We all know things are moving fast - that’s why we must continue to iterate our approach to DEI  

After an uptick in the number of roles dedicated to DEI within organisations after the murder of George Floyd, recent research has shed light on the decline of DEI roles since late 2020, highlighting higher turnover and ever-accelerating layoffs. Twitter (now X), for example, has reduced its DEI team from 30 to just 21, with Amazon, Applebee’s, Nike and Wayfair also cutting back. In fact, data compiled by Revelio Labs found DEI teams in tech shed around a third of their staff in 2022. Of course, the pandemic meant layoffs and cutbacks across the board, but it seems DEI professionals are taking a significant hit, with huge knock-on effects for the diversity of our companies.

Perhaps when it comes to making staff cuts, well-intentioned commitments that aren’t backed up with proper strategy are the key reason that DEI professionals are the first out the door. Perhaps it’s a last in first out approach. It was never going to be a quick fix. Maybe some thought it was. But what is clearer now more than ever is that embedding DEI within organisations is a journey - not a destination. As with any initiative, planning and resources are required to maximise the chance of success. It’s hard to communicate the value of these interventions without them.

This year, McKinsey found companies failing to see significant progress with their DEI initiatives fell into three broad categories: launching without a baseline (where have we been, where are we going, what do we need?) wasting scarce time and energy with an incremental approach; and inconsistent measuring, leading to missed opportunities to change tack or build on successes.

The companies making headway however, were those taking a systematic approach: bold vision; a baseline established with analytics; a plan aligned to overall strategy; monitoring progress over time. These are the fundamental building blocks, but by no means spell success on their own.

The fact is, DEI deals in people. Real people with diverse talents, needs and aspirations. We are evolving as a society, and as we grow and change, our DEI goals will need to adapt. We can’t expect that goals set three years ago will still effectively reflect and cater for the current climate - both inside and outside our organisations. Needs shift and intersectional privilege evolves according to the economic, political and social landscape. We can always do more. But in this VUCA world, perhaps ‘more’ is too vague. We need to be alert, agile and focused in on specific challenges. PwC recently interviewed the heads of transformation and DEI at insurance firm Swiss Re, who were part of their white paper on the power of adopting this approach and consolidating the link between DEI and Agile – that one feeds the other.

When times are tough, companies make sacrifices, and it's all too easy to demote more progressive human-centred projects to make ends meet. The problem is, this approach is not sustainable. Our people are everything, and letting DEI fall by the wayside could put us in grave danger of losing talent, decreasing long-term revenue, and damaging a hard-fought-for reputation. We know from a number of studies that an inclusive model increases both revenue and employee retention. Diverse management teams delivering 19% higher innovation revenues, for example, and inclusive companies 3x more likely to retain millennial talent.

So how can we reignite our commitment? How do we refocus our goals to be relevant at all times?

The short answer? Lean in.

Taking stock

First of all, how are things looking at the moment? Conduct and audit; seek out feedback; engage your ERGs if you have them. It may be that you are faced with a plethora of issues to contend with, or it may be that singular problems come to the fore. In any case, there’s no point in trying to tackle everything at once - not least because for many, resources are limited. Instead, try to hone in on some key actions to build from. Rather than grand gestures - many of which have landed companies in this situation in the first place - taking smaller, insight-led actions can demonstrate actual movement in the right direction, instilling greater confidence within the workforce and inspiring further change.

Creating goals you can authentically get behind

We all know that in leadership, authenticity is key. When you are iterating on your DEI goals, keep that front of mind. It will help your employees to remain loyal and motivated, and help you to remain consistent. Unless we believe in what we are doing, we are unlikely to succeed. It may well be that you don’t believe in your company’s current DEI goals; perhaps you think they’re generalised and poorly thought through. Rather than abandoning them altogether, how might you recreate them to be more meaningful?

Encouraging an interactive approach

Importantly, this means making DEI everyone’s responsibility. Part of this is including the entire workforce in the goals and objectives you set, so they can see the importance of the role they play in creating them and making them come to fruition. Goals don’t have to be ‘hit such-and-such number of diverse hires per intake’, they can be far more holistic: improving DEI training engagement; ERG membership; internal mobility, for example. By including everyone in the forging and setting of these goals, you are introducing a common aim - which can be a powerful driver for individual self-development.

When we engage our people with DEI, we are affecting change on a foundational level. You could argue that this is the most powerful piece of the puzzle. After all, psychological safety in the workplace can’t be cultivated with lip service to a cause the majority are disengaged from. From management to internship, communicating the role each individual can play helps us avoid a generalised approach. Often, the right intentions are there, but people don’t know what they can actually do. So, tell them - this is what is expected; please ask questions; what do you think? You want to start these conversations, not simply lay down the law.

Share your goals, your blockers, your plans and your process often - and with transparency. Whether it's at a town hall or a board meeting, this can be instrumental in inspiring confidence and commitment throughout the company. What’s more, you will be communicating yet again that even if the buck stops with you, this work is for everyone.