Nirupa Netram of Lotus Solutions On How To Create More Inclusive Workplaces

An Interview With Rachel Kline

It is essential to ascertain, track, and measure inclusion. A good starting point is using assessment tools to measure inclusion, such as anonymous employee surveys plus confidential listening sessions with employees at various levels of the organization at least annually. These tools can provide a starting point to determine a company’s strengths and identify areas of weakness, representing areas for improvement. One global organization I worked with used the information and insights gained from surveys and listening sessions to develop customized DEI training topics, strategies, and goals. Because each country’s team had input into developing them, they felt a sense of belonging. They said the organization valued their work and input and is committed to making each employee feel included.

Creating inclusive workplaces is crucial for any organization that wants to get the most out of its talent. This means creating an environment where everyone feels like they belong, has equal opportunities, is empowered to do their best work, and feels comfortable making requests and contributing ideas. In this series, we asked prominent HR and business leaders about the steps they take to create more inclusive workplaces. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Nirupa Netram.

Nirupa Netram is an attorney for more than 24 years. She holds certifications in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace and in ethical and inclusive leadership. Nirupa does consulting, customized training, and keynote speeches in DEI and more through her company, Lotus Solutions LLC, a Florida-certified woman and minority-owned enterprise. She has over two decades of experience in DEI, human resources (HR), operations, program management, compliance, and law. Nirupa earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (cum laude) from Stetson University and Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law.

Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

I was born in Guyana. I immigrated to Suriname, where I started kindergarten in Dutch, a language neither my parents nor I spoke. I moved to the United States (Cape Coral, Florida) at age nine, where I still reside. As a child, when people asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, I replied, “I am going to be an attorney.” This year is my 25th anniversary of being an attorney. Because I have experienced personal and professional setbacks being an Indian woman, I strive to help organizations build workplaces that are inclusive of all people.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I started my career as a senior trial court staff attorney, I was writing an order for a judge. In the caption of the order, I wrote the person’s name as “Steven Smith.” (Because my work was confidential, this is not the person’s name.) I typed the name wrong because the person’s first name was Smith, and their last name was Steven. The judge came to my office and said, “You are human. You made a mistake!” He was laughing. On the other hand, I was mortified at my mistake and bias. From that day forward, I triple-checked first and last names.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I am grateful for one friend who has been one of my biggest champions. I served on a nonprofit board, and she was in a senior leadership role at the organization. We coincidentally had a red-eye flight to Washington, DC, and sat together on the plane. I expressed dissatisfaction with my job at a law firm because of the grueling schedule, unreasonable workload, and lack of support. I told her the firm did not want me to take lunch breaks or time off. She asked, “What would be your dream job?” I said that I would love to work in the nonprofit sector and make more of a difference in the lives of others. She replied, “Why don’t you talk to [the CEO]?” She quickly arranged a meeting with the CEO. After several meetings, the CEO created a leadership position for me at the nonprofit. I loved that job!

My friend has always believed in me. Before launching my consulting company, she was the first to say, “You should do consulting. I think you will do great! I followed her advice yet again. I am so grateful for her enduring friendship and support.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” This quote is an important reminder of our need to recognize and embrace diversity of all forms (i.e., diversity of identity and diversity of perspectives). It also highlights the importance of promoting inclusion in our daily lives.

Thinking back on your career, what would you tell your younger self?

I would tell my younger self, “Perseverance is the key to success.” I initially believed that education, hard work, and a solid moral compass were all I needed to succeed. Having worked as an attorney and executive in government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors, I learned perseverance is critical to fulfilling any dream. I believe nothing happens before its time, embrace change, live in the present, and always make time for people in your life.

Let’s now move to the central part of our interview. What systems do you have to ensure your workplace is as inclusive as possible?

In my workplace, I strive to utilize the same systems that are essential to every business. I will share two of those systems. First, the company should have a reliable analytical system. This system should collect and measure data regarding DEI. This includes, but is not limited to, data concerning demographics of people who applied for jobs, interviewed, advanced to each interview stage, hired, pay rates, promotions, and turnover. Second, the organization should have a system that allows employees to report potential concerns. Employers should regularly educate employees about how to report issues. The reporting channels should ideally include options for reporting, such as to the supervisor, leadership, human resources (HR), and compliance officer. When employees report matters, the applicable person or department must neutrally investigate the matter and take appropriate action.

