Research shows that more diverse organizations are more innovative, more profitable and have greater employee engagement than those that lack diversity. When you get individuals of different races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions and physical abilities together on a team, you wind up with an incredibly rich tapestry of outlooks and perspectives that bring greater depth to the work you do. I think there’s no question that diversity should be a key priority for every organization.
But diversity doesn’t just happen on its own. It requires commitment and concerted efforts to be made by leadership. My colleagues and I have been putting in the work to make our nonprofit organization exemplary in terms of diversity, and it’s been paying off.
If you’re not sure where to begin, these four steps can help you move the dial on your organization’s diversity.
1. Address diversity and inclusion efforts constantly.
It’s simply not enough to talk about diversity and inclusion once or twice per year at company-wide meetings. Creating an inclusive work environment must be an ongoing conversation between leadership and staff. Consider how you might adopt the following actions to improve diversity and inclusion in your organization:
• Create a diversity and inclusion policy for your organization.
• Bring in training providers to lead diversity and inclusion workshops for staff.
• Create a Pride version of your organization’s logo to use during the month of June.
• Ensure job descriptions are not discriminatory by reviewing terminology and required skills.
• Experiment with blind recruitment processes to alleviate bias.
2. Take a strong stance on supporting employees.
An important way to make staff from all backgrounds feel safe is to stand up for them in the face of abuse. I believe organizations must adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse—even if it means losing supporters. I used to tell my kids that they must never allow anyone to abuse them, mentally or physically. That’s also what I believe as the leader of IFAW.
Unfortunately, members of our fundraising team have recently found themselves on the receiving end of racist comments. It’s a troubling dilemma: People who are trying to raise money for an organization often feel as though they should suffer abuse so they don’t lose donations. But as the leader of the organization, I’ve made it clear that I don’t care how much (or how little) money a person is giving us—staff must not be subjected to disparaging comments. In fact, we have put in place training for our staff on how to have difficult conversations with donors who are making racist remarks over the phone. The script could be as simple as: “We appreciate your support, but we don’t share those views. Goodbye.” Encouraging staff to respond this way can make them feel empowered rather than belittled.
3. Consider the face of the organization.
If you’ve succeeded in creating a diverse workplace, don’t be afraid to showcase it. Avoid focusing solely on the CEO as the voice of an organization, with all correspondence to donors sent out under their name, with the result that their face is the only image donors see of staff. When I took my position, I felt it was important for our supporters to hear other voices and see other faces, which was a fundamental shift from a brand point of view.
Having our staff around the world tell our stories in their own voices has been a key factor in our global achievements. Part of the reason for our success in China, for instance, is due to our many Chinese staff who speak the language, know the culture and can communicate with authority about our work there. Giving a voice to staff around the world, no matter where they sit on an organizational chart, can demonstrate the diversity of your organization in a meaningful way.
4. Prepare for change resistance.
Improving diversity often requires organizations to make big changes. I like change; in fact, I would say the one constant in my life has been change, so it’s not anxiety-provoking for me. But any form of change will likely be met with resistance from at least a few employees. Such resistance can prevent the organization from moving forward if not handled properly.
As the leader, you must make it clear how employees will ultimately benefit from changes related to improving diversity. Talk about the impending changes calmly—it should never become a heated argument. Once you start implementing the changes, keep the conversation going. Update employees on progress, stumbling blocks, successes and failures to give them a sense of involvement. There is a great focus on transparency at IFAW, and to me that means sharing the good, the bad and the ugly with staff. Be prepared to hear from employees who can never get enough information, and from those who prefer not to know all that change means for the organization.
A version of this article appeared on forbes.com, posted on October 24, 2022
EXPERD, Human Resources Consultant, Jakarta – Indonesia