Building an ED&I ecosystem: Why diversity programmes fail
In a world that is becoming increasingly diverse and interconnected, fostering an ED&I (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) ecosystem is no longer a choice – it’s a business imperative. Yet, despite extensive discussions over the last few years, Diversity and Inclusion is still not a reality for many organisations, as there might be challenges along the way.
The good news is that ED&I is not a destination; it’s a journey that all businesses are going through, hence the importance of best practice sharing and mutual learning. We are delighted to launch the first instalment of our ED&I blog series, called ‘Building an ED&I Ecosystem’ to inspire you to embrace diversity as part of your corporate strategy, position your organisation around key ED&I topics and lead the change in your industry.
To open this series, our first blog will explore why diversity programs fail and how to prevent this from happening.
The challenges of diversity programmes
Having a culture where every individual feels valued, respected and included brings several well-known benefits, such as enhanced innovation and creativity, better decision-making and expanded market reach. However, implementing a robust ED&I strategy demands more than just good intentions; it requires an ongoing commitment to drive lasting change.
To help companies navigate how to create a successful programme, we have analysed the rise and fall of diversity programmes and explore the reasons why some of them might fail. We’ve compiled a list of the main challenges that hinder businesses from unlocking their full potential and taking their ED&I agenda to the next level, as well as advice on what can be done to avoid these pitfalls and create a robust plan within your own team.
1. Lack of strategy
According to CIPD’s Inclusion at Work 2022 report, 47% of employers still do not have a ready equality, diversity and inclusion strategy in place. As with everything in business, a strategy is indispensable. It is fundamental to have a comprehensive framework that encompasses clear objectives and an extensive action plan bridging the gap between where the organisation is and where it wants to be. To even further maximise results, this plan should be aligned to the overall business strategy to more deeply ingrain it within your company’s ethos and vision.
2. Insufficient governance
Implementing disconnected, standalone initiatives is another common mistake that will jeopardize your progress. To ensure the effectiveness of all ED&I efforts, it’s crucial to integrate them within a cohesive governance plan – led by an ED&I committee or a specific department – ensuring that there are mechanisms in place for holding individuals accountable for diversity and inclusion while establishing an ecosystem that interconnects all activities in this space.
3. No measurement
Quantifying and qualifying the impact of ED&I initiatives often falls by the wayside and this can mislead your strategy. Measuring data creates a baseline for your organization’s current ED&I status, serving as a reference point against which you can track progress over time and build an evidence-based long-term plan.
4. Superficial approach
About 25% of leaders admitted their ED&I activities were entirely or mostly “reactive to issues or reporting requirement changes”, according to CIPD. True change requires more than just beautiful speeches and quick fixes. It demands tangible actions to address past, present and potential issues that could harm employee engagement and inclusivity. To create impact, organisations must go beyond theory and turn policies into real practice.
Shifting the narrative
Building an ED&I ecosystem can’t be reduced to a checkbox exercise. It’s essential to acknowledge and address the challenges that lie ahead in order to create the foundation of a strong strategy that will lead to more diversity, engagement and ultimately, business impact.
We understand that this journey can be demanding and learning from other companies’ experience might help. That’s why we have created our ED&I consultancy service, bringing together the learnings we’ve had in our own journey as a global leader in the HR industry as well as the continuous insights we get by supporting our clients from different sectors and sizes with recruitment, people management and inclusion.
Our programme is designed to provide you a strategic partner, offering external guidance to your unique internal scenario. We will:
- Step 1: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of your organisation’s current state, identify your ED&I maturity level and help you to create SMART goals.
- Step 2: Based on the assessment, work closely with you to develop a customized ED&I roadmap or enhance your existing one, taking into consideration your industry, your data and established targets to ensure full alignment with your business strategy.
- Step 3: Supporting you to externalise your impact, enabling you to position yourself effectively in the market and develop new platforms to engage with stakeholders.
If you’re ready to take the next step in creating a more inclusive workplace, contact us today to talk about our consultancy service.
In the meantime, stay tuned for more insightful ED&I posts in our series, where we will delve deeper into various aspects of equity, diversity, and inclusion, providing you with actionable insights and best practices.