According to a 2023 Pew Research Center study, approximately 23% of women said they experienced discrimination because of their gender. According to the same study, approximately 41% of Black workers experienced discrimination or treated unfairly by an employer because of their race or ethnicity, compared with 25% of Asian workers, 20% of Hispanic workers, and 8% of White workers. This study underscores the importance of inclusive workplaces with zero tolerance for discrimination and other illegal and unethical behaviors.

Based on your experience and success, what are your top five tips for creating more inclusive workplaces?

1. It is essential to ascertain, track, and measure inclusion. A good starting point is using assessment tools to measure inclusion, such as anonymous employee surveys plus confidential listening sessions with employees at various levels of the organization at least annually. These tools can provide a starting point to determine a company’s strengths and identify areas of weakness, representing areas for improvement. One global organization I worked with used the information and insights gained from surveys and listening sessions to develop customized DEI training topics, strategies, and goals. Because each country’s team had input into developing them, they felt a sense of belonging. They said the organization valued their work and input and is committed to making each employee feel included.
2. Additionally, employers should ensure they genuinely foster inclusivity, which means all voices have an opportunity to be heard. For example, an organization has work to do if the same people are always speaking during in-person or virtual meetings. The folks not talking are the ones who often have great ideas. An easy way to do this during a meeting is for a leader to invite folks to share their ideas and thoughts by saying, “We would like to hear from folks whom we have yet to hear from today.” When my client’s leader used this technique, an employee on the development team, who usually never voiced her opinions, shared her novel idea for a new fundraising campaign aligned with a program. The leader loved her idea and asked her to create and manage the campaign, which met the goal of raising $25,000 in only a few months. The employee was happy she spoke up and played a critical leadership role. This boosted her self-esteem and professional growth.
3. Moreover, businesses should internally and externally promote their DEI efforts. Employees are looking for workplaces where they can show up as their authentic selves. One company I worked with added their commitment to DEI to their website, including actions they are taking to make their company more inclusive. Additionally, the website includes employee videos on why DEI matters to them and why they enjoy working at the company. The business also committed to issuing a report annually on the progress of its DEI efforts internally and externally. Companies should be authentic and transparent in their commitment to DEI.
4. Further, companies should offer meaningful professional development opportunities. This means ensuring employees have professional learning and development opportunities that align with their goals. This includes internal and external training and conferences. Also, companies should offer employees programs that foster mentoring, allyship, and sponsorship. I ran such programs for an industry in which white males dominate. The programs were designed to advance women in the industry. Executive-level male or female leaders served as mentors, allies, or sponsors to other women in director or middle management-level roles. We collaborated with world-class experts to lead the sessions and saw remarkable results from the programs. Women gave incredible, inspiring testimonials about how the programs helped them gain confidence, increase their knowledge, and advance their careers. They also highlighted the benefits of reciprocal learning.
5. Lastly, leadership should strive for a team (or a department) to lead DEI efforts. Building and sustaining a workforce where everyone feels a sense of belonging takes time. Having one person, such as a chief diversity officer (CDO), alone to lead such efforts is insufficient. The average CDO’s tenure is less than two years, according to a Russell Reynolds Associates 2021 study. Leadership buy-in, a dedicated inclusion team of staff (or consultants), and a budget are necessary to make meaningful change. I worked with an organization consulting and doing remote training in 11 countries on five continents. Initially, the business believed my consulting engagement was all they needed. I said they needed to continue their DEI work because such work should always be ongoing. I was extremely pleased to learn that they hired DEI staff to represent the countries where their team and the people they serve reside.

Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen businesses make while trying to become more inclusive? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?

