#1 Question You Should Ask Before Hiring a Chief Diversity Officer or Consultant
As a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultant, I am on the receiving end of a lot of questions. Whether it is through a proposal or an interview for a role, people want to know what I do to make workplaces better, how I do it, the timelines for getting it done, and the cost.
But there is one question you need to ask yourself before bringing me or any Chief Diversity Officer on: Why are we doing this?
In other words, employers need to identify the underlying motivation for the initiative. Without figuring this out, you will not have a successful engagement.
It may sound straightforward, but so many people think that they can bring someone on to fix their diversity and inclusion woes, without putting real thought into answering the “Why now?” question.
And to answer that question more questions need to be asked.
Are we tackling diversity, equity and inclusion because it’s trendy or because other companies in our sector are doing it? Are we in hot water with our employees, a particular community, or with the press? Are we staving off human rights litigation or addressing improvements recommended in minutes of settlement? Are we really ready to make the financial investment to do this properly?
And to answer those questions here are a few things to consider:
Can you be transparent?
Your organization must be prepared to be transparent with your consultant, your staff, and all your stakeholders if the DEI initiative will be successful. You have to be able to address your organization’s actions or inactions to date and express why you are undergoing change in an open and honest way. The organization also has to be prepared to communicate the vision for the organization, so that everyone involved can decide to either aspire with you or decide they do not wish to be a part of the change. Yes, some staff, stakeholders, or even your consultant may not like what the organization is doing or the direction it is going in and decide they do not wish to be a part. By being transparent everyone can make their own fully-informed choices deciding whether company vision aligns with their values.
Are you ready to listen?
You have to be prepared to listen to your consultant, to your stakeholders and community partners, and to equity-seeking groups if you really want to tackle diversity, equity, and inclusion in your organization. You have to be ready to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly, about your organization in reports your consultant will issue, in stakeholder meetings and consultations, in focus groups, and via internal and external surveys. If you think you can open your organization up to scrutiny without hearing where you could do better, think again.
Can you fully transform?
Many employers envision a diverse, inclusive, equitable and even anti-racist workplace, but want a consultant to come in and do a few workshops for their staff, thinking that will transform the culture and create a respectful workplace. Some want DEI events—book club meetings, lunch and learns, and organized potlucks, with food from different cultures, and not a full-blown DEI strategy that gets at the roots of systemic issues within their workplace. And even some older and historic organizations that may think they are ready for a full-blown DEI strategy, have been operating in a particular way for decades, which means that ways of doing things are likely entrenched and will take longer to evolve. Be realistic about where you are as an organization, about what you want out of the engagement, and about what is really achievable over time and with the budget you have allotted.
Said another way, if you do not sit with yourself to figure out why you are bringing on a DEI consultant, you cannot be transparent about where you are as an organization and listen to the feedback needed to fully transform.
About Janelle Benjamin: Janelle Benjamin, B.A., J.D., is the Founder & Chief Equity Officer of All Things Equitable Inc. helping employers make workplaces more diverse, inclusive, and safe for equity-seeking groups. Learn more about Janelle.
