Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) has become a buzzword in the corporate world, with many organizations attempting to implement DEIB strategies. However, a feeble attempt at a DEIB strategy can be dangerous for the company and the individuals it aims to support.

The first danger of a feeble attempt at a DEIB strategy is that it can be seen as performative. In other words, if a company implements a DEIB strategy without a genuine commitment to the values behind it, it can come off as insincere. This can lead to losing trust and credibility from employees, customers, and investors.

A performative DEIB strategy can also create a hostile work environment. Suppose a company is unwilling to address bias and discrimination issues in its workplace culture; its efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging may be seen as empty gestures. Employees from marginalized communities may feel excluded, undervalued, and unsupported, leading to high turnover rates and a toxic work environment.

A feeble attempt at a DEIB strategy can also result in legal liabilities. If a company claims to have a DEIB strategy but does not implement it, it can lead to claims of false advertising or fraud. Moreover, if a company’s DEIB strategy fails to meet legal standards, it can result in costly lawsuits, investigations, and fines.

Another danger of a feeble DEIB strategy is that it can perpetuate systemic inequality. Suppose a company is unwilling to address the root causes of inequality, such as implicit bias, lack of diversity in leadership, and inequitable hiring and promotion practices, will fall short. This can reinforce existing power imbalances and limit opportunities for individuals from underrepresented groups.

Finally, a feeble attempt at a DEIB strategy can damage a company’s reputation. In today’s world, consumers and stakeholders are increasingly aware of the importance of DEIB. If a company’s DEIB strategy is seen as inadequate, it can result in negative publicity and a tarnished brand image. This can lead to lost revenue, decreased market share, and difficulty attracting top talent.

We know that a feeble attempt at a DEIB strategy can have severe consequences for companies and individuals. To avoid these dangers, companies must commit to an authentic DEIB strategy that addresses the root causes of inequality and promotes a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

What does a poorly executed DEIB strategy look like?

Tokenism is evident. When a company hires or promotes individuals from underrepresented groups without addressing systemic inequality and bias, it creates the illusion of diversity while maintaining the status quo. Tokenism can create a hostile work environment for individuals who feel they are not valued for their skills or abilities but rather for their demographic characteristics.

Ignoring the systemic issues are found in poorly executed DEIB strategy. Ignoring systemic matters might lead to inequality and discrimination. A company should implement diversity training while addressing inequitable hiring and promotion practices. Or, they might focus on surface-level diversity, such as race and gender, without addressing other forms of diversity, such as age, religion, or sexual orientation.

Lack of accountability is another sign of a poorly executed DEIB strategy. This means the company fails to hold individuals or teams accountable for their behavior, even when it is discriminatory or exclusionary. When these behaviors continue unchecked without consequences, it creates a toxic work environment for marginalized individuals.

Inadequate resources often result in insufficient support for individuals from underrepresented groups. This includes resources such as mentoring programs, affinity groups, and access to professional development opportunities. These resources are necessary for individuals from underrepresented groups to have the same career advancement and growth opportunities as their peers.

One size fits all approach is a mistake that assumes all individuals from underrepresented groups have the same experiences and needs. This can lead to programs and initiatives that are not effective in addressing the unique challenges and barriers that individuals from different underrepresented individuals face.

Here are the elements of a comprehensive approach to DEIB:

Leadership commitment – A comprehensive DEIB approach starts at the top of the org chart with a strong commitment from leadership. Leaders must be vocal about the importance of DEIB and demonstrate their commitment through actions, not just words. This includes allocating resources, setting measurable goals, and holding themselves and others accountable for progress.

Diversity in recruitment and retention – An intentional effort must exist to recruit and retain individuals from underrepresented communities. This means that recruitment processes are designed to reach a diverse pool of candidates, and selection processes are fair and equitable. Additionally, organizations must create a work environment that welcomes and supports individuals from diverse backgrounds, providing them opportunities to grow and advance and, sometimes, accommodations within the company.

Education and training – These essential components include training on implicit bias, microaggressions, and other forms of discrimination and diverse cultures, histories, and perspectives. Often, these discriminatory behaviors are unintended; education and training help create a shared understanding of the importance of diversity and help individuals recognize and address instances of discrimination or exclusion.

Inclusive policies and practices – These are policies and practices that promote inclusion and equity. This includes policies related to accommodations for individuals with disabilities, parental leave, and flexible work arrangements. Additionally, organizations must ensure that performance evaluations, promotions, and other HR practices are fair and equitable and contain no gender, race, religion, disability, or orientation biases.

Employee resources groups (ERGs)) and allies – ERGs provide a safe space for individuals from underrepresented groups to connect, share experiences, and provide support. ERGs can also help organizations identify issues and opportunities for improvement related to DEIB. Allies who do not belong to underrepresented groups but support DEIB efforts also play an essential role in creating an inclusive work environment.

Measurement and accountability – This means setting measurable goals, tracking progress towards those goals, and holding individuals and teams accountable for their behavior. It also means creating transparency around DEIB efforts, sharing progress with employees and stakeholders, and being willing to course-correct as needed.

However, a common misconception is that only individuals from underrepresented groups should lead DEIB initiatives. Ideally, this group needs to include the underrepresented AND allies. If done wrong, the DEIB initiative can be problematic for the following reasons:

Real tensions will likely be exposed when an underrepresented person attempts to educate and illuminate a white audience about the realities of microaggressions and implicit bias.  There is a tendency for these conversations to be seen as confrontational, emotional, and upsetting, and the necessary individual introspection, looking at oneself in the mirror, is replaced with emotion, anxiety, and even anger. In these prickly training conversations, it is helpful to have allies that can support and even intercede to avoid these sessions from becoming “black-splaining,” redirecting the focus on the reality of microaggressions and systemic discriminatory behaviors.

The team may have good intentions and a strong passion for the cause, but they also must have the necessary skills and resources to implement an effective DEIB strategy. This team must have experience in HR, organizational development, and change management. If they don’t, the DEIB initiative will lack structure and focus and struggle to gain buy-in from other employees. Without the right skills and experience, they will also be unable to effectively measure the impact of their efforts to demonstrate the value the initiative is bringing to the company.

Another risk is that these members of underrepresented groups are often seen as “diversity hires,” and their expertise and skills are frequently questioned. This creates a hostile work environment for the team, with many employees feeling resentful and skeptical of their leadership.

The team may also face pressure from underrepresented groups to prioritize the concerns and interests of their unique demographic, which makes it challenging to create a comprehensive DEIB approach that addresses the needs of all employees.

Because of these risks, the DEIB initiative will fail to impact the company’s culture and work environment significantly. It is common for the team to face burnout and frustration with the lack of progress, and the company misses out on the opportunity to create a genuinely inclusive and diverse work environment.

This cautionary tale highlights the importance of having a diverse team lead DEIB initiatives and ensuring the team has the necessary skills and resources to implement an effective strategy.

Having diverse representation in leadership positions and having all employees feel safe and respected in the workplace is vital. Knowing this, it is critical to intentionally create a comprehensive approach that includes leadership commitment, diversity recruitment and retention, education and training, inclusive policies and practices, employee resource groups and allies, and measurement and accountability. When done right, organizations will create a genuinely inclusive and diverse work environment that benefits all employees.