Last week, I offered my one unshakeable prediction for 2024: that DEI is not going away any time soon.
Yet the political forces determined to undermine business’s commitment to DEI are growing louder. And, as we saw last week, they’re claiming scalps. But while the activists cannot be placated, the real danger is that people who are not activists may be open to their message that diversity is politically correct wokeism run amok.
In the interests of pushing back, let me provide specifics about how DEI is spurring creativity, securing passionate engagement and improving performance.
Here are 3 concrete examples of successfully inclusive companies :
Delta Airlines has benefited hugely from CEO Ed Bastien’s stated commitment to “taking care of our people so they can take care of our customers.” As a result, Delta now consistently beats its competitors on customer satisfaction (as a committed Delta flyer, I concur). Yet putting employees first has required rethinking career mobility for people of color. So Delta set in motion a “skills first” approach that removes the barrier of a four-year degree from jobs that do not actually require it. This has enabled the company to reclassify nearly 90 percent of available jobs, while opening a path to higher-earning corporate positions for the front-line people who deal directly with customers, and bring that invaluable experience with them to work.
Mozilla, the parent company of Firefox (my browser since 2004) has gone big on the engagement of transgender employees, supporting them through transition and providing voluntary training for colleagues who fear appearing awkward or saying the wrong thing around those in transition. Given that nearly 50% of Mozilla employees chose to sign up for this training, those who in the past may have felt targeted report feeling far more included and seen for who they are. This has instilled passionate pride and engagement among Mozilla employees and customers, while sharpening the company’s long-time brand as “Internet for people, not profit.”
SAP, the German enterprise software company, has expanded its recruiting practices in response to an increasingly competitive market for engineering talent. In particular, SAP developed policies that offer exceptional support to those on the autism spectrum, starting with the application process and continuing through accommodation and coaching. The upshot? A retention rate of nearly 90%, as well as an uptick in innovation. Of particular note is a tool that cuts cross-department invoicing times from 2 days to 20 minutes developed by an employee hired through the Autism at Work initiative.
These examples illustrate DEI’s value in a way that makes demonstrable business sense, offering a way to push back against those determined to make the case against it. I want to give more oxygen to such stories over the next few months by digging out rich examples of organizations that have implemented programs aimed at supporting and including employees who may have felt undervalued in the past, or questioned whether they could ever truly belong.
If you have a example from personal experience, an anecdotal success story, or simply have a good lead, please let me know. I’d love to make your ideas part of a larger conversation about the positive benefits of inclusive practice.
You can share your comments below, or email me at sally@sallyhelgesen.com.
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