3 Steps to Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion Strategies

Organizations with long-term D&I strategies witness remarkable improvements, including a 20% increase in organizational inclusion. This translates to a 6.2% rise in on-the-job effort, a 5% boost in employees’ intent to stay, and nearly a 3% enhancement in individual employee performance. Gartner recommends three crucial steps to build enduring D&I within organizations.

Focus on Your Employees: Embrace D&I plans that are widely accepted throughout the company. Tailor the D&I plan to address specific challenges faced by employees and the organization. Communicate clearly to encourage organization-wide ownership of D&I objectives. Show employees how they can actively contribute to achieving these goals.

Prioritize Inclusive Metrics: Use a metric that tracks overall D&I progress. Gartner’s Inclusion Index measures an organization’s ability to foster an inclusive work environment across seven dimensions, including fair treatment, decision-making, trust, and diversity. Leaders can leverage this knowledge to adjust strategies and ensure the most effective plans are implemented.

Embed D&I into Talent and Business Processes: To ensure lasting and consistent D&I outcomes, integrate initiatives into existing processes. Start by embedding D&I practices into talent management processes like succession planning, hiring, and performance management, as these areas are most susceptible to bias.