Dear Holistic,

How do we determine which key areas of DEI to prioritize first and how do we do so in a fashion that acknowledges the work is ongoing? Some employees feel as though we're not doing enough.

Sincerely,

Promising to Prioritize

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Dear Promising to Prioritize,

Somebody is always going to think that you’re not doing enough, not moving fast enough, not making enough change, and while there’s a lot of validity to their viewpoints, that can’t be the benchmark. The benchmark has to be real progress. The benchmark has to be goals and numbers and metrics that you set. Otherwise, you’re just creating a new version of a “he said / she said / they said” situation, and you don’t want that.

In terms of which areas to prioritize first, that’s a really interesting question. There’s no one correct answer, but there are two places in the employee experience that are going to give you the most return on investment:

The first area is an investment in employee retention, with a specific focus on thoughtfully onboarding employees so that they are starting their employment in the best possible shape and feel compelled to stay. Think of it as like a slingshot, or like the dolphin kick that a swimmer does coming off of the wall in the Olympics. You want to generate as much momentum as possible to carry you through as far as you possibly can. 

The second area of real value is the hiring process. The hiring process is truly where the rubber meets the road. 75% of our clients recognize the need to focus on the hiring process first and foremost, and in some cases, always. The hiring process is also a data driven endeavor where data is frequently not used–a frequently misunderstood activity that touches many many people in your organization, and something that is inherently about building the future of your company. It makes sense from a philosophical and emotional perspective as well. 

On a quick side note, one of the first things that many organizations try to do is form an DEI committee or an ERG. We don’t recommend this be done as the bedrock of the organization, as this is a little bit like hiring a VP of DEI. It’s a great move on paper, but it often ends up pushing all the work to a person or a group of people who know how to take all the responsibility for it. We don’t necessarily want that either. We are in the business of engaging multiple people, not forcing one person to take on the whole burden.

Yours truly,

Holistic

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