3 ways to improve diversity and inclusion in your organization | World Economic Forum

The global pandemic has put much of everyday life on hold, including many important corporate initiatives. While it’s understandable that plant expansions or new product releases may have been delayed for economic reasons, indications are that some companies have also slowed down their diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) programmes. And that is troubling.

None of us has all the answers, especially during these troubling times. And yet, as Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “The way to begin is to begin.” That has been our approach at HPE, with the awareness that we have much to learn and far more to do. I share here three observations that have struck me as we have been talking to employees, and questioning our own approach and beliefs.

When an issue arises or a crisis strikes, our immediate instinct is to take action. But we must be mindful that we respond and not simply react. And a powerful, meaningful response begins with listening. As one of our team members said in a meeting earlier this summer: “How can you fix what you don’t understand? How can you help me when you haven’t even taken the time to hear me?”

These are steps in the right direction and we understand there are no easy, quick-fix solutions. But we are wholeheartedly committed to better educating ourselves, challenging our beliefs, and transforming into better allies and advocates for our team members whose voices are underrepresented.

Racism is systemic and systemic problems can’t be wished away with piecemeal or one-time actions. To be both meaningful and effective, DE&I initiatives must be ongoing and institutionalized, so the entire system becomes diverse, equitable and inclusive. Only systemic change can right the wrongs of systemic racial and socio-economic inequalities. For example, HPE recently took the steps to amend historical technical nomenclature to eliminate common terminology that is today regarded as offensive and discriminatory, based on the IEFT recommendations.

The business adage “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” certainly applies to DE&I. How will we know the steps we’re taking to become an equitable, more inclusive and welcoming workplace are working if we don’t set goals and hold ourselves accountable?

Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs), and holding ourselves accountable to them, is the only way forward. Tracking employee participation in meetings and forums, and regularly surveying them on the effectiveness of DE&I programmes will inform whether or not we are moving towards our first goal of listening. Further, we must painstakingly and continually analyze hard data with respect to a more diverse workforce at all levels of the organization.

A range of forces are at play. By 2022, some 60% of gross domestic product will be digitized – but current education systems are failing to prepare people for decent work in this future. Based on current trends, it will also take approximately two centuries to close the global economic gender gap. Meanwhile, the world’s richest 1% are on course to control as much as two-thirds of the world’s wealth by 2030.

The world is ever-changing. What was seemingly impactful in DE&I yesterday can take a sudden turn tomorrow. That’s why it will take a sustained, thoughtful engagement to drive real change. We must show that we’re focused on the long term, with clear goals and a culture of learning and adapting along the way.