5 P’s to Creating Deeper Levels of Accountability While Increasing Workplace Diversity

This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly newsletter series + Increase Diversity Toolbox sharing best practices for employers who want to learn how to….well, increase diversity. To see previous editions, visit JenniferTardy.com. | IG: @IncreaseDiversity 

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QUESTION: Whose responsibility is it to increase diversity in our workplaces?

When I’m speaking with audiences, I often hear them say that increasing workplace diversity is the responsibility of recruiters, interview team members, and hiring managers–you know, those who are on the frontlines of hiring for the company. 

Even at JTC, we have shared that recruiters are responsible for the level of diversity of the candidate pool. We have shared that interview team members are responsible for bias-free candidate interviewing and submitting meaningful feedback to the hiring manager to inform the final selection decision. And we have also shared that hiring managers are responsible for making a bias-free selection decision. But let’s expand on this conversation a bit. Here is how I want you to think about your diversity recruiting initiative. 

ANSWER: Increasing diversity within the workplace is EVERY employee's responsibility. 

If you are a practitioner responsible for mobilizing all employees within your workplace to increase diversity, remember this. To reach a place where the action is taken enterprise-wide, employees must feel a sense of accountability for the initiative. The more we consult with employers, the more we have discovered that most employees do not engage in activities to increase diversity in their workplace, not for lack of desire, but mostly due to lack of accountability. In other words, no one has ever really shown them where they fit into the initiative and how they can help. At JTC, we believe that if you give your team a clear and direct way to connect to the initiative, you will find that there will be greater levels of engagement throughout the workplace. 

To support deeper accountability so that you can mobilize all employees to support the initiative to increase diversity, here are five tips.  Remember these 5 Ps: 

Tip #01: Create a Priority. 

Something must matter and be regarded as more important. In recruiting, generally, time-to-fill has been regarded as the highest priority. So to create a priority within your workplace, for example, increasing diversity must become a priority–and must be regarded as more important than even your time-to-fill metrics. 

Priority Example: Deciding not to start the interview process unless you have a diverse slate of candidates presented to the interview team. 

Tip #02: Create a Project. 

Think of a project as something that is shorter term, with a  definite beginning, perhaps with milestones throughout and a definite deliverable at the end. 

Project Example: Instituting a self-identification campaign within the application process so that candidates can voluntarily disclose primary identifiers like race, ethnicity, gender identity, etc. 

Tip #03: Create a Program.

Create a space where the activities are clearly outlined and defined. These activities should lead to a particular outcome for those participating. 

Program Example: Developing an Executive Outreach Program to hold senior leaders accountable for increasing diversity by teaching each how to engage on external platforms (i.e., social media, workshops, etc.) to achieve increased referrals from historically underrepresented groups. 

Tip #04: Create a Policy. 

Create guidelines that every employee must follow to help guide inclusive decision-making within your hiring process. 

Policy Example: Updating your internal hiring policy to make it mandatory that no promotions are approved without the position being posted and a clear demonstration of a fair and equitable hiring process. 

Tip #05: Create a Performance Metric. 

Use data to track the behaviors, activities, and overall performance of individuals that have accountabilities connected to the initiative to increase diversity.  

Performance Metric Example: Developing measurable performance expectations of senior leaders who are required to expand their internal networks to include engaging with employees from historically underrepresented groups who are within their reporting structure. 

A successful initiative to increase diversity requires your staff to first understand THAT they hold a role in this work, WHAT specific accountability belongs to them, and one of the above 5 Ps so that it makes their work outcomes clearer and more actionable. 

Join me in the comments below. Have you tried any of the 5Ps or do you have additional ones to add that have worked successfully at your workplace?