Today we have a very special interview with Isis Fabian, a workplace culture consultant & career coach who has spent the last decade conducting global research and educating corporate audiences on a wide spectrum of topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially neurodiversity and gender.
In this article, we’ll explore her insights on: DEI’s significance for employee engagement, examining how businesses can integrate it into their culture, measure its impacts, and tailor benefits to meet the diverse needs of their teams.
Let’s get into it.
Welcome, Isis! Thank you for sharing your insights with us.
What are some practical steps companies can take to ensure DEI becomes an integral part of their culture, not just a checkbox?
One practical step is adopting universal leveling guidelines that outline the abilities and competencies needed at each role level. This provides a clear framework to identify and mitigate biases, ensuring fair treatment across the board.
Universal leveling guidelines are a structured framework that defines the specific skills and competencies required for each role level within an organization, starting from the most junior positions, like an associate, and up to higher levels. By clearly outlining what is expected at each stage, these guidelines offer an unambiguous standard against which employees can measure their performance and readiness for promotion. These guidelines enable organizations to focus on an individual’s potential and ability rather than relying on subjective judgments, creating a more equitable environment for identifying and promoting top talent.
When it comes to identifying and promoting talent, it’s important to consider different perspectives, and that’s where 360 reviews come in. These reviews allow employees to receive feedback not just from their managers, but also from peers and direct reports, giving a more rounded view of performance.
Another step is to focus on identifying leaders within your organization who naturally foster diverse teams, especially if you’re at the beginning stages of implementing DEI initiatives. Examine which high-performing teams outshine others in terms of their diversity and talent retention and consider developing leadership playbooks based on their management strategies. You can learn how these leaders successfully merge the company’s unique cultural history with innovative practices. It’s crucial to understand and codify their approaches as these diverse teams often achieve superior results.
A lot of organizations have a misconception that it’s either diverse talent or high performance. But, it’s actually the opposite. The more diverse an organization is, the better its performance. Expecting to choose between “the best” and a “diverse” candidate indicates a lack of readiness to embrace and leverage a diverse workforce. Importantly, healthy cultures naturally foster diversity, but the formula doesn’t work in the opposite direction—i.e., manufacturing diversity within an unhealthy culture will not yield a healthy culture, and instead the diversity will be pushed out.
What roles do leadership and management play in this?
I’ve seen, and some research has started to indicate this, that the presence of a diversity and inclusion team can actually reduce leadership commitment to DEI. As soon as you hire that team internally, leaders often step back and think DEI isn’t their job anymore. I would recommend not hiring someone in-house that can be perceived as the person whose job it is to change the culture or diversify the workforce, because without leadership driving the change, that person will never be empowered to do either thing.
Instead, it’s essential to establish well-defined competencies expected from leaders, which can be evaluated using 360-degree reviews. Additionally, assigning a well-qualified coach to every leader can significantly enhance their ability to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion on their teams. This coach doesn’t need to specialize in DEI but should be capable of encouraging self-awareness regarding personal biases and blind spots. The ultimate goal is to guide leaders to manage and lead in a manner that mitigates these shortcomings actively.
There are many misunderstandings about DEI, and numerous companies are not approaching it effectively or for the right reasons. With over a decade of experience in this field, I’ve observed that many DEI initiatives aren’t achieving their intended outcomes, and at times, they even have adverse effects. What is truly necessary are managers and leaders who cultivate the competency to hire, promote, and nurture diverse teams, who enable every individual to reach their full potential. This should be measured as an integral part of one’s leadership responsibilities.
When conducting 360-degree reviews, it’s crucial to focus on behaviors and cultural norms. Questions should explore whether a manager fosters a psychologically safe environment, ensures that the best ideas are implemented regardless of who suggests them, and fairly distributes work. While these questions might not directly mention DEI, they are essential in promoting the kind of equity that supports a diverse team. Without such an environment, individuals from marginalized groups may join the company only to leave shortly thereafter.
