We might still be committed to the idea of diversity, equity and inclusion, but we’re finally talking seriously about failings. And that’s music to our ears. Not that we want DEI to fail, but we can only make a difference in the workplace by seeing how attempts to improve D&I are missing the mark. The good news is L&D can play a powerful part in engaging people in change and shifting the dial.
More on this later – first, let’s talk failings.
Mandatory DEI ‘training’ fails. DEI by governance and policy alone fails. One-off interventions and tick-box implementation fails. Repeated annual programmes fail. Knee-jerk responses to PR crises fail.
People will see right through anything designed more for optics than impact. Consider this stat from Workhuman: 97% of leaders surveyed stated that they had made changes to improve diversity and inclusion in their workplace, only 37% of their employees agreed. “We’re working really hard on being a diverse, inclusive business” doesn’t mean yours is a diverse, inclusive business. You can’t fool the people.
So what can you do? Because employers do have to do something... The World Economic Forum reported recently that it will take a further 150 years to close the global economic gender gap, so for all of DEI’s growth in the workplace, there is much to do. Besides, as Gen Z enters the workforce, so will their values and expectations – the need to celebrate, engage and enable a diversity of young, talented new starters is real.
We think L&D has a part to play in building successful, sustainable DEI in your organisation. Here’s how:
Start at the top – DEI is a leadership development issue and evidence shows that a shift in culture, and the growth of DEI maturity relies on leadership buy-in, exemplary behaviour and full accountability. It starts there.
L&D is an expression of your DEI agenda – DEI should be baked-in to L&D at all levels. And that means everything from completely accessible delivery, to building in clear reference to DEI-related systems and processes as well as visions and beliefs. It’s a way to demonstrate DEI is integral to all strands of business activity, to everyone from new hires to established leaders.
Engage employees as SMEs – your people are your subject matter experts, so create multiple inclusive ways to engage and enable real, material contribution in the shaping and delivery of DEI-related L&D. Build working groups to input to projects, contribute to content, or critique progress. It helps too that this results in DEI originated from inside your organisation – it has real, relatable context and acknowledges that one size doesn’t fit all (how un-DEI is that idea?!)
Balance awareness and action – while lots of DEI learning will centre the policy and practice that makes it possible, there has to be more to it. DEI begins with establishing that this is everyone’s challenge and opportunity. We’ve worked with clients to develop team activities, reflection journals, even custom apps to engage employees in exploring their own biases and contributing to hackathons. Develop awareness first, enable action in response, and keep the conversation going...
Settle for ripples – no amount of learning or engagement will transform the experience of diversity and inclusion in your workplace. It will take time, sustained efforts, shared ownership, leadership investment and real accountability. And to be fair, even then workplace culture has to contend with broader social influences which counter the good stuff at work (hey, there’s still an inequitable, exclusive world out there). Plan for small steps, make ways for the ripples to connect.
Grand visions for diversity and inclusion in our businesses aren’t about overnight transformation. And where even the smallest of DEI engagements create some understanding, interest, curiosity, empathy, they create a little learning – about ourselves, each other and the ways we experience equity or inequity, inclusivity or exclusion. They make the potential for change. Beyond that, your business must enable people to act on that potential.
So ripples? Take them, that’s a win.
Desq makes digital learning experiences for clients such as Red Bull, M&S, Fujitsu, Network Rail and Specsavers. We deliver consultancy, bespoke and creative e-learning, and game-based learning for all stages of career, from new hires to leadership development. To find out more follow us, connect to us and get in touch.