In the latest episode of The LEADing Edge podcast, hosts Allyson Zimmermann and Sarah McGowan delve into the complex and evolving landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). They explore the politicisation and legal challenges DEI initiatives face today, as the discussion centers around the resistance DEI programs encounter, including perceptions of reverse discrimination and legal pushbacks. This episode offers practical solutions for staying the course, and also discusses the role of leadership in setting the tone, with insights from Tom Allmark, HR Director Southern Europe at CHEP. 

In the past decade or so, DEI has moved from being something of a new and shiny focus, to an area in which there is (rightly) more accountability, and where businesses need to be able to track progress and show measurable outcomes of their diversity initiatives. At the same time, in recent years companies have faced greater scruitinty from both ends of the political spectrum, which in certain markets is leading to pushback on DEI efforts.    

In this episode, Allyson and Sarah examine the changing landscape, and discuss possible solutions with Tom. Here are some of the episode’s key takeaways.

Key Takeaways:

“Some of the best conversations I’ve had about D& I have been with people who were a little bit cynical about the topic. You need to create a space for them to share some of their concerns. I think you have to meet people where they are.” Tom Allmark 

“I think it’s fair to say that despite the noise out there, most companies in Europe and in the U.S. are still focused and committed on making the workplace more diverse and inclusive. Some may now be calling DEI by other terms, but the intention remains the same. I recently read a post on LinkedIn by American DEI expert Lily Zheng that helped me maintain a bit more of a balanced perspective.  

They were citing a recent survey from Littler, which stated that 57 percent of executives reported that their organizations expanded their DEI activities over the past year, even despite the backlash. And then another 36 percent reported that their efforts were holding steady. There were only 6 percent that said the level of commitment or activity had decreased.” Allyson Zimmermann 

“I often get asked how we can overcome this type of status threat. And one way is to approach DEI through a win win lens, showing how when we improve diversity, it creates opportunities for everyone. One of my favourite ways to do this is to speak about how, if we paid all women in the workforce equitably, we could create upwards of 20 trillion in the global GDP. Imagine how much more revenue companies could generate with that kind of cash being generated in the economy.” Sarah McGowan 

“I think it’s great when there are good intentions, but people now look at the outcome. If your intention is to create a more LGBT inclusive environment, but your only action is to turn your logo rainbow coloured once a year, people will probably not perceive that you’re following up on your intentions. Especially because you’ve given voice to those communities now and you’ve said, look, we want to engage with you. We want to understand how we can do more for you, do better for you, help you be successful.  

Once you create that expectation, you’ve got to know how you’re going to, to meet it. An ability to navigate through ambiguity and complexity is really critical. We need to be able to roll with the punches. And I think we need to acknowledge there may be a few punches here and there on the way, and that’s part of the role. I think that’s one key thing to stay the course, but it all comes down to, to fundamental values, right? This is about doing the right thing for people.” Tom Allmark 

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