How not to fail when it comes to diversity and inclusion in business

Friska Wirya, thought leader on diversity and inclusion, shares her thoughts on why progress on workplace diversity has been slow

Diversity is a complex and multi-faceted concept that is essential for any company that wants to remain relevant today.

As a change management thought leader, speaker and consultant who has led change programs for the biggest names in mining, engineering and technology, I consider D&I to be the most difficult change management initiative to implement.

Diversity requires a fundamental change in organizational culture. It’s not enough to simply hire a diverse workforce or implement unconscious bias training.

To truly embrace diversity, organizations must be willing to challenge their existing assumptions, beliefs and practices. This requires a healthy amount of introspection and self-awareness, not just from the leaders, but from the workforce in general.

Unfortunately, many diversity and inclusion initiatives have failed to create meaningful change. An example is the technology industry, which has long struggled with issues of diversity and inclusion.

According to a recent study by the National Center for Women & Information Technology, women hold only 25% of computer jobs, while Black, Hispanic and Native American individuals hold only 12% of these jobs.

The financial sector has also had a difficult time. Despite many companies making public commitments to promote diversity, the sector remains largely homogeneous.

For example, in 2018, Google was criticized for a memo written by a male employee claiming that women were biologically unsuitable for tech jobs. While Google publicly denounced the memo, the incident highlighted the pervasive culture of sexism and bias.

Companies have also faced accusations of “performative wokeness” in their approach to diversity and inclusion initiatives. Public commitments to diversity and inclusion are made, but the result is no meaningful action is taken.

While there is still much work to be done on diversity and inclusion, there are signs of progress in Australia.

Atlassian: has made significant progress in promoting diversity and inclusion within its workforce. The company has implemented initiatives such as unconscious bias training, diverse hiring practices and the creation of employee resource groups for underrepresented groups.

Atlassian’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has helped the company attract and retain diverse talent, and has contributed to the company’s reputation as a leading technology employer in Australia.

Lesson: Prioritize diversity and inclusion as an important part of your company culture and implement initiatives that support this commitment.

Coles: has demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion by implementing initiatives such as flexible working arrangements, staff groups and appointing a diversity and inclusion manager.

Their CEO has been an outspoken advocate and made it clear that creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace is a top priority for the company. This commitment from the top has helped to stimulate change and ensure it is anchored in the company’s culture and values.

Lesson: The importance of senior leadership buy-in and involvement, tracking progress toward diversity goals, and a systematic and strategic approach to change management are critical.

Lendlease: has committed to diversity and inclusion through its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP includes initiatives such as targeted recruitment and training programs to increase the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Lendlease’s workforce, partnerships with Indigenous communities and businesses, cultural awareness training and support for employee-led networks.

As a result, Lendlease has seen increased engagement and retention among its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and is recognized as a D&I leader in the real estate and infrastructure sectors.

Lesson: A comprehensive strategy, including targeted recruitment and training programs, partnerships with underrepresented communities, creates an inclusive workplace culture

So what can business leaders do differently to accelerate change in diversity and inclusion?

1. Creating a sense of urgency is critical to successful change. However, many organizations do not realize that THEN the urgency for changes in diversity and inclusion must be created. This leads to a lack of commitment and follow-through, as well as a lack of resources to effect change.

2. Creating a guiding coalition is essential for building support and momentum for change. Ironically, many diversity and inclusion initiatives fail to build a coalition that includes a wide range of stakeholders. Without buy-in from key stakeholders, the initiative will not gain traction.

3. Developing a D&I vision and strategy must align with the overall objectives of the organization. However, many fail to develop a clear and convincing answer to the question ‘why’ diversity and inclusion.

4. Communicating the vision for change – how we will take tangible steps towards a more diverse and inclusive culture – is essential for building support and enthusiasm for the initiative. If people don’t see how the organization will practically get there, they won’t participate.

5. Empowering others to act on the vision. The reality is that many organizations fail to provide the necessary resources, training and support to empower employees to act in diverse and inclusive ways.

6. Creating short-term profits is important to build momentum. Many diversity and inclusion initiatives fail to explicitly set achievable short-term goals that demonstrate progress and build incremental support.

7. Consolidating gains and highlighting victories are critical to driving more change. Storytelling is powerful. Yet many organizations are too lazy to seek out, question and spread these hero stories of change.

Finally, embedding new approaches into the culture of the organization is essential to ensure that the change is sustainable. Culture takes time to build. It’s even harder to change. Many leaders today are impatient. They don’t last long enough or hard enough to make a dent in the cultural fabric of the organization. Therefore, instead of a legacy, they leave behind a laundry list of reasons why the D&I business case is flawed.

To change our D&I underperformance, we must apply lessons from the change management playbook.

Failed diversity efforts lead to a lack of innovation, poor decision-making and an inability to attract and retain top talent. Companies that embrace diversity and inclusion will not only reap the benefits of a more innovative and effective workforce, but also contribute to a more equitable and just society.

Together we can build a better, more inclusive future for everyone. There will be no change unless we first change ourselves.

So my challenge to you is: what will you do differently tomorrow?

Friska Wirya is the founder of Fresh by Friska. She is a bilingual MBA-qualified Top 50 Global Change Management Thought Leader, TEDx speaker and three-time bestselling author who has led change on six of the seven continents. Her clients include Salesforce, Microsoft, Culture Amp, PRP, Expert360, The CEO Institute and f5 Networks.

Finance includes gender finance, diversity, inclusion and ESG issues. We advocate gender equality change via the Women’s Index Report and help companies take action DEI through technical solutions such as MORE IMPACTORY.