Many companies have made pledges towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in recent years but have found it difficult to achieve meaningful change. DEI isn’t just a corporate buzzword to throw around, but rather a commitment to allyship and inclusive leadership. In addition, a corporate DEI strategy can help to strengthen organizations, making them better equipped to respond to challenges, changes, and development. And an enhanced ability to adapt can lead to higher financial performances, a stronger leadership culture, and more motivated and engaged workers.

“Doing DEI well correlates with better change power, which in turn is linked not only to company performance but also leadership and employee engagement.”

To learn more about the correlation between corporate DEI initiatives and adaptability read this Harvard Business Review article which delves into how investing in DEI helps to increase companies “change power,” specifically in three main areas: purpose, choreography, and development.

“To harness the full value of DEI and change power, executives will need to have a shared ambition and commit to taking concrete action.”

Management is essential in establishing the tone for corporate DEI strategy, promoting an inclusive culture, and enacting significant change inside the company. Keep reading to understand why management engagement is so crucial to the success of corporate strategy.

Corporate DEI Strategy 1: Setting the Tone

A culture of corporate DEI must start from the top down for it to be effective at all. Management creates and cultivates the type of culture within an organization through personal behaviors as well as corporate decisions that signal certain attitudes. When management is actively participating and promoting corporate DEI it is more likely to be integrated into the team culture.

Strategy 2: Leadership in Actions

Successful DEI policies provide a roadmap for change, and managers must play an important role in understanding their team and how to align company values with actionable steps that work well with their team. Including management in planning and early foundational elements of creating corporate DEI strategy will ensure success.

Strategy 3: Nurturing Inclusive Leadership

Management must also incorporate inclusivity as a leadership style, to empower their team to voice ideas and embrace diverse perspectives. Creating this open atmosphere will help integrate corporate DEI ideals into the company and foster an empowering environment.

It takes both time and collaboration to significantly improve the diversity, equity, and inclusion inside an organization, and it may even take businesses years to notice improvement. However, it is the determination, dedication, and adaptability of management needed to make corporate DEI efforts work that will help not just help a company with DEI but also in all other leadership aspects.

We are very proud of our inclusive culture both within our company as well as our approach to staffing for our clients to create a more inclusive work environment for their organizations. Learn more about our diversity commitment and contact us to learn more about how we approach DEI in all our staffing initiatives.