Inclusion Matters
On financial measures, employee satisfaction scores, and in talent retention, inclusive environments regularly outperform those that are not. Herein I share how a DEI Leadership Council was formed, guided and supported, becoming integral to fostering inclusion at their firm.
First, a Guiding Purpose
A DEI Guiding Purpose was developed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Talent Officer. It set forth DEI aims in alignment with broader company culture goals and included building an environment of trust, celebrating diversity, and driving outstanding outcomes. From the start, the Purpose statement served as the Council’s North Star for decision making and in programming DEI events.
Proven leaders
Selected by the CEO and CTO, each Council member:
was diverse, bringing their unique perspectives to the table.
had achieved a level of expertise and respect in their specific area of business, earning a title of Director, VP or SVP.
had demonstrated leadership in alignment with company values.
Not a requirement
Each leader was invited to join and given time to consider the Guiding Purpose and their potential for contribution. They heard a clear message that while the hope was they’d elect to join, an answer of “no” with no explanation required, would be understood and respected. After all, work on the Council would require a significant commitment in time and energy, as well as personal and professional comfort around addressing some potentially sensitive aspects of DEI.
Everyone is welcome
Rather than separate employee resource groups for people of color, for women, for LGBTQ+ employees and so on…this Council formed one ERG. The one-group approach meant that employees of all backgrounds, including white males, joined together in the same space to learn, talk about, and celebrate differences. Over the first four years, attendance at these completely voluntary meetings was regularly close to ~70% of the organization, an outcome that speaks to interest and engagement by the broader team.
Resources
The Council had regular and ad hoc access to the CEO and CTO for brainstorming and feedback. They had budgets to hire impactful speakers and for seminars and travel. The IT and Ops groups were available to them, ensuring events were executed at the highest levels and such support meant the Council could focus on content. Finally, the Council received broad support from the company’s C-suite as regular and participative attendees at their meetings.
Imbedded
Not pigeonholed to ERG-specific meetings, the Council had speaking roles at all-employee quarterly meetings, and members served as facilitators at company-wide training events. They also hosted a Big Brain meeting; these Ted Talk-style gatherings were signature company events, held twice per year and typically hosted by C-suite. All of this is to say, the Council’s leadership presence was frequent, felt across the platform, and as such, further elevated each of the leaders and the relevance and import of their work.
At the firm’s last all-employee survey, more than 95% of the organization expressed a level of agreement with these statements: I use inclusive behaviors; I see others using inclusive behaviors; and I feel like I belong at the company. While these results are measurable, one only needs to attend a single Council event to see and feel the impact of collective learning, growth, and connection throughout the organization.
Further reading: Diversity Wins, How Inclusion Matters (McKinsey & Company)