The biggest DEI challenges companies face in 2024

More and more companies are realising how crucial it is to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion as an integral part of their success. 

However, making real progress in these areas is no walk in the park. Companies have to tackle a number of hurdles on their DEI journey, from ensuring diverse representation, dismantling unconscious biases, creating an inclusive culture, and addressing pay equity. 

And that's not all—recruitment and hiring practices, keeping diverse talent on board and helping them grow, and educating employees on the importance of DEI are some of the other major challenges companies face. 

But it’s absolutely necessary to acknowledge these challenges in order to overcome them and become a truly diverse, fair, and welcoming workplace. Without doing so, companies may resort to performative DEI efforts, which can damage the Employee Value Proposition.

1) Lack of representation

Achieving genuine diversity and representation is a significant challenge for many companies out there. Sadly, this struggle often extends to all levels, particularly when it comes to securing diverse talent in leadership positions. 

This underrepresentation creates a major roadblock, as it deprives companies of a wealth of diverse perspectives and hampers their ability to be inclusive. To truly thrive, companies must prioritise expanding their talent pool to include individuals from all kinds of diverse backgrounds.

How can organisations overcome this challenge?

• Diversify recruitment: Actively look for candidates from underrepresented groups through targeted outreach, partnerships with diversity-focused organisations, and platforms like Flexa. With Flexa, you can make significant strides in achieving diversity and inclusion. Hydrogen Group, for example, have witnessed remarkable results, with 76.4% of applicants in their hiring pipeline being women. And Amplifi have seen a 65% increase in diverse talent.
• Promote inclusive leadership: Encourage leaders to champion diversity, create mentorship programs for underrepresented employees, and lead by example through inclusive behaviour.
• Provide diversity training: Offer training to increase awareness of unconscious biases, cultural competence, and the importance of diversity. This will create a more inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and valued.
  

2) Intersectionality

Companies aiming to promote inclusivity must go beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. It's important to recognise different individuals face unique challenges due to the intersections of their identities. For example, a woman of colour may face different obstacles and biases compared to a white woman or a man of colour. 

Taking intersections into consideration allows companies to ensure that their DEI initiatives are inclusive and tailored to address the specific challenges faced by individuals from diverse backgrounds. Here are some of examples of intersectionality in the workplace.

• Invisibility of certain identities: Intersectionality reveals how certain identities or experiences can be marginalised or overlooked within broader diversity initiatives. For example, a company might focus on gender diversity but fail to address the unique challenges faced by women of colour or LGBTQ+ individuals within that group.
• Risk of tokenism: Companies may inadvertently tokenise individuals who belong to multiple marginalised groups by selecting them to represent diversity without considering their actual experiences or perspectives. This can lead to feelings of alienation and exploitation among employees.
• Data collection and analysis: Intersectionality requires more nuanced data collection and analysis. Companies need to gather data not only on broad categories like race or gender but also on how these intersect with other factors such as disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc. 
• Leadership and representation: Intersectionality highlights the importance of diverse representation in leadership positions. However, companies may struggle to achieve this due to existing biases in recruitment, promotion, and retention practices.

How can organisations overcome this challenge?

• Implement inclusive policies and practices: Review and adjust company policies to address the intersecting needs of employees. This includes flexible work arrangements to accommodate various life circumstances, comprehensive healthcare coverage that considers diverse healthcare needs, and inclusive language in all communications and materials.
• Provide intersectional training and education: Offer training sessions to employees and managers that focus on understanding intersectionality, unconscious bias, and inclusive communication. This helps raise awareness of the unique challenges faced by individuals with intersecting identities and fosters a culture of empathy and understanding.
• Inclusive leadership and representation: Promote diverse leadership and ensure that decision-makers reflect the diversity of the workforce. Encourage leaders to actively listen to and amplify the voices of employees with intersecting identities, and provide mentorship and sponsorship opportunities to help them advance in their careers.

3) Unconscious bias

Unconscious biases are often deep-rooted stereotypes or prejudices that influence how we understand things, how we act, and even the decisions we make. The tricky part is, most of the time, we're unaware of them. However, through unconscious bias training, individuals can develop the necessary tools to recognise and challenge these biases.

Getting rid of these biases takes conscious effort but is absolutely crucial if you want to create a more inclusive environment that attracts, retains and engages talent. 

