Key takeaways:
- Auditing business practices is a powerful approach that enables diversity, equity, and inclusion teams to identify areas for improvement and promote inclusivity, driving meaningful change.
- It’s important to understand what data can be collected and how it can benefit DEI efforts. Focusing on permissible areas such as gender while respecting individual privacy choices can help navigate any challenges.
- Establish outcome-driven approaches by going beyond activity-oriented efforts. By creating maturity models and differentiating between input, throughput, and output metrics, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your initiatives.
To truly create an inclusive environment, it is essential for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders and advocates to go beyond mere intentions and take concrete actions.
One such powerful approach is auditing business practices and operations to identify areas that require improvement. By carefully evaluating your strategies, processes, and resources, you can effectively pave the way toward organizational goals while fostering a culture of diversity and belonging.
We’ll take a look at the insights shared by senior leaders in the DEI Board’s panel discussion on building sustainable DEI practices and explore the methods used to evaluate and adjust business practices to be more inclusive.
Assess Your Employee Experiences in the Onboarding Process to Ensure Inclusion When Auditing Business Practices
During the panel discussion, Trimble Vice President of Talent, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Melissa Uribes shed light on her organization’s approach to evaluating their DEI efforts. She highlighted the importance of being intentional in the design of talent experiences and programs to foster inclusivity.
As Melissa explained, their journey began with an initial focus on activation and strategy development. In the second year, they aimed to gain traction by implementing various initiatives. Now, at the two-year mark, they are ready to assess the effectiveness of their early work through audits.
“We were very intentional about looking at key talent experiences,” Melissa said. “Do we create an inclusive environment [in] how we onboard and bring people into the organization? Do we make people aware of our Employee Resource Networks?”
She added how they also prioritized hosting inclusive early-stage meetings to establish psychological safety and connection within teams.
“We were very intentional about looking at key talent experiences. Do we create an inclusive environment [in] how we onboard and bring people into the organization? Do we make people aware of our Employee Resource Networks?”
Melissa Uribes, Vice President of Talent, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Trimble
To evaluate their progress, Trimble utilizes engagement surveys, with one survey dedicated specifically to understanding DEI-related employee experiences. They delve deep into the voluntary self-ID data to identify potential disparities among different demographic groups.
For instance, through this process, Melissa said they discovered that individuals with disabilities and neurodiverse employees were not having the same inclusive and belonging experience. This realization prompted further investigation and the development of targeted solutions.
Analyze How Your Organization Balances Data Collection and Legal Requirements in DEI Measurement
Monique Ozanne, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for North America at Beam Suntory, shed light on the complexities organizations face in tracking and measuring their DEI progress. She emphasized the need to balance the desire to advance DEI with the legal and regulatory requirements surrounding employee information.
While Beam Suntory is still in the early stages of their journey, Monique said they recognize the importance of understanding what data can be collected and how it can benefit the advancement of DEI for their global workforce.
She explained that certain regions, like Canada, have legal restrictions on collecting and reporting race and ethnic data. As a result, they focus on areas where data collection is permissible, such as gender.
“In terms of advancing across the large spectrum of what we constitute and define as diversity by way of the general makeup of an individual person, gender is where we’re focused,” Monique said. “We know that we have a lot of opportunities to promote and develop women to more leadership positions in the organization.”
She also discussed the challenges of expanding self-identification options for different aspects of diversity.
“We know that we have a lot of opportunities to promote and develop women to more leadership positions in the organization.”
Monique Ozanne, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for North America at Beam Suntory
For example, Beam Suntory has been working closely with their LGBTQ+ employee impact group, PRISM, to explore self-ID to create a more inclusive environment. However, they are still navigating the complexities of implementing such practices in a way that is effective and aligned with legal requirements.
Monique emphasized that they are in the process of understanding their data, determining what can be shared, and identifying areas for improvement.
Create Outcome-Driven Approaches to Help Legitimize Your DEI Efforts
John Greene, Vice President of Enterprise Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UScellular, shared his experience in auditing business practices to drive diversity and inclusion. He highlighted the need to go beyond mere activity and ensure efforts align with a clear direction and measurable outcomes.
At UScellular, John explained how they established a maturity model as the foundation of their audit process. This model allowed leaders to evaluate whether their initiatives were truly making progress and moving the needle. By aligning on this model, the organization had a structured framework to assess their journey toward inclusivity.
John also discussed the importance of differentiating between input, throughput, and output metrics.
“We began to talk about the processes that were successive approximations toward success,” John said. “That allowed us to make those steps and gave us the ability to go back and say, ‘If we look at the processes that we engage in, do our output metrics suggest the legitimacy of the work that we’ve been doing?”
He explained that if the output metrics did not align with their goals, it served as a signal to reevaluate and adjust their strategies.
This approach shifted their focus from activity-oriented diversity to a more outcome-driven mindset. It encouraged senior leaders to exercise patience and recognize the value of having appropriate milestones in place to indicate progress along the right path.
Discover More Insights on Auditing Business Practices to Be More Inclusive
By evaluating strategies, processes, and resources, organizations can identify areas that require improvement and celebrate those that align with the ideals of inclusivity.
The insights shared by senior leaders in the DEI Board’s panel discussion shed light on the importance of intentional design, data collection, and outcome-driven approaches in this introspective process.
If you lead DEI at a large company, you can apply to our confidential vendor-free community for DEI leaders at the world’s largest brands to engage in discussions, gain actionable insights, and advance your efforts.
