Fair Play: 5 Tips for Making Diversity Programs Stick

By Elizabeth Harrin (London)

We all know that diverse teams provide a operational advantage: different opinions lead to creative problem solving and a balanced, comprehensive view of work challenges. But how do you encourage diversity, and get managers involved in initiatives set in the boardroom – or indeed become involved yourself? The Glass Hammer asked five experts for their advice on how to make diversity programmes stick.

1. Don’t be scared of diversity!

“A key to treating employees fairly is to understand that diversity is something to be embraced and not something to shy away from, fear, or reject,” says Julia Mendez Fuentes, PHR, CELS, Director, Workforce Compliance and Diversity Solutions, for talent management company Peopleclick Authoria. She suggests that diversity training is one way to give middle managers the tools they need to ensure they treat their employees fairly, so if you are offered the chance to go on a course, take it. “Middle managers should definitely be trained regarding compliance issues such as accommodations for persons with disabilities and religious beliefs.”

However, don’t worry about having to single-handedly tackle problems that arise as a result of having a diverse workforce. “As far as handling complaints or issues involved with diversity, typically this is handled by someone within the Human Resources or Legal departments who is properly trained on how to keep track of the issues and is knowledgeable on ways that the issues can be resolved,” explains Fuentes.

Diversity is about broadening the experiences and culture of the team. “This does not mean they have to agree with the viewpoints, beliefs, culture of everyone on their team,” Fuentes explains. “But it does mean that they have to respect those differences and learn ways to embrace those differences and think through how those differences can work to the team’s advantage.”

2. Don’t let conflict go unchecked

“Managing diversity is about creating relationships and understanding,” says conflict resolution expert Karen Valencic. “Helping people learn communication skills in which they can set aside their points of view and look from a view point is crucial to fostering this understanding.”

Conflict often starts with a misunderstanding and grows into something that can destroy teams. Talking to your employees and colleagues about what diversity means to them and the challenges it presents can be a starting point to avoid conflict in the future – and to find common ground amongst people who might not agree. “I have found guiding groups through a reflective process based on their past individual successes a very powerful method to highlight common values and ethics,” says Valencic. “Then I guide them to create an ‘accountability credo’ which is a list of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions based on their values they can use as a guide for daily behaviour. The group owns their credo and are willing to abide to it.”

3. Include diversity in your new starter induction

“New employees can feel discouraged if they end the first day feeling like they’ve been thrown to the wolves,” says Janet Flewelling, director of human resource operations at HR outsourcing company Administaff. Make sure your team know that a new member of staff is joining, and make any preparations for their arrival that you need to in advance.

You can also ensure that you give them details about the company’s diversity programmes and the names of any staff representatives on diversity forums or colleagues who they can turn to for advice. “Walking into a new company without a desk or computer and uncertain about who to call for help can be nerve-wrecking,” says Flewelling. “A lack of knowledge of simple company guidelines, such as parking or pay day, can also make the first week more stressful.”

Create the opportunity for your new hire to spend time informally with the rest of the team. It helps diversity initiatives to work when people get to know each other and stereotypes are banished. “Take time to interact and chat with others when appropriate. As a new employee, meeting co-workers and key players can help you quickly feel as though you are part of the team,” says Flewelling.

4. Hold yourself accountable

You’re responsible for the performance and results of your team, and if you fully understand the business imperatives behind the corporate diversity programme, it is much easier to see how you can contribute. “Fairness initiatives are most successful when they are couched as part of the overall business strategy,” says Ruth Malloy, Managing Director of Hay Group’s Transforming Learning practice area. “Initiatives get more buy-in when they are seen as good for business and for employees, not just because it is the right HR thing to do.”

Malloy doesn’t believe it is essential to include financial incentives in any scheme as a way to encourage managers to act on the ‘diversity message.’ “The best reward and recognition programs are built with fairness as a component of its ‘operating system,’” she says. “The best reward programs reflect the strategy, performance drivers and culture of the organisation as well as the needs and preferences of its managers and employees. Fairness is embedded within all of this.”

Malloy has also seen situations where fairness improves when managers are held accountable for creating high-performing climates for their teams. “Climate is measured by the environment the manager creates, including clarity around expectations and goals, high standards of excellence and on-going performance-based feedback,” she explains. “Our research in diversity has found that diverse employees often do not receive as much feedback as their white male counterparts; depriving them of the opportunity to develop and learn from their experiences.” If there is no diversity programme holding you to account, don’t dodge the responsibility. As a manager, consider it your job to hold yourself accountable for creating a fair and high-performing environment for your team.

5. Manage by the rules

“There are many things that are important to employee fairness but the two that I focus on are systems/rules and transparency,” says Sandy Ezell, Managing Partner at Bowman and Brooke, LLP and member of the Firm’s diversity committee. “I believe that the rules and systems that are in place and apply to everyone take the subjectivity out of decision-making. People are valued in an organisation by how well they operate within the system/rules – acceptable criteria – and not by who they know, their age, gender, race – unacceptable criteria.”

Having rules in place is good, but employees need to also be aware of them so they have a full understanding of how decisions are being made. “Transparency is the other side of this issue,” explains Ezell, a trial lawyer. “In order for a systemic approach to management to work, you have to make sure that everyone knows what the rules are, what the expectations are, what the business purpose behind the system is and what the consequences are for failing to operate within the system.” She also points out that you have to be willing to carry out the consequences you have put in place without exception so that you personally behave in a way that is consistently reliable and fair.

“Middle management alone cannot solve the diversity issue,” Ezell adds. “Middle management, by virtue of their position within an organisation and their relative power, is without the tools and influence necessary to fully institute an organisational diversity initiative. Having said that, I believe that the most successful middle managers, or should I say the executives of the future, will be those that diversify as much as they can within their zone of influence and advocate for as much diversity or globalisation within their organisation as possible.”