Has anyone found the DEI conversations/strategies at your workplace lacking?

Anonymous

September 23,2021 at 2:43AM UTC

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Has anyone found the DEI conversations/strategies at your workplace lacking?

By lacking, I mean characterized by the following:

1. Centers diversity in a way that protects the status quo.

2. Very little movement in terms of equity/shifts in power and decision making

3. Conversations on bias are weaponized against people who might be heavily impacted by policies, situations, or circumstances. People who were already unheard become more unheard.

4. DEI experts are siloed off and used to solve the issues of the administration/management. They are used as "communication experts," but nothing in the organization actually changes.

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AnonymousSeptember 23,2021 at 2:17PM UTC
I haven't personally experienced this but does your company have any ERGs that can help promote positive change? When there's a group of people presenting a solution, it may be more likely to be implemented than when it's just one person.
AnonymousSeptember 28,2021 at 3:14PM UTC
Totally lacking. My experience is that is a per formative conversation at best. I spearheaded a DEI initiative and the blowback was so sustained and fierce that I just resigned. It was bruising. Beware of companies that are all talk and no action plans.
Tammy HagerSeptember 29,2021 at 1:46AM UTC
That's terrible this happened to you!
If we can't have conversations about our differences and how we learned to deal with biases what is the point of having a D&I dept?
AnonymousSeptember 29,2021 at 6:06PM UTC
Thank you. In the kind of organization I experienced, it serves as PR and a way to recruit talent. This was a very homogeneous company. When I joined this organization I thought there was a real commitment to DEI. I wish I had prodded and pried much more before joining, but I learnt a lot.
AnonymousSeptember 28,2021 at 3:26PM UTC
I am on our D&I Committee at my company.
#1 and #3: Not that I've seen.
#2 and #4: yes. However, I feel it's more about what's a priority right now. We have acquired some companies and are working on integration with them. We are a small company and our associates are dealing with the integration and clients.
Nicole ChristensenSeptember 28,2021 at 4:08PM UTC
Yes! The organization I just came from actually had this big D&I "launch" which turned out to be a few emails just stating that there were some people (mostly higher level individuals) who were selected to lead a group.
I found that anytime I brought up challenges I was having I was basically told that was the culture and that "culture" was used as an excuse not change.
Amy BucciferroSeptember 29,2021 at 5:20PM UTC
It seems like the top-down structure of the initiative as a whole for the company described here is serving to reinforce existing issues instead of create change. I've seen more meaningful movement when these initiatives are committee-driven with members that span the levels of the company.