A common mistake businesses make in their journey to being more inclusive is that leadership lacks buy-in. On multiple occasions, leaders ask, “How do you get leadership buy-in for this work?” I believe educating leaders on the growing diversity of the world coupled with the business advantages of DEI in the workplace is critical. Countless studies have shown how an inclusive workplace leads to increased revenue, more innovation, less turnover, and more. According to the United Nations, as of April 2023, India has overtaken China as the most populated nation. Because of growing diversity, companies must embrace inclusion in the workplace to attract and retain top talent and remain competitive.

Another mistake is that companies need to recognize that inclusion starts at the beginning of the employee journey and continues until the employee leaves the company. The beginning of the employee journey is the job description. I have read many job descriptions that are not inclusive, even for DEI jobs. For instance, inclusive job descriptions should not include gender-biased words (i.e., policeman) and instead use neutral words (i.e., police officer). Various software, such as Textio, can help avoid gender-biased wording. Additionally, the job description should include the salary (or salary range) to be transparent. Some states are mandating this requirement. Also, the job description should only include the essential elements of the job, not include every aspect of the job. Finally, the job description should highlight the company’s commitment to DEI. This demonstrates that the organization is committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all employees. Companies should remember that the job description is designed to generate interest in working for them and lead someone to apply for the job immediately.

A final mistake is that organizations concentrate on one aspect of diversity, such as a particular race, and focus all their efforts on that single race. However, inclusion is a large umbrella and encompasses more than just people of a single race. Inclusion aims to include everyone in the company so employees feel they belong, are heard, and are valued. Businesses should keep sight of this when designing inclusion strategies, goals, campaigns, or events. This may also avoid complaints and lawsuits of reverse discrimination, which are on the rise.

How do you measure the effectiveness of your DEI efforts?

The key to measuring the effectiveness of DEI efforts is to set measurable (short-term and long-term) internal and external goals around DEI, track the progress regularly (at least quarterly), and report on that progress (at least annually). As discussed initially, using assessment tools such as employee surveys and listening sessions are a good starting point for setting DEI goals. An annual DEI report is an excellent method to share goal progress publicly. More organizations are doing this, including some for the first time, such as Honda, which issued its first Inclusion and Diversity Report in 2022.

Are there other organizations you admire for their approach to DEI? Can you please explain why?

I admire the work of Pearn Kandola, a leading global business psychology firm specializing in DEI. Their model is unique. They use business psychologists and research to help organizations become more fair workplaces, allowing every employee to reach their full individual potential. Helping individuals maximize their potential is what inclusivity is all about.

What do you do to address Proximity Bias? How do you ensure remote workers are treated like onsite workers and have equal access to opportunities?

Whether working with clients remotely or onsite, I offer equal access to opportunities and attempt to create psychologically safe spaces for all. I do customized training sessions on common types of bias, including proximity bias. During such sessions, I include steps employers can take to recognize and address such common biases. One way to combat proximity bias is for leaders to have regular check-ins (at least weekly) with their employees individually to discuss progress on tasks, projects, and goals and how the supervisor can better support the employee in those areas. I encourage leaders to begin these meetings by asking employees how they are doing and how things are going before delving into other matters. These meetings are an opportunity to demonstrate a genuine sense of concern and support for all employees, regardless of whether they are onsite, hybrid, or remote. Additionally, when companies track data such as raises, promotions, and turnover, they should include whether the employee is onsite, hybrid, or remote to ensure equitable practices.

We are very blessed to have some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this.

I would love to have a private lunch with Malala Yousafzai. At age 15, after the Taliban banned girls from going to school, a gunman shot her in the head, on a school bus, because she spoke publicly about girls’ right to learn. She received the Nobel Peace Prize and countless honors and awards. One of my favorite Malala quotes is, “I raise up my voice-not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard…we cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” Malala reminds us of the importance of speaking up for ourselves and everyone before and after us. I admire her endless sacrifices and efforts to ensure every girl has an education and achieves their dreams. Malala is a role model and inspires girls and women everywhere that we can do anything and live life with a purpose.

How can our readers further follow your work?

Readers can follow my work on LinkedIn via my page (Nirupa Netram) and company page (lotussolutionsllc), and Twitter (@LotusSLLC).

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!