we’re no longer celebrating the first Black or Brown person to lead this company in 100 years,” Dorsey says. “That needs to become unacceptable and not so much an accomplishment as it is an embarrassment.”

It requires some imagination to envision the workplace a few decades from now, and leaders must bring that imagination to finding a prominent place for DEIB+ in that future — one that promotes the psychological safety of workers from all backgrounds. Here are four key things you need to do to make DEIB+ a core tenet of your organization now — and for years to come. 

See Also: How to Support Black and Other Minority Employees During Difficult Times

Practice Radical Empathy and Unwavering Commitment

Two and a half years ago, promises around DEIB+ reached a crescendo as Black Lives Matter protests roiled the world and leaders moved to address generations worth of inequity in corporate America. Companies revised their mission statements, wrote donation checks and hosted “lunch-and-learns.” It was progress toward acknowledging and addressing racial injustice.

But anecdotes and hard data both point to a tapering of DEIB+ initiatives in 2022, and today, a number of those promises remain unfulfilled. According to the latest joint Hiring & Workplace Trends Report by Indeed and Glassdoor, DEIB+ initiatives have stalled. In the United States and the United Kingdom, the percentage of Glassdoor reviews mentioning DEIB+ programs dropped in the first three quarters of 2022, after inching up in 2020 and 2021. 

“The issues we address in diversity and inclusion efforts are deep-seated and require radical empathy and unwavering commitment from leadership teams,” says Zulaika Jumaralli, senior manager, DEIB+ at Indeed. “This is difficult and long-term work, so I can see how companies that were unprepared and didn’t have the framework would find it difficult to maintain without external pressure.”  

While a focus on DEIB+ has waned at some organizations, others have used the cover of a looming recession and tightening budgets to jettison these initiatives entirely. As leaders juggle competing priorities, short-term quarterly needs can overtake long-game goals like inclusivity.

“Candidly, I’m not surprised to see ‘efforts’ cool off and for the rationale to be a softening economy. Is it the economic downturn that has slowed down company investment in DEIB+, or is it that this work wasn’t central to their business strategy to begin with?” Gaither says. “For some companies it is a lack of understanding of how representation and inclusion can completely transform productivity. For some it’s a lack of belief that DEIB+ matters.” 

Build a Culture Everyone Can Buy Into

DEIB+ initiatives may have slowed, but younger workers haven’t stopped paying attention: Millennial and Gen Z workers say they deeply consider DEIB+ when choosing the right job opportunity. When it comes to workers aged 18-34, 72% would possibly turn down a job offer or exit a company if they felt the manager didn’t support DEIB+, and that percentage is even higher for Black respondents (80%). As baby boomers retire and these employees make up more of the workforce, organizations won’t have the option of ignoring what younger workers care about. 

But Dorsey notes that while younger generations will play an important role in diversifying the workplace, progress isn’t just a simple task of waiting for the workforce to age down.

“Who are really the gatekeepers and who aren’t?” Dorsey says. “Companies with younger workforces still deal with a lot of employee dissent around what they feel is just ‘woke politics.’ There will always be people who feel that they are entitled and other people aren’t entitled. Leadership must build a culture that everyone has bought into.”

Seize the Competitive Advantage

DEIB+ is sometimes perceived as something beneficial but not fundamental — an add-on. But it’s more than just a nice-to-have: It can be what sets companies apart when it comes to productivity, collaboration and recruiting. Organizations that falter on DEIB+ goals do so at their own risk.

“We know for sure that prioritizing DEIB+ fosters better employee engagement and supports the ways that all employees can show up as their authentic selves. It also creates an environment for innovation, and ultimately has a direct impact on company bottom lines,” Gaither says.

Investing in DEIB+ is more than just the right thing to do — even though it’s definitely that. It also just makes business sense. A sweeping research report that McKinsey released in 2020 showed that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity among leadership outperformed those in the bottom quartile by 36% when it came to profitability. McKinsey found similar correlations between gender diversity and performance: Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity among executives outperformed those at the bottom by 25%.

“If a workplace is toxic, not inclusive, completely homogenous — how do you expect to compete in a global environment?” Dorsey says. “We know that diverse teams outperform because there’s more context, nuance and perspective. ”

Build Better Talent Pipelines and Support Systems 

A future with fewer workers means organizations need to expand traditional pipelines to meet demand, looking for talent in more places and casting a wider net. 

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which produce nearly 20% of all Black college graduates, are a valuable pipeline that companies should utilize more than they currently do. “There are so many different ways to support DEIB+ that have less to do with spending a lot of money and more to do with recruiting from the right places,” Dorsey says. “Companies can expand their efforts to ensure they’re targeting more HBCUs.”

Making a more concerted effort to recruit those typically overlooked for opportunities will be increasingly important. To Gaither, these marginalized demographics extend beyond race and gender to include people with disabilities, mature jobseekers and justice-impacted jobseekers.

“It’s important to evaluate the job description and truly identify if a role requires a degree or other criteria that may create unintentional barriers for applicants,” Gaither explains. “Go to where the talent is. Identify organizations that focus specifically on people from backgrounds that are not well-represented in their business.” 

Once you’ve hired diverse candidates, you can’t stop there. Leadership must adequately equip and empower employees from all backgrounds to succeed from the moment they sign the offer letter. This can include creating safe spaces with employee resource groups or providing mentorship programs for workers to expand their skills.

“Promote a culture of inclusion, and focus on creating a positive employee experience. Leaders can hold themselves accountable using data, training and other tools to ensure equitable practices across the company,” Gaither says.

An inclusive, human-first future of work will mean as much to our productivity and innovation as software does. “We believe that, at Indeed, we are on that journey, and many companies and workplaces are too. The future of work is bright. The future of work is the future of people, all people,” Gaither says. “We help all people get jobs, but that is just the first step on the journey. The road may be a long one, but it is amazing to see the impact that companies and individuals can have when they work together for change.”