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August 31, 2009
The Ideal Future for Diversity and Inclusion
Originally posted on SHRM's website: http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/Diversity/Articles/Pages/TheIdealFuture.aspx
8/31/2009
By Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR
When asked to describe his vision for diversity and
inclusion 10 years from now, one respondent to a recent
study said, “We wouldn’t need a diversity and
inclusion department, and my job would go away.”
Working oneself out of a job may be the ideal for some
diversity and inclusion practitioners, but most believe
there is still much work to be done before that dream can
be realized, according to The Changing Face of Diversity
& Inclusion: Then, Now & Tomorrow, a report jointly
released June 23, 2009, by Novations Group Inc., a
Boston-based talent development firm, and Linkage, a global
organizational development company.
The diversity and inclusion experiences of 62 large
U.S.-based companies with global operations were reflected
in the research, which was conducted via an electronic
survey and in-depth interviews with diversity and inclusion
specialists. Forty-four percent of the respondents had 10 or
more years of experience in the field.
The intent of the study was to measure what progress had
been made over the past 10 years compared to predictions
made by respondents to a study conducted in 1998; highlight
current challenges and successful practices; and identify
the top issues organizations will likely face over the next
decade.
“With the concepts of diversity and inclusion
becoming an increasingly common part of the global
landscape, now is the ideal time to evaluate what
organizations are doing well, and where we can
improve,” said Audra Bohannon, Novations vice
president of diversity and inclusion, in a statement.
The researchers found that compared to 10 years ago:
Inclusion has become an integral part of the diversity
discussion, with an emphasis on building the type of
organization where everyone can succeed.
The definition of diversity goes beyond gender and
race/ethnicity to include all types of
differences—visible and invisible.
There has been a shift from legal compliance to
understanding and leveraging the business case for
diversity and inclusion.
More specifically, participants said the most successful
diversity-related initiatives were:
The diversity council, because such a group provides
legitimacy, visibility, focus, resources and support for
other activities.
Employee resource (or business) groups, because they offer
members visibility, create opportunities for mentoring and
training, and can contribute to key business goals.
Diversity and inclusion training, which provides employees
with a common language and understanding about the issues,
as well as skill-building opportunities for people managers
and others.
Structured employee data gathering such as employee
surveys, which can be used to measure progress, share
feedback and create action plans.
Incorporation of diversity and inclusion activities into
business strategies, such as branding.
Alignment of diversity and inclusion with organizational
values.
But participants identified several continuing challenges:
Senior Leadership support. Many leaders talk about
diversity but fail to demonstrate their real engagement,
respondents said. And yet, even if senior leaders are fully
engaged, middle managers and supervisors may not be, thus
inhibiting successful implementation of new approaches.
The business case for diversity and inclusion. While
significant progress has been made to integrate diversity
and inclusion into business strategies, Novations and
Linkage found insufficient understanding and support of the
business case. Moreover, they found that the economic crisis
has resulted in limited resources, lack of accountability
and resistance to change.
Measuring the impact of diversity programs. Few diversity
and inclusion initiatives contain a measurement component
that starts with concrete baseline data, tracks progress
and provides a means to record results. It is therefore
difficult to isolate the impact of specific diversity and
inclusion initiatives on business outcomes.
Where accountability does exist, its impact is limited. For
example, more than half of respondents (51 percent) said the
performance reviews for senior level management are
“somewhat affected” by
diversity-and-inclusion-related results. Another 11 percent
said they are “highly affected.”
Yet even where there is a link between a performance review
and compensation, it generally affects only merit increases,
which is often a much smaller amount than a senior
executive’s incentive pay, respondents said.
“Most participants would agree that accountability is
a necessary aspect of a real commitment to diversity and
inclusion, and that their organizations still have progress
to make in this key area,” the report noted.
The ability to link diversity results to the achievement of
desired business outcomes is a necessary first step. Though
the report contains several good examples of ways in which
organizations have found a link, the report notes that
“there was agreement among participants that
measurement as it relates to documenting diversity and
inclusion success and validating the business case requires
much more systematic thought and effort.”
However, business cannot be the only driver if true
inclusion is the goal.
According to Global Diversity and Inclusion: Perceptions,
Practices and Attitudes, a Society for Human Resource
Management study conducted by the Economist Intelligence
Unit and released June 2009, there are four main drivers of
diversity in companies around the world:
Fairness and justice—ensuring an equal chance for
members of disadvantaged groups.
Guaranteeing a large enough talent pool in the future.
Mirroring the customer base, increasing cultural competence
and delivering decisions that are based on a broader palette
of considerations.
Legal compliance.
With such motivations, simple, one-off approaches are not
enough.
“We have found a real need in the industry to move
away from stand-alone, fragmented activities and toward an
integrated, holistic approach to change management,”
said Patrice Hall, vice president and head of global
equality, diversity and inclusion for ORC Worldwide, a
global HR consulting firm.
She told SHRM Online that there is a continuing belief
among diversity and inclusion practitioners that their work
“goes beyond ‘simple’ business strategy
and, in addition, requires passion and commitment to be
done ‘right.’ I think most would say that we
must begin, but cannot end at the level of a strategic
business priority.”
Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR, is an online editor/manager for
SHRM.
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