In what ways can fostering an inclusive culture enhance overall employee engagement and satisfaction?
The short answer is that people will stay. Non-inclusive workplaces often drive away top talent, regardless of their backgrounds, as these environments make it difficult to work effectively. Nothing makes someone talented more frustrated than not being able to operate effectively in an environment and be recognized, rewarded, and empowered according to the level at which they are contributing.
As a leader, it is vital to recognize and address your own biases, blind spots, and shortcomings. By leading in a way that actively counters these issues, you create a more inclusive environment that encourages employees to remain, thrive, and contribute positively to the organization. Leaders who embrace this approach tend to have higher retention rates and maximize the potential of their teams.
How can companies measure the impact of DEI on employee engagement?
To effectively gauge the impact of DEI initiatives on employee engagement, companies can start by analyzing differences among various teams. For example, examining the engagement levels of diverse versus non-diverse teams, as well as gender-balanced versus non-gender-balanced teams, can provide initial insights.
It is equally important to assess how cultural norms align with diverse representation and identify any inverse relationships that may exist. Psychological safety, characterized by a supportive environment where employees feel safe to take risks and make mistakes, is a critical metric to evaluate. Additionally, leadership humility and openness to learning from failures are crucial indicators of a strong DEI culture. These factors not only support a fair and meritocratic workplace but also naturally phase out individuals who do not contribute positively to the team or organizational objectives.
When true DEI is implemented effectively, all dedicated, honest, hard-working employees benefit.
What are some common challenges organizations face when implementing DEI initiatives, and how can they overcome them?
Organizations often face several challenges when implementing DEI initiatives, with misconceptions being a significant hurdle. Many people misunderstand or mistrust the concept of DEI, leading to skepticism from both advantaged and marginalized groups when organizations announce new DEI efforts. This skepticism is often fueled by insincere, superficial, or performative actions taken by previous employers or brands, which can tarnish the credibility of genuine initiatives.
Therefore, it is crucial for organizations to be intentional with their messaging in a way that resonates authentically with their workforce, emphasizing sincerity and commitment beyond just optics, and possibly avoiding the term “DEI” altogether if it won’t resonate. Another common challenge is implementing DEI for the wrong reasons, such as appealing to younger consumers and workers or responding to negative press, rather than for the purpose of genuinely improving their workplace.
To overcome these challenges, organizations should establish a true north star that is focused on becoming an excellent workplace that nurtures the potential of every employee. This involves creating a culture where everyone is empowered to contribute, recognized for their efforts, and rewarded fairly. By fostering a genuine commitment to these principles, companies can build trust and effectively drive their DEI initiatives forward.
In terms of benefits, are there any actions that you’ve seen that could help diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
From a benefits perspective, it’s crucial to address the entire employee lifecycle, particularly for junior-level, high-potential talent who are not yet managers but are valuable to retain. These individuals often have limited access to career resources, making it beneficial to provide support such as career coaching and affinity group resources, like those available through disability or women’s employee resource groups. These initiatives help foster retention by offering much-needed guidance and support. Additionally, involving professionals with learning and development expertise to discuss relevant workforce issues can further enhance this support system.
I’ve been surprised to see how many people are excited to see benefits that they don’t use or have any intention of using. It’s the implication of what it means when a company offers those things that capture attention. For instance, when a company offers extended maternity leave or makes pumping parts available in their wellness room, it sends a powerful message.
Employees are joining these companies because they learned these benefits exist, even though they themselves may not intend to use them. Certain benefits which are related to or supportive of marginalized groups, such as coverage for gender-affirming care, create a sense of safety and comfort for many prospective employees well beyond the population which may use the benefit. They convey that the organization is a place where people who are different can truly be themselves.
Companies need to consider the impression, values, and impact they’re communicating through the benefits they offer. Many employers might not realize the potential far-reaching effects of these benefits on employee engagement. Employees perceive that a company genuinely cares about them when benefits are personalized and cater to various individual needs.
