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Lately, DEI is becoming controversial, politicized, and sometimes polarizing. Job postings for DEI roles are down, and while the majority of US adults say focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing, those opinions vary greatly by demographic and political allegiances. Organizations often get a lot of pressure from investors, legislators, and others on both sides of the issue. In positive news, DEI investment is steady and projected to double by 2026.

Our guest, Joelle Emerson, suggests that leaders think about how DEI will affect their organization’s future. Today, 60% of the workforce are millennials and younger, and these generations are much more diverse than any before them across a range of dimensions. With the changing demographics of the workforce, we see changing mindsets; 75% of millennials and younger actively consider an organization’s diversity when choosing their next job. To attract, engage, and keep the best people, organizations will have to become more diverse over time.

There’s often a misconception that DEI is zero sum; that when an organization invests in DEI, they benefit some people to the detriment of others. For example, there can be a perception that to increase gender diversity, the organization would hire fewer men or fire some of the men on staff – which isn’t true. When DEI is done well, we’re making sure that everyone has opportunities and feels like they belong. Paradigm’s data shows that when organizations improve belonging in underrepresented groups, everyone in the workforce, of all identities, feels a stronger sense of belonging. In addition, making processes fairer and holding people to consistent standards benefits everyone.

We’ve seen backlash against DEI efforts recently, and Joelle recommends that organizations not assume that everyone knows what diversity means and how it’s going to be achieved. Being as specific as possible about what you’re trying to accomplish and how you’re going to do it avoids any confusion or misunderstanding. Using data can help you identify where your gaps are and where problems exist, leading you to better understand your workforce and make smart decisions. Data can also show you what’s causing groups to feel a lower sense of belonging. Often this comes down to managers, so make sure you’re training your managers on how to create cultures of belonging.

In this episode’s listener question, we’re asked about where our theme music comes from. In the news, between 2019 and 2023, the mean distance from home to work increased from 10 to 27 miles.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Purple Ink
• Susan Tinder White Consulting
• ”The 2024 DEI Outlook”
• ”Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace”
• ”Where Does DEI Go from Here?”
• Paradigm
• Blueprint
• ”Meeting the Demands of an Evolving Workforce”
• Episode 20, ”Women Winning in the Workplace”
• Episode 36, ”Diversity in the Workspace”
• Episode 39, ”Recruiting and Retaining People with Disabilities”
• Episode 89, ”Diversity and Inclusion”
• Episode 105, ”Diversity Recruiting”
• Episode 107, ”Ethics, Diversity, and High-Performing Cultures”
• Episode 161, ”Generational Diversity”
• Episode 174, ”The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)”
• Audio Jungle
• ”Report: Workers are living further from employer, more are living 50 miles from the office”
• JoyPowered® on LinkedIn
• JoyPowered® on Instagram
• Email JoyPowered®

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