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Figure 1.1 YoY Percent Growth of DE&I Job Postings on Glassdoor.

      Source: Redrawn from data from Gilchrist, 2020.

This demand has created an even greater need and urgency for tools, such as the CAPE process. It is a tool you will be able to use for your continued success and benefit from the return on investment that results from it. The upward trend in chief diversity officer position openings is indicative of the importance corporations are putting on the need to be socially responsible and have a diverse workforce.

A Diverse Workforce Will Have Tension

What does it mean to have a diverse workforce? It simply means that your workplace looks like the world we live in, meaning it will share the same tension around politics, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and so on. A company with a good DE&I program is one in which people feel empowered to speak up, in spite of the tension. Even successful DE&I programs have tension because people don't always agree on issues or policies. Sometimes that will make you feel as though you aren't doing a good enough job. Let me provide you with an example of how tension is a necessary part of DE&I.

      JASON-ISM

      Good DE&I programs are not without tension. DE&I programs will have tension because inclusive and equitable work cultures create an environment where people can speak up and disagree without retribution. I am more concerned when no one speaks up on contentious issues.

      In 2016, a colleague that was the chief diversity officer at a very large tech company called me and said, “I have a problem, and I need your help. We sent out an email after the presidential election as we knew emotions were running high and people were very concerned about Donald Trump being the president.” My colleague told me that as soon as the email went out, they began receiving emails from African American employees. The employees were questioning why the company had not also sent out an email in support of Black Lives Matter. In exasperation, this particular chief diversity officer said, “I am getting it from all sides. I can't win.”

      I could fully appreciate that my colleague felt as though their work were being criticized. Being a chief diversity officer can be very isolating. Many times other executive leaders don't understand this concept and the non-executive employees often have expectations that can't always be met. I did not want to diminish how they were feeling, but I told them, “Your program is working.” The fact that employees were contacting the chief diversity officer meant that they felt empowered to speak up. Inclusion means employees can share their concerns without retribution. It means we can talk openly about sensitive subjects like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, ability, and many other identities and subjects. Tension is a natural part of those conversations, which is why good DE&I programs have tension.

It is not unusual to see something similar after sexual harassment training. People mistakenly think that sexual harassment training will reduce complaints because employees will stop the harassing behavior. While training can reduce occurrences of harassment, we typically see an increase in complaints after sexual harassment training. Why? Because when sexual harassment training is done correctly, it reduces the behavior of harassment, but more importantly, it signals to employees that they do not have to accept inappropriate behavior and that there is a process to protect and support them.

      Effective DE&I programs have ongoing training and policies to limit bias and bad behavior, and they also have clear processes for addressing complaints. In the early stages of a DE&I program, ongoing training is proof of the organization's commitment. Cultures take time to change, so ongoing training is necessary to help employees understand the change and expectations. Once they do, employees working in inclusive cultures will let you know how they think you're doing.

DE&I Officers Need a Broad Range of Skills

      Over the years, when I tell people I work in DE&I, I am often asked, “What do you do on a daily basis?” Even people who understand the goal of DE&I don't really know what it looks like in action. My response is that it is like being the producer for an orchestra. In an orchestra, the conductor leads the musicians, but the producer has to find the individuals to play a diverse range of instruments to get the music right. As a DE&I officer, you need to be able to influence each individual employee and understand the organization's music, but you don't get to make the final decisions. That is left to the CEO, who is like the conductor of the company. In that way, DE&I is like any other behind-the-scenes job – and no one notices you until something goes wrong. Problems are inevitable, and in order to be prepared for them, the major skills a DE&I officer will need are influence, relationship building, data analysis, and patience, because the DE&I officer will be called out and put on the hot seat.

      Here are some common issues that DE&I professionals have to address: