The State of Diversity & Inclusion — Insights From Katie Mooney
This article is part of Hallo’s new State of Diversity and Inclusion Series which will feature interviews with a wide range of professionals and thought leaders to learn more about the state of D&I, the progress made in 2020, and predictions on the trends that will shape 2021.
The following is an interview we recently had with Katie Mooney, Vice President, Diversity Best Practices.
How would you describe the current state of diversity and inclusion in most organizations today?
The murder of George Floyd sparked heightened focus on the Black Lives Matter movement and the more than 400 years of systemic racism in the United States. Many organizations made pledges to increase their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and donated to anti-racist organizations. But as we approach one year later, and with the increased violence toward Asian Americans, employees still feel uncomfortable and/or unsafe. WMM’s Employee Voice Sessions uncovered that last year while 50 percent of white employees feel supported on issues of racism only 39 percent of Asian and Latinx and 18 percent of Black employees feel the same. Organizations are encouraging open conversations about race but now is the time for bold, inclusive, and intentional leadership.
How has COVID-19 impacted diversity and inclusion initiatives?
The economic impact of COVID-19 will result in more disparities for women and people of color as it relates to income and labor force participation. WMM’s national survey in September 2020 revealed that there is no break from the workload for women caregivers and they are seeking flexibility and work from home options, post-pandemic. Multicultural women, specifically Black and Asian Americans, report more negative workplace experiences since the beginning of COVID-19. Organizations must take an intersectional approach to addressing the challenges women and people of color are facing in the workplace, train managers on how to support their needs, and create new social contracts to get the work done.
What are the most common challenges and roadblocks organizations face when it comes to implementing their diversity and inclusion initiatives?
Our WMM Critical Levers report, found that 68 percent of White men at the middle manager level believe diversity is important. It seems that there is a majority in support of DEI, however, without real commitment from the top and accountability measures of the results, it has been challenging to move the needle. Our 2020 Inclusion Index companies revealed that while 82 percent hold management accountable, only 42 percent tie results to compensation. It is important that effective incentive plans link directly to diversity benchmarks and are supported by programs and practices that will advance both equity and inclusion.
What are 3–5 pieces of advice you have for organizations looking to improve the impact of their D&I strategies?
· Involve White middle male managers in DEI strategies. They are key to the implementation of initiatives and currently prevent organizations from achieving desired outcomes.
· Leading organizations will need to transition from the US centric approach to DEI and build their global strategies. Currently, the only common demographic measured is gender, although other demographics are increasingly being evaluated. This will impact who may receive additional support in recruitment, retention and advancement efforts going forward.
· Business leaders who made commitments and created new DEI roles within their organization must provide ample resources including the ability to create a team, ensure that the DEI team has exposure to critical partnerships, and a budget to manage the key programs.
What trends will shape D&I in the upcoming year 2021? How can organizations prepare for these changes?
· Automation could displace millions of workers, particularly in low-skill jobs that are held disproportionately by women and people of color. This will require organizations to think about how to upskill or reskill their company workforce by launching learning and development certification programs, apprenticeships and mentoring programs while removing base qualifications such as educational degrees, experience, and geographic location for example.
· Developing strong partnerships between DEI and both CSR and Procurement teams is key as it provides a unique opportunity to mutually elevate shared objectives. Advancing corporate philanthropy can address issues like income inequality, diversity, and the environment. Supplier diversity can support efforts to reinvest in diverse owned businesses and provide real economic value into local communities.
· During a spot survey that was conducted in December 2020, we have seen some preliminary findings that are alarming. Seventeen percent of female caregivers say they think about leaving their job to dedicate themselves solely to being a caregiver due to the stress that comes from juggling work/life balance responsibilities. If 17 percent of women left the workplace tomorrow, how would this impact both ambitious goals for 2021 and beyond, but also all of our efforts historically to advance gender equity in the workplace?
