According to leaders I speak to, diversity, equity, and inclusion fatigue is increasing. What does DEI fatigue in our organization look like? How and where does it occur? How can we prevent it and what are the possible consequences for our business?
But let’s not be confused. It is not necessary to stop investing in DEI to overcome DEI fatigue. Integrating DEI into a company is essential to its future.
What is meant by DEI fatigue in an organisational context
DEI fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion or stress in a workplace that occurs when attempting to increase diversity equity and inclusion. DEI fatigue manifests in employees who are less willing to take part in DEI initiatives. This reduces the impact of these initiatives and increases tension in the workplace.
From our perspective, we work with organisations such as HSBC Ashurst BCLP DLA Piper, and they all approach DEI in a healthy and innovative way. A senior leader at a large law firm (not one of the above) told me that DEI was overcorrected by many firms, including their own. This led to DEI fatigue.
Over-correction is manifested in businesses that only focus on one part of DEI : visible diversity. Neurodiversity is often overlooked, as are physical disability, age, and social mobility.
A leader I know spoke to me about how DEI has affected her hiring process. She hired the third-best candidate because she met the DEI criteria. She claims that this is a recipe for failure.
Stop criticizing companies who try to change their hiring practices to include DEI and start applauding those that do.
What is DEI fatigue?
While DEI isn’t a new concept, its importance in business has unquestionably increased. Businesses are under pressure to take action now that the importance of DEI is widely acknowledged. Businesses that aren’t diverse enough or inclusive enough and don’t know how to be, find themselves in a difficult situation.
They may also realize that the pressure from peers and clients to implement DEI initiatives can impact their profitability and reputation. They may then overcorrect their non-existent DEI value, which shows that they are willing, but is often a tick-box exercise because of a lack experience. These firms are doing too much, too fast in the DEI area. In DEI training and DEI development, the same tick-box method is used.
The opposite of what was intended has happened.
How can we ensure that our hiring practices are diverse?
Diversity, equity and inclusion values must be aligned with the company culture. It will not work to implement a DEI into a toxic environment. It is not surprising that DEI fatigue has set in, with leadership blind to the issue and businesses displaying superficial compliance.
Organisations that are forward-thinking go beyond data. The data is overwhelming and they want solutions and a clear path forward.
Stop criticizing companies who try to change their hiring practices to include DEI and start praising those that do. We should instead offer positive support for the future of DEI.
It is also necessary to alter the hiring process. We shouldn’t reject people from a position because we haven’t seen them at the pub or golf course after work. Leaders must widen their circle to create a diverse pool of talent to choose from.
Traditional recruitment is no longer an option
It is important that organisations do not force DEI into their traditional hiring processes. The key is to build networks in a different way. Leaders should block out time every month to concentrate on remote networking within talent pools. Many people are unable to attend traditional networking events or times because of family, religious and other obligations. It means a large amount of talent is being hidden.
DEI will stop its fatigue by finding and connecting with talented people.
