Moving to an inclusion-first mindset in 2024
In this exclusive roundtable, HR leaders discussed challenges in building inclusive cultures and strategies that organizations can implement to foster a sense of belonging.
Why You Should Care
Judicial developments are causing organizations to thoroughly review their DEIB programs, hiring practices and development offerings.
In the past, the be-all and end-all of DEIB have had to do with compliance.
However, many organizations are becoming increasingly proactive in their DEIB measures, from expanding their understanding of identity and disability to adopting pay transparency to acknowledging how intersectionality impacts their workforce.
I always see inclusion as the answer to one question that I encourage leaders to ask: Does it feel safe to be different on your team?
That was the input from one Head of Diversity and Inclusion at a $2 billion-revenue global firm. Speaking in an exclusive, closed-door UNLEASH roundtable, he and a select group of HR peers shared their experiences on what fostering an inclusive culture looks like in 2024.
The elephant in the room is that HR teams are under increasing scrutiny in this area. This pain point was discussed with empathy and candor by the participants.
How do you ensure your DEIB strategies genuinely engage and connect employees in meaningful ways? And what about overcoming resistance from the top quartile or board level of your senior leadership team?
UNLEASH Editor-in-Chief, Nima Sherpa Green, and Toby Hough, Director of People and Culture for Europe at HiBob, co-hosted the 60-minute conversation.
As the conversation progressed, a consensus was reached on two core priorities for HR Leaders:
- Measuring the impact of DEIB initiatives with clear data points is essential to present up the chain.
- Empowering middle management and department heads is a priority. They need to actively participate in DEIB in their annual and quarterly plans – to remove siloes on this issue. In short, HR can’t be the only function in a business sharing comms on diversity and inclusion.
Recognition of people’s individuality is a crucial factor in employee experience. And it can also be a delicate balance to achieve.
“It’s a privilege to talk about this topic,” Toby Hough shared with participants.
The most powerful thing to do is to come to conversations like this with a learning mindset. None of us have all the answers, but it’s so valuable to hear what has worked, and what has not, in different settings.
‘Re-learning’ in an environment that is always changing
For several participants in the discussion, the need to adapt to acquisitions or organic expansions into new countries was a focal point.
“We’ve got a lot of global coverage. And I know that’s resonating with the group,” one attendee of a 42,000-headcount organization shared.
“The reason I came to this session is that around the world, I have to say, diversity, equity and inclusion is not our strength as a company…And I would like to change that. I have worked at very diverse organizations. I was happy to lead very diverse teams abroad in the US and the Middle East. And I learned how enriching that can be and how great for the company it is; you have much more fun and better outcomes. I am trying to bring that learning to this company, which is more traditional…So I am here to get a ‘refresher’ or to relearn how to advocate within a company.”
“I love this concept of re-learning,” supported Hough. “And I think that’s very relevant given the fact that the environment in which we operate is evolving and changing all the time.”
Three participants in the roundtable were from companies much further along the maturity curve of investing in DEIB policies.
Speaking to those in the group earlier in their journey, these participants shared best practice examples for educating the wider business on inclusion.
Data and technology can help create a unified approach to recognition
Another specific pain point identified by participants was data collection on DEIB. As one French pharmaceutical HR leader explained, access to HR data is “complex”, especially in Europe with strong data privacy provisions. She added that while more data is being shared around gender pay gaps: “Diversity is not just about gender.”
In response, Toby Hough gave guidance to the group on how to use data to measure impact.
I’d advise wiring this in to the rest of the business. A very actionable data point that we would gather regularly is our employee engagement survey. It’s anonymous and sent every quarter. And we’re building data capability at al levels to help HR leaders build trends.
To close the roundtable discussion Hough offered his key takeaways to participants, highlighting how to effectively reach out to and benefit marginalized groups within the organization.
“As HR Leaders we have a better chance of being facilitators to help our organizations own this issue together. And if you want to see the change, then you need to see the data, track it and that will help your stakeholders feel that DEIB means something to the business.”
HR Leader Attendee Demographics
Why join a UNLEASH roundtable?
Our exclusive virtual Roundtables are designed to explore where HR leaders are focused now, key challenges, and prioritizations for the rest of the year. We’ll dig into what matters most when planning for what’s next and equip you with your future strategy. You’ll be joined by senior HR practitioner peers, allowing an opportunity to discuss personal experiences of challenges and wins, providing the ability to benchmark and reconsider current strategies and tech together.
Check out our upcoming events here: HR Roundtables
