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In the not-too-distant past, corporate diversity efforts fell under the corporate social responsibility banner and often amounted to not much more than a footnote in the annual report.
Now that the demand for change toward a more equitable society has grown so powerful, it’s fueling an ESG investment boom and diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) is expected to be fundamental to any self-respecting, future-facing business.
Yet, too often, promoting DEI is still seen primarily as the responsibility of a chief diversity officer or relegated to the human resources department. In reality, building a diverse and inclusive workplace starts at the very top. Efforts to boost diversity will fail if they are kept at a distance from the key decision-makers in the business. The CEO sets the company vision and culture, so if DEI is to be ingrained into a business, it must be integral to the CEO’s remit.
Leaning on female leaders
Female leaders can sometimes better understand what it’s like to face barriers in the workplace compared with their male counterparts, which can result in them having greater levels of empathy for other underrepresented communities.
In fact, it appears there is a clear gender gap when it comes to the hard graft around DEI. Approximately one in five female senior leaders spends a substantial amount of time on DEI work that is not central to their job, compared to fewer than one in 10 men at the same level, according to a new report. Any leader, male or female, who doesn’t see diversity as an essential part of their job will get left behind.
Championing diversity is instinctive for me as a business leader, but to instill DEI into our business, we’ve written it into our core values and workplace policies, and we have made it a central part of our business plan. It’s my job to make sure DEI is essential to everything we do—from the work we create to our recruitment and shortlisting methods and the partners we work with.
Setting diversity targets and clear ways to measure them is also critical to progress. Our leadership team is diverse, and diversity and inclusion is prioritized and a key performance indicator for people who work for me.
How to drive change
Once you hire diverse people into your business, you must ensure they are fully supported to progress and develop. As such, I urge every industry leader to read The Alliance checklist.
The Alliance is a collective of organizations that connect young talent from underrepresented backgrounds with industry opportunities and support their progression. Sadly, many young people entering the industry reported feeling marginalized, like a tokenistic hire at agencies they were placed at. This prompted Ally Owen, founder of the Brixton Finishing School and co-founder of The Alliance, to launch The Alliance Checklist for Change.
As a leader, it’s not enough to continually communicate the importance of diversity and inclusion to employees.
Rania Robinson, CEO, Quiet Storm
Compiled in consultation with young talent from activist groups including Create Not Hate and Commercial Break, as well as a team of diversity campaigners including myself, the list outlines what young recruits from different backgrounds need from their potential employers in order to feel safe and supported.
The checklist includes appeals from young people that should be ingrained into the brain of every leader in the creative industries, such as: “I am not your 2021 diversity hire, to be replaced by your 2022 hire.” It is the CEO’s job to ensure diverse new recruits are there not just to make the business look good or as an exercise in box-ticking, but in recognition of the brilliant contribution they can make and so they can progress and achieve their potential—just like any other team member. Your business must invest in the resources required to make this happen, including mentorship, training and support.
As a leader, it’s not enough to continually communicate the importance of diversity and inclusion to employees. Making diversity training mandatory for all employees helps to combat tokenism, microaggressions and biases in the workplace, and is a critical part of building and safeguarding an inclusive culture.
CEOs are also leaders in the wider industry, and so their critical role in promoting DEI must extend beyond the walls of their organization to the wider business world. As a diversity campaigner for our industry initiative Create Not Hate, as well as WACL, I spend much of my time focused on the topic.
DEI can’t just be something you switch on for work, it must be part of how you operate as an individual. I have many friends from different cultures and backgrounds. Surrounding myself with different communities and making new connections helps me in my work.
Filling this industry and the wider business world with diverse talent is not just a passion, it motivates me and it drives our business forward. In order for us to invigorate our industry, every CEO must first recognize not only the moral but the business imperative and take up the mantle with genuine commitment and sincerity.
