Alexis Krivkovich

The biggest inequity in advancement remains the broken rung—the very first step up into a manager position. Proportionally, for every 100 men we see leap forward, only 87 women advance. And if you’re a woman of color, it’s 73. If you’re a Black woman, it’s only 54. And it starts at the very beginning of a career. The challenge with this is that it sets … [ Read more ]

What Comes After DEI

While backlash to DEI has challenged how many companies and practitioners approach creating more equitable workplaces, fewer have considered whether DEI work itself has room to improve. A new framework, built around the core outcomes of fairness, access, inclusion, and representation (FAIR) that DEI was supposed to achieve for all, offers a new direction. Instead of the performative, individual-centered, isolated, and zero-sum methods of the current … [ Read more ]

The diversity and inclusion revolution: Eight powerful truths

While most business leaders now believe having a diverse and inclusive culture is critical to performance, they don’t always know how to achieve that goal. Here are eight powerful truths that can help turn aspirations into reality.

Netta Jenkins

A “culture add” is someone who may bring qualities or experiences that are not already present on the team, as opposed to the “culture fit”—someone who exemplifies the attributes already on the team. When employers specifically seek culture fits… that can lead to homogeneous teams that can perpetuate exclusive practices. Overall, that prevents the team from diversifying and pushing forward in a productive way.

Netta Jenkins

What we know through research is that employees inherently do not trust HR departments, because employees perceive HR as heavily focused on protecting the employer. This is true despite the fact that there are incredible HR professionals driving impact. Since we understand the perception that employees hold, it’s key to have DEI under its own department. That structure provides a safe space for employees to … [ Read more ]

The False Dichotomy of Merit and Inclusion

In merit-based systems, fairness should be manifested in all aspects of organizational life. But while the ideal of a merit-based society is attractive, research shows that bias in promotions and reward distribution is just as prevalent as bias in hiring, exacerbating and multiplying rather than reducing unfairness in the span of our careers. In the world we live in, true meritocracy, where everyone plays on an … [ Read more ]

Rethinking DEI Training? These Changes Can Bring Better Results

Tailored, practical diversity trainings offered at the right decision points can yield meaningful change, says new research by Edward H. Chang and colleagues.

Sandrine Devillard

Talent pipeline failure and its impact on DE&I should be treated like the significant business problems they are. Organizations need to tackle them the same way they take on any significant business challenge, such as increasing revenue or global expansion. It needs to be looked at as a large change program, but [that’s often not] the way it’s being handled right now. Organizations need to … [ Read more ]

Maria McKay

Many organizations ask employee resource groups (ERGs), which are voluntary, employee-led groups where people who share a mutual characteristic can come together in a safe space, to be responsible for DE&I projects.

ERGs are critical parts of organizations. But successful organizations don’t make advancing equity the responsibility of ERGs. They are largely not funded and they don’t necessarily include decision-makers and sponsors from the highest levels … [ Read more ]

Sally Helgesen

One of the ways that I assess whether an organization has an inclusive culture is one of the simplest possible methods: Does the largest possible percentage of people speak of the organization in terms of “we” or “they”? If it’s we, it’s probably inclusive, and if it’s they, which it often is, then despite all the mission statements extolling diversity and inclusive culture—it’s not an … [ Read more ]

Why so many bad bosses still rise to the top

Narcissism. Overconfidence. Low EQ. Why do we persist in selecting for leadership traits that hamper organizational progress—and leave the right potential leaders in the wrong roles?

Tough trade-offs drive 80% of the gender pay gap in the US

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is grabbing a lot of headlines, but let’s look beyond the latest debates to understand some labor market dynamics that can help employers hire and retain talent to meet business needs. New research from the McKinsey Global Institute compares women’s and men’s work experiences to better understand the tough trade-offs at play in the world of work.

Katy George

Capturing the full benefits of diversity is not about hiring people who can fit into the existing corporate culture; it is about ensuring that the culture itself is supportive and adaptable enough to embrace all kinds of talent. Only then will companies get the creativity, innovation, and different ways of thinking that diversity can bring. For that to happen, there needs to be data and … [ Read more ]

Geoff Tuff, Steve Goldbach, Jeff Johnson

Even when interview questions are relevant, the interview is a poor predictor of future performance. It demonstrates someone’s competence to answer questions, know theory, and prioritize information – all of which may or may not correlate to what they need to do on the job.

The traditional interview also makes it more likely we hire someone in our image, the “mini me” cognitive error. We can’t … [ Read more ]

Beyond the ‘Business Case’ in DEI: 6 Steps Toward Meaningful Change

Diversity and inclusion efforts that focus on business outcomes alone rarely address root causes. Jamillah Bowman Williams, a visiting fellow at the Institute for the Study of Business in Global Society, offers tips for companies navigating their next stage of the DEI journey.

Emily Field

A digital talent marketplace creates more transparency and visibility into open opportunities. Additionally, we know that it can reduce bias. As we think about this from the diversity, equity, and inclusion [DEI] lens, we know that women are much less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet the qualifications. We often hear that a man will apply for a job if he has … [ Read more ]

Natalia Karelaia

Organizations should naturally ensure that their culture emphasizes both diversity and inclusiveness so that all its members feel included and valued for who they are. This satisfies the needs for both distinctiveness and belonging, ultimately benefiting organizations through novel ideas. And the considerations of fairness and attention to employees’ engagement and well-being as they relate to authentic self-expression must be acknowledged.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

To close the gender gap, companies need to know how big it is and what is causing it. Monitoring the pay gap offers a good baseline measure, but it is not enough. Companies can succeed only if they approach diversity as they would any other business priority. Specifically, they need to establish clear metrics on recruitment, retention, advancement, and representation—as well as equal pay.

To Sustain DEI Momentum, Companies Must Invest in 3 Areas

Organizations of all sizes and across industries pledged their support to DEI initiatives in 2020, including building more diverse and equitable companies, and to using their power for good. Now, with the spotlight no longer shining quite so brightly on corporate DEI, how much progress have organizations made against their promises? To understand the state of DEI efforts since 2020, the authors looked at aggregated, … [ Read more ]