Turning performance into action: How to be a true ally

Since the summer of 2020, workplace interest and efforts regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have soared. CEOs at some of the most prominent organizations rushed to put out statements reaffirming their company’s commitment to diversity and anti-racism, both internally and externally. Some leaders even made explicit promises to donate large sums of money to organizations that are actively fighting inequality, or to take tangible measures to increase the number of people of color on their staff and in their boardrooms. But more than a year later, has anything substantially changed for the majority of our country’s Black and brown employees?

Although it’s a difficult metric to measure, we’re inclined to say no. A recent survey from Wiley found that while 68% of tech companies admitted to a lack of diversity in their workforce, only half are actively working to address the issue. In another survey from Dice, 55% of Black technologists agreed that racial inequality occurs frequently within the tech industry.

This pattern of bold promises, followed up by tepid action, is all too familiar. We saw it play out when #MeToo went viral in 2017. Public-facing companies scrambled to distance themselves from their employees who had been accused of sexual harassment, and many of those in corporate leadership positions encouraged people to come forward with allegations. There was a sense that this culture shift would have a significant impact on our work lives. And yet, two years later, a majority of women surveyed said that they didn’t believe their employers had done enough to address the underlying issue that often leads to harassment: gender bias.

This leads us to believe that pledges and commitments made by companies are, more often than not, purely performative.

So, how can a company operating in good faith avoid performative allyship?

First, we need to recognize what performative allyship looks like. Performative allyship typically occurs when a member or members of a privileged group acknowledge issues of inequality and profess their dedication to becoming part of the solution, while doing nothing to substantially change the existing structures of power and privilege that perpetuate said inequality. In other words, it’s talk without action. And nowadays, it’s becoming easier than ever to spot the offenders. Here are a few of the most common examples of performative allyship in action.

Making one-time donations to social justice organizations

Donating to organizations that are actively working to eliminate racial and gender inequity is not inherently bad. But corporate leadership needs to acknowledge that philanthropy alone is not enough. Firstly, it allows a select few wealthy and influential people at the topmost level of a company to determine which causes are worthy of funding; and based on the extreme lack of diversity in corporate leadership overall, they are most likely not best suited to make those determinations alone.

Secondly, information about exactly which organizations or initiatives that will benefit from these donations are often vague or ill-defined. An analysis by the Washington Post showed that out of the $49.5 billion pledged collectively by America’s 50 largest public companies to address racial inequality, only $4.2 billion of it was donated to organizations focused on economic equality, education, and health.

And thirdly, promises of monetary donations often serve as a low-risk way for C-suite executives to give off the appearance of true allyship without truly committing to anything substantial. Although the $4.2 billion may sound impressive on a surface-level, it practically equates to pocket change for these 50 companies, which earned a total of $525.6 billion in net income last year. Additionally, as the Washington Post article notes, there is no single entity tracking corporate promises to hold them accountable, and corporations are not required to disclose where the money is going.

Introducing diversity quotas for new hires without also examining and/or changing company culture, hiring practices, requiring unconscious bias training, etc.

Many organizations have vowed to increase the representation of people from marginalized races and genders within their workforce. And while it is undoubtedly important for a company’s workforce to reflect the population that it seeks to serve, especially at the board and leadership level, initiatives like this are doomed to fail if the company has not created a welcoming and inclusive environment that attracts talent from underrepresented groups.

Superficial efforts to hire more women and/or people of color to promote the appearance of diversity is a marker of tokenism, and your employees who fall into these categories will likely be able to recognize it. The same Wiley survey mentioned above found that 7 out of 10 young tech workers have said they felt uncomfortable in a job due to their gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or neurodevelopmental condition, and half have said they have left or wanted to leave a job because the company culture made them feel unwelcome. Even if these employees choose not to leave, the effects of tokenism can be extremely damaging to their mental health.

What is DEI done right?

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to effective DEI, there are examples of companies that are moving the needle in the right direction with their efforts.

DoorDash’s Elevate is a program designed specifically for women of color, meant to help propel them into leadership roles at the company. The participants benefit from a combination of mentorship and sponsorship with company directors and C-suite members, career workshops, and attendance at leadership meetings. They leave the program with a dedicated career plan to provide a pathway into their desired position. While Elevate is only in its third cohort, it’s been a proven success with 38% of participants earning promotions within six months of completing the fellowship.

This demonstrates effective DEI for two reasons. Firstly, DoorDash is not only concerned with increasing the representation of women and people of color at their company; they are also actively working to bring them into positions of power. Secondly, the program has buy-in and dedicated participation from those already in top positions of power at DoorDash. There’s a common but true saying that change starts at the top. Those in corporate leadership positions hold the power and influence needed to effect positive change that shifts the culture of the entire company.

Another example of DEI done right can be found at Accenture. Frequently celebrated for their commitment to diversity and inclusion, Accenture approaches DEI not as an afterthought, but as a critical component to their success. This is evidenced by their commitment to transparency and accountability. For example, earlier this year, Accenture’s North American CEO shared a progress update on the promises the company made in the wake of the June 2020 protests. Notably, one of these promises was to create a Black Founders Development program to specifically address the issue of Black business owners being denied access to venture capital.

Additionally, they’ve committed to achieving a gender-balanced workforce by 2025, and they encourage the public to hold them accountable to this goal by freely publicizing the gender and racial makeup of their workforce. This is accompanied by policies meant to support both women and gender-diverse employees, such as flexible work arrangements and transgender health benefits.

It’s perhaps never been more clear why a commitment to DEI is crucial, both in a business sense and a moral sense. But company leaders will never be able to move the needle in any meaningful way until they learn to avoid the commonplace, one-and-done solutions to DEI that are so prevalent today. Those in corporate leadership who are unsure of the best ways to get started to implement actionable DEI practices at their companies have options, such as: hiring external consultants; surveying their employees to find out what culture shifts need to occur; and looking to what other companies are doing correctly to get their desired outcomes.

Most importantly, leadership needs to recognize that true allyship and a commitment to DEI is always ongoing, and especially must continue past the moments when their company is under scrutiny during times of social upheaval.

Tearing down and re-working oppressive structures that have been reinforced for centuries is by no means easy work, but we will be all the better for having done it.