Key takeaways:
- DEI leaders should be actively involved in talent management and succession planning to ensure diversity and inclusion. They should negotiate to have a seat at the table with the CEO and executive leaders to contribute to long-term talent strategies within the organization.
- A focus on long-term growth and career development is critical for advancing diversity in leadership roles. Simply hiring diverse individuals without considering their long-term development leads to temporary solutions. Organizations should invest in developing diverse talent pools, including high potential and development pools, as well as successors to key roles.
- Implementing a DEI-focused succession process helps counteract the negative perceptions associated with diversity hires. Building a robust internal succession process is necessary to overcome biases and challenges related to being perceived as a diversity hires
Succession planning is a critical aspect of organizational growth and sustainability. However, for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders, it presents a unique challenge of ensuring underrepresented employees are given equal opportunities to progress into leadership positions.
In a recent DEI Board panel discussion on building sustainable DEI practices, our members shared their insights on effective succession planning strategies and the importance of developing diverse talent pools.
We take a look at their perspectives and what guidance they offer on how companies can cultivate inclusive leadership pipelines.
DEI Leaders Need to Be Involved in Talent Management to Create Successful Succession Planning
During the panel discussion, UScellular Vice President of Enterprise Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion John Greene reflected on his transition from a talent management role to a diversity role and the negotiations involved.
He highlighted the importance of maintaining a seat at the table with the CEO and executive leaders to contribute to long-term talent strategies within the organization.
“I think, like so many things in our work, it is an act of negotiation around how we make sure that we are involved and that we are able to help,” John said.
He also expressed his observation that succession planning, especially in terms of diversity, is often lacking in many organizations. He noted the significance of ensuring diversity is incorporated into succession plans to foster an inclusive and equitable leadership pipeline.
“I think, like so many things in our work, it is an act of negotiation around how we make sure that we are involved and that we are able to help.”
John Greene, Vice President of Enterprise Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UScellular
A Focus on Long-Term Growth and Career Development Helps Advance Diversity in Leadership Roles
John also emphasized the importance of moving beyond a narrow focus on talent acquisition when addressing diversity. He pointed out that simply hiring diverse individuals without considering their long-term development and growth leads to temporary solutions.
“As soon as you say diversity, people run to talent acquisition,” John said. “There’s a lot of hiring over the top and trying to put people in certain roles, and those things have expiration dates. You’ve got folks that come in from other places. You’ve got folks that may be running from problems. You’ve got your internal associates saying, ‘Why would you hire over the top when you could have promoted me?'”
Instead, he shared how organizations should intentionally invest in developing diverse talent pools, including high potential and development pools, as well as successors to key roles.
This approach ensures that internal employees are prepared for future promotions, reducing the need for external hiring.
A DEI-Focused Succession Process Counteracts the Perceptions of Diversity Hires
John also acknowledged the biases and challenges associated with the perception of diversity hires.
“There’s often a ton of poisoning in the water that can take place when you are perceived as a diversity hire, and folks are still perceived as diversity hires coming into the organization,” he added.
He underscored the necessity of building a robust internal succession process to counteract such issues. By prioritizing internal talent development, organizations can create sustainable diversity and inclusion initiatives within their workforce.
“There’s often a ton of poisoning in the water that can take place when you are perceived as a diversity hire, and folks are still perceived as diversity hires coming into the organization.”
John Greene, Vice President of Enterprise Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UScellular
Creating Leadership Talent Pools for Diverse Groups Is Essential in Revamping Your Succession Planning
DEI Board members also highlighted how companies often rely on quarterly meetings that merely discuss potential candidates without taking decisive actions.
To address this, Trimble Vice President of Talent, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Melissa Uribes shared her company’s approach, which focused on identifying emerging leaders, directors, and executives.
“The biggest challenge that we saw is that we were not getting enough underrepresented people in the first layer of management,” she said. “That continues to create a challenge in having more diverse succession pools as you continue to climb up the layers through executive leadership.”
She explained how they revamped their talent review process, moving away from what she described as a biased nine-box model and focusing instead on identifying “change-ready” employees.
“The biggest challenge that we saw is that we were not getting enough underrepresented people in the first layer of management. That continues to create a challenge in having more diverse succession pools as you continue to climb up the layers through executive leadership.”
Melissa Uribes, Vice President of Talent, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Trimble
During regular employee discussions, known as “T times” at Trimble, Melissa said they assess individuals’ career goals and readiness for a material change in their job.
“That gives those managers a targeted focus on how we can develop and move those people to new career growth opportunities,” Melissa said. “It could be up, or it could be career advancement and progression. It could be that maybe somebody’s been in a particular business unit too long, and they need to go learn something new.”
In place of traditional succession plans, Melissa shared how they are creating leadership talent pools, including emerging leaders, directors, and executives. She said the aim is to measure and address under-representation in these pools, actively working to increase diversity year after year.
While they’re still testing the program, it aligns with the need to change existing systems and models, as highlighted by John, and represents an ongoing effort to foster a more inclusive and equitable approach to succession planning.
Effective Succession Planning Creates Opportunities for Knowledge Generation and Inclusion
John explained the role of succession planning in generating information and knowledge about talent and the long-term fit of an organization. As DEI leaders, he said there is an opportunity to create understanding, particularly for lesser-known populations that often align with diverse groups.
This can be achieved through talent engines like Associate Resource Groups (ARGs), which he explained can drive information and perspective into the system.
John shared a process he developed to help highlight potential candidates within the organization who were determined to be ready for leadership roles.
“I developed a process years ago, where we would go in and we would look at all of the anticipated jobs based on turnover and growth rates,” John said. “Then we go back and we look at all the diverse associates who were in range for those opportunities. Then we go to the general managers and say, ‘Why not these folks?’”
He explained how this approach fostered coaching-oriented conversations that increased visibility and opportunities for underrepresented employees.
Learn More on How DEI Leaders Are Creating Successful Succession Planning to Create Diversity in Leadership Roles
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