Over the last few months, there has been an increased recognition from organizations to highlight the need for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Awareness Programs. The increase in need can be linked to the lack of representation of a certain group, the lack of acceptance received by individuals, and to unconscious biases that influence a great deal of the inequities within the organization. The good news is that organizations are proactively seeking out opportunities to increase awareness around D&I. However, the real opportunity lies in shifting from discussing D&I (or “checking the box”) to creating and implementing a sustainable program that says we know, understand, and value the benefits of incorporating a D&I initiative into our organization. While this seems like a fairly simple initiative, many organizations fail when it comes to the implementation and execution of a D&I program. So, how can organizations succeed at D&I and what are the benefits of implementing a D&I program?
I think the best way to succeed at creating and implementing a successful D&I initiative is to create a strategy that ties into the overall goal / mission of the organization. For example, if the goal is to increase diversity in recruitment activities, what activities should your team take and how do we measure it to ensure success? Similarly, if the goal is to increase inclusion within the organization, what activities should your team take to create an inclusive environment and how do you know if you are getting it right? As for the benefits of incorporating a D&I initiative, lowering the cost of recruitment activity due to employees leaving (e.g., high turnover rate) is a huge benefit of incorporating a D&I initiative. Additionally, the added benefits of having a more diverse work population can lead to an increase in new ideas, which leads to innovation, which can positively influence the profits and productivity of an organization.
Synergy Consulting is on a mission of increasing and creating sustainable programs that support Diversity and Inclusion. We take pride in the fact that we don’t just “check the box” but we create programs that support the awareness of D&I and work with leaders to create an actionable plan that will move you from discussion to implementation. Are you ready to take action?