How do you align diversity goals with other departments?

Not every department can be equally diverse so while every departments attempts diversity, the goals should be organizational level and not department level. While diversity goals are being set, a realistic assessment of the available talent pool should be also be considered.

It is extremely important to remember that diversity is not a department and should be a part of all departments. Diversity work should be organized in the structure of all departments as a priority.

Here are some practical tips to help you achieve the Diversity & Inclusion alignment: 1. Ensure that senior leaders are committed to D & I initiatives. 2. Create a comprehensive D & I strategy that outlines specific goals, objectives, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for each department. 3. Offer D & I training for all employees, including department leaders. 4. Establish clear metrics and accountability mechanisms for tracking progress. Departments should regularly report on their D & I efforts, and leaders should be held accountable for meeting their goals. 5. Recognize and celebrate departmental achievements in D & I. Positive reinforcement can motivate departments to continue their efforts.

Engaging with departments to align diversity goals involves clear communication of the vision, showcasing the benefits of inclusivity, and tailoring goals to each department's context. Regular progress updates and feedback loops ensure ongoing alignment and a unified commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace.

Additionally, gain insights from one another, as peer learning or learning from colleagues can be an effective method for both learning and engaging people. For instance, if an organization includes members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and there's a project related to this community, or if in-depth understanding and diverse perspectives are needed, it's crucial to involve them. Organize focused group discussions or one-on-one conversations to truly empathize with and comprehend their needs, ensuring they feel valued, heard, understood, and included, rather than merely using them as symbolic tokens or fulfilling quotas.

And once done, communicate and sensitize the leadership on the same. And through them, cascade it across the organization. The communication of the new policies and practices; aligned to the organization vision and diversity goals is crucial.

A very important step which starts with reviewing existing policies, identifying gaps and biases. Then restructure hiring, promotion, and evaluation practices to promote inclusivity. For harmonious integration and alignment with diversity objectives in everyday operations, a regular review helps to a great extent.

Always keep in mind that policies do not have to be uniform for everyone because the focus is on equity, not absolute equality. For instance, a new mother could be granted additional work-from-home days compared to her colleagues. Similarly, individuals with ADHD or on the autism spectrum might be offered greater freedom and flexibility in choosing their work environment, whether it's a private office or their home. Their perspectives should be valued in meetings, even if their communication style differs from neurotypical individuals.

Women could have access to period leaves or the option to work from home, and companies can implement flexible personal wellness leave policies that encompass various needs, including mental health and physical well-being, fostering an inclusive and non-judgmental environment.

Always better to pick up representatives from various areas to have brainstorming sessions to decide on policies. And that would encourage inclusion and accountability.

If DEI is organized effectively, it sits under People or Talent and alongside, not under HR. This means you have the opportunity to tap into HR business partners and leader to work together on department metrics, talent strategies and retention initiative. Similarly to Marketing and Recruitment on brand and candidate. attraction. Bring in metrics on diversity on career pages, company websites and social posts increase diverse candidate and potential clients. It expands the brand of the company that is doing more, doing good and caring about their employees. Umbrella this work as part of a companies organizational health, ensuring talent is engaged, feeling seen, valued, included, safe and retained.

Once the alignment is achieved, go beyond the department and organization boundaries. Involve and communicate to suppliers, vendors, customers and other external stakeholders.

Collaborating effectively on DEI initiatives involves a combination of cultural change, strategic planning, and continuous communication to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace. We need to encourage open discussions about DEI within the organization, challenge biases and stereotypes, and create a culture of respect and understanding

Often diversity is mistaken as a single department's responsibility. On the contrary, it is a collective effort by every individual. Collaboration is key to strengthening diversity and inclusion, where teams come together to organize projects, campaigns, and initiatives, with a sole purpose of driving a brand's growth strategy forward.

It's "THE" thing to ensure 100% alignment towards diversity goals and same can be done by fostering open dialogue, encouraging idea sharing & promoting collective ownership across organisation. This helps to ensure unified efforts towards inclusive excellence.

Always Always Always Celebrate milestones and successes. This creates opportunity to re-communicate the core message and also emphasize that the vision is backed by action and concrete results. Improves confidence in the initiative and gets more support.

Establishing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are a great way to provide a platform for employees to collaborate and share their experiences and success stories related to DEI. Extend DEI celebrations beyond the organization by engaging in community initiatives and partnerships that promote diversity and inclusion. Use data and metrics to show the positive impact of DEI initiatives on the organization, such as improved retention rates and increased innovation.

I agree that, by celebrating successes, organizations can reinforce their commitment and motivation, inspire others to join or support their efforts, and create a positive and inclusive environment for all

To ensure the enduring sustainability of established objectives, organizations should commemorate achievements and recognize setbacks. This practice aids in recalibration, revitalizing the entire workforce for improved accomplishments and the successful pursuit of goals in the next phase.

Let every week the review meetings start by congratulating specific contributions by highlighting exemplary behaviours aligned with the policies. That is one effective way to celebrate.

Specific time needs to be set aside to ensure that company leadership is focused on learning and improving. Leadership teams are likely to be the least diverse and inclusive group in a company and given their visibility and stature need to tangibly demonstrate their commitment to D&I by visibly dedicated time to understanding the diversity of their teams and learning from their experiences.

Be willing to experiment on your DEI joirney and have a mechanism to determine how you evaluate whether these experiments were successful (to scale them) vs not (to learn and move on). Also the think about how you can engage stakeholders outside your organization (local communities, other non profit or for profit organizations, government bodies etc.) in support of your efforts.

Remember that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not 'set it and forget it' concepts. They demand continuous management, cultivation, and growth. To achieve this, consistently inquire with employees about their preferences for inclusion. Identify their distinct strengths and how the organization can harness each individual's unique selling points (USP). This also involves accepting neurodiversity, diverse perspectives, and acknowledging the power of differences while supporting and complementing one another.

If nature is continuously learning from the surroundings and environment so why not humans and the organizations. It's need of the hour to make learning and adaptation process on a proactive and automated basis which will ensure progress and ultimately The Excellence.

Celebrate successes and cheer on the progress but don't shy away from sharing the challenges you continue to face when it comes to embedding D&I. Share your journey and you'll be helping others by raising awareness at the same time you'll learn from those who have successfully addressed that particular issue in their organisation. Build your D&I network and talk to each other.

Have regular conversations around Diversity and Inclusion. Make DEI sensitivity part of the induction program for new joiners (at all levels and seniority)

D&I translates in:”the fair treatment and full participation of all people" particularly groups "who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination" on the basis of identity or disability. Now starting from this definition, I almost hate the fact that this is presented as an ‘effort’. As a true leader, as a healthy company, you wouldn’t need a ‘hype’ to promote and support the D&I, you will do it naturally. A company that hires based on attitude, skills and fit for role, team and company will never care what’s your ethnic background, skin colour, religion or if you have a disability. They will hire you based on your capability and merits regardless of anything else. Calling it an ‘effort’ makes me cringe