How can organisations overcome this challenge?

• Implement bias awareness training: Offer regular training sessions to employees at all levels to raise awareness of unconscious biases and their impact. Provide concrete examples and strategies for recognising and mitigating biases in hiring, promotions, and everyday interactions.
• Structured decision-making processes: Establish structured processes for hiring, performance evaluations, and decision-making that minimise the influence of unconscious biases. This can include using standardised interview questions, blind CV reviews, and objective performance criteria.
• Promote diversity and Inclusion initiatives: Actively promote diversity and inclusion initiatives within the organisation. Encourage participation in employee resource groups, sponsor diversity-focused events and programs, and hold leadership accountable for advancing diversity goals. Creating a culture that values diversity and actively works to mitigate bias is key to long-term success.

4) Pay equity

Pay disparities based on gender, age, race or other factors not to do with performance are still very much alive, and they undermine the principle of equity in the workplace. The gender pay gap has widened in UK with men earning 14.5% more than women.

Identifying and tackling these imbalances is a complex task that requires careful analysis and proactive measures. It's not just about the numbers on the payslip; it's about rectifying the systemic biases and discriminatory practices that lead to unequal compensation. 

How can organisations overcome this challenge?

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5) Recruitment and hiring practices

Companies often come across obstacles when it comes to creating a fair and inclusive hiring process. 

The first hurdle is attracting and accessing diverse talent pools. Companies need to cast a wider net and actively seek out individuals from underrepresented backgrounds and embed DEI into the hiring process. Putting work into your Employer Brand can help here.

Another challenge is mitigating bias in the selection process. Human beings are prone to unconscious biases, and these biases can seep into the decision-making process, even unintentionally.

How can organisations overcome this challenge?

• Implement bias awareness training: Offer regular training sessions to raise awareness of unconscious biases.
• Implement structured decision-making: Use structured interviews, blind CV screening, and diverse interview panels to minimise bias.
• Promote diversity and inclusion Initiatives: Actively promote diversity and inclusion initiatives, including employee resource groups and diversity-focused events.

6) Retention and advancement

Achieving diversity in the hiring process alone doesn’t cut it; companies must also prioritise the retention and advancement of underrepresented talent. 

Unfortunately, employees from underrepresented groups often face challenges when it comes to career progression. These barriers can stem from unconscious biases, limited access to mentorship, or exclusion from important networks and decision-making circles. 

Consequently, it leads to feeling of being undervalued or neglected, resulting in higher turnover rates and a loss of diverse perspectives within the company. 

What can this look like?

• Performance evaluation bias: Managers might give lower ratings to women and minorities compared to white male employees, even if their performance is similar.
• Promotion bias: Employees from underrepresented groups might get fewer promotion opportunities due to unconscious beliefs about their leadership abilities or fit for leadership roles.
• Microaggressions: Subtle behaviours, like constantly mispronouncing the name of an employee from a different background, can make them feel unwelcome and undermine their confidence and performance.

To combat this, it becomes crucial for companies to implement transparent career paths that offer equal opportunities for growth and development.

How can organisations overcome this challenge?

• Offer career growth opportunities: Provide mentorship, training, and clear pathways for progression.
• Create an inclusive environment: Encourage open communication, inclusive leadership, and address discrimination promptly.
• Support work-life balance and well-being: Offer flexible work options, support mental and physical well-being, and recognise cultural diversity.

7) Lack of employee awareness and education

To truly create an inclusive culture, training and awareness programs should be provided to employees to expand their understanding of the challenges around DEI.

This may take the form of workshops, online courses, or interactive discussions. It's important to tailor these to the specific needs and dynamics of your company, making sure they are engaging, relatable, and impactful. 

It should never be about ticking a box or going through a one-time workshop; it requires a continuous effort to promote ongoing learning and development to help employees recognise the value of diverse perspectives, challenge their own biases, and develop a greater appreciation for inclusivity. 

How can organisations overcome this challenge?

• Continuous learning opportunities: Offer ongoing workshops, resources, and discussions on DEI topics.
• Encourage self-reflection: Provide tools for employees to recognise and challenge their biases.
• Promote knowledge sharing: Encourage employees to share and their learnings with the wider company and create a culture where people feel comfortable to have open discussions.