Many organizations are looking to make meaningful changes to address systemic inequality this year—and for good reason. Over the past year, we’ve seen calls for racial justice in response to police brutality and a global pandemic that has disproportionately impacted women and communities of color.

The business case for a diverse and inclusive workplace has already been made. Research shows that companies with the highest representation of women in top management experience 34% greater returns, and racially and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to have financial returns above industry averages. Today, 67% of job seekers consider workplace diversity when deciding where to work. It’s clear that fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace is more important today than ever before. In fact, many employers are looking to hire a full-time diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professional to help them achieve their goals. But before you bring someone in-house, consider the following questions:

1. What are your priorities?
It’s important to be realistic and transparent about where your organization is on its diversity, equity, and inclusion journey. Is the decision to hire a DEI professional a response to internal or external pressure? Do you currently have DEI initiatives in place? If so, how have you measured success up to this point? Be clear about your organization's priorities and set reasonable expectations for the role.

2. What steps can you take now?
Structural inequality has persisted for centuries and expecting one individual to “fix” it is unrealistic. While a DEI professional may be responsible for spearheading initiatives and holding the organization accountable, creating an equitable and inclusive workplace is the responsibility of the entire leadership team. While there is no one size fits all solution, there are things you can do now to lay the groundwork for your new hire. Track your candidate pools, promotions, and turnover rates by gender, race, ethnicity, and age. If you currently conduct employee engagement surveys, make sure to disaggregate the data by social categorizations.

3. Do you have the necessary supports in place?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a relatively new field. If you’re looking for a professional with 15 years of experience, you’ll need to have the budget available to compensate them appropriately. You might also consider lived experience and community organizing skills in lieu of formal DEI experience. If you expect to see an ROI on your investment, your DEI professional must have a seat at the decision-making table. Ideally, they should be a member of the executive leadership team. In addition, you’ll need to set aside funding for training, updates to policies and practices, partnership development, and additional team members. 

4. Is your organization ready?
Is your leadership team ready to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to its culture? Are they ready to take the steps needed to create transformative change? Are they willing to hold themselves accountable? If not, the organization may not be ready to hire a full-time DEI professional. A leader in this role needs to have honest conversations with leadership about what’s working and what’s not. If this is going to be a challenge, reflect on why that is and make the necessary changes to address it. 

Wherever you are on your diversity, equity, and inclusion journey, we can help. With equity-centered assessments of policy and culture, an intersectional framework for improvement, and data-driven action plans, we will help your team create meaningful changes in 2021—and if you’re ready, provide your DEI professional with the insights and data needed to hit the ground running. 

Don’t just invest in DEI—invest in data-driven strategies that lead to measurable outcomes. Learn more.

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