HRB | DE&I Program | AK

Basic components of a good DE&I program

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) has been a subject of corporate conversation lately. How to implement it, whether it’s effective, and even what to call it has been called into question by business and political leaders. While some DE&I programs were started in 2020, they have roots in the civil rights movement, when in 1961, the first affirmative action executive order said that federal job applicants and employees of color must be treated equally. While early DE&I initiatives focused mainly on race, they expanded to include gender, religious, and LGBTQ+ diversity. Diversity programs have continued to evolve. Despite the changes, people leaders tell HR Brew that some constants, including leadership support, employee network groups (ENGs), and continuous education, are important to DE&I. Business-wide effort Ty Beasley, chief talent officer of US operations at RSM, an assurance and tax consultancy with more than 16,000 US employees, recently told HR Brew how the company’s culture, diversity, and inclusion (CD&I) program, a variant of DE&I, has morphed since its beginnings a decade ago. CD&I was recently incorporated into the HR department after largely operating as its own division. “We now want to build on top of the foundation we have to say now everything we do as an organization…we now want it to be embedded and a part of…CD&I,” Beasley said.

“A lot of DE&I programs fail because they're not taking a look at how they run their marketing department, or how they run their finance department, or how they lead internal communications... that's where the DE&I program really comes to life.” –Christie Lindor, founder and CEO of Tessi Consulting

This change meant that all diversity initiatives, even those focused on business growth, would be carried out by HR. “We aim to have that environment where everyone feels included, because inclusion is just part of our DNA,” Beasley explained. Christie Lindor, founder and CEO of Tessi Consulting, a DE&I consultancy and education firm, agreed with this approach. “A truly integrated DE&I program has to have three pillars,” Lindor said. These pillars include culture and community (the traditional aspects of DE&I), as well as a clear strategy and vision, and business integration. “A lot of DE&I programs fail because they’re not taking a look at how they run their marketing department, or how they run their finance department, or how they lead internal communications…that’s where the DE&I program really comes to life,” Lindor said.

RSM's Ty Beasley says that diversity initiatives should be incorporated into every part of the business.

“It’ll be to a point where, just like I can’t imagine having an organization without a finance function, we wouldn't even think to have an organization without a CD&I culture.” –Ty Beasley, chief talent officer of US operations at RSM

RSM publicly releases an annual CD&I report to help hold it accountable. “It’s a business imperative for us. It positions us to serve our clients with excellence and develop our people…so we keep track of it,” Beasley said. RSM tracks gender and race representation—by role and retention—across the business. The company also publicly shares pay equity information. Experts stress that diversity goals and metrics will vary based on the organization and its individual needs. Employee network groups Over one-half (56%) of companies sponsored employee resource groups (ERGs), another name for ENGs, in 2022, according to Sequoia, and employers are increasingly compensating ERG leaders. ERGs can help drive inclusion and belonging when they have funding and executive support. Beasley said that the employee communities at RSM not only help workers connect with each other, but help drive the business forward. He said that RSM’s military ENG (called VALOR), for example, crafted a strategy to recruit military spouses, who are among those with the highest unemployment rates, connecting the company with valuable job candidates.

Culture & Community

Strategy & Vision

Business Integration

56%

The percentage of companies with ERGs

Participation from leaders can also be key to DE&I success. At RSM, nearly 90% of partners support CD&I in some way, whether it’s through ENGs or energetically showing support of the program’s other initiatives, Beasley said.

93%

The percentage of partners at RSM who support diversity initiatives

He also said that the company recognizes employees who lead and help ENGs succeed, though they are not financially compensated. “Their effort and their critical thinking and their passion and how they come up with helping in that frame continue to drive the firm’s culture forward is recognized,” Beasley said. Education RSM also provides continuous CD&I education, which is required like any other employee training. “The commitment we have to training and development, that includes inclusion, inclusive behaviors, and cultural dexterity,” Beasley said, explaining how this education is weaved into other aspects of employee development. “We are now making that part of our standard development of our people…It’s part of your required training to continue to advance in the firm.” Employees also have access to a navigator tool that teaches them about different cultures. The tool, “helps you best understand maybe some things that’s different than what you would consider ‘norms’ from a US domestic person,” Beasley said. Looking ahead Like any other HR function, people leaders say that DE&I will continue evolving. Emil Yeargin, chief people officer at Gusto, an HR software management firm, predicts that HR and legal teams will become more closely aligned, especially if laws around DE&I change. “You’ll see more teams getting closer to their employment law, or legal and compliance friends,” he said, adding that he meets with his legal team once a week.

Beasley is optimistic that culture and diversity will someday be considered as essential to a business as any of its divisions. “Whether it be with educational strategy; whether it be with the identification of new clients; whether it be new, innovative ways to develop our people with leadership skills,” he said. “It’ll be to a point where, just like I can’t imagine having an organization without a finance function, we wouldn’t even think to have an organization without a CD&I culture.”

Source: Sequoia

Source: RSM

Amelia Kinsinger

By Kristen Parisi April 25, 2024