Diversity and inclusion (D+I) continues to challenge many organizations. To boost your diversity initiatives within your organization, first and foremost you need the support of the senior management team.

Your senior team may ask why diversity is important. The short answer: It helps the organization succeed at a time when the demographics of the U.S are changing dramatically. Consider the data:

• By 2020, there will be an increase of older workers between 55 and 64, and a clear decrease is predicted in younger workers ages 16 to 24. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)


• By 2050, the current majority race, white Caucasian, will become a minority, as Hispanic, African-American, and Asian-American populations grow at a faster pace. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)


• Global movement of talent increased by 25 percent in the first decade of the 21st century, and this type of migration is expected to grow by another 50 percent by 2020. (Source: PriceWaterhouseCoopers Talent Mobility 2020 survey.)

Meanwhile, organizations are already feeling the negative impact of the "war for talent," in which it has become much more difficult to find employees with the skills organizations need to stay competitive. If your organization intends to continue to compete and succeed, it will have to attract all available talent to meet its objectives.

Make Education a Priority

Education is the key to winning over your senior management team's support for a substantial D+I program of work. You have to show your senior team the "what's in it for me" (WIIFM) of your initiative.

Data is widely available—from sources like the Society for Human Resource Management and the federal government—that can help you build a business case for your diversity initiative.

Unfortunately, in many organizations, management continues to confuse equal employment opportunity with D+I. They are completely different. Management, employees, and even some HR professionals continue to see diversity as strictly a matter of race, religion, national origin, gender, and other demographic characteristics. But diversity is more than that. It is a mixture of differences and similarities related to each person's values, beliefs, experiences, background, preferences, and behaviors. And "inclusion" refers to ensuring that everyone in your organization has equal access to opportunities and resources. D+I encompasses everyone.

To increase understanding of the power of D+I in organizations, lots of education is still needed. Education includes using metrics to demonstrate the importance of boosting your organization's diversity initiatives. Data is widely available—from sources like the Society for Human Resource Management and the federal government—that can help you build a business case for your diversity initiative. It is no longer a nice thing to embrace D+I—it is essential if your organization wants to remain competitive.

Steps for Success

Understanding your organization and your community is critical to developing any organizational initiative, and particularly one focused on diversity and inclusion. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

• Evaluate the demographics of your membership and your staff team and identify your strengths and weaknesses.


• Understand your organization's goals and outline how your diversity initiative can help meet them.


• Support your business case for D+I with data. Examine your membership's demographics and national demographic trends to determine the impact D+I will have on your organization's success or failure. This analysis could influence your program and product offerings.


• Provide ongoing diversity education for your senior management team and managers (show them the WIIFM).


• Ensure that your website and other marketing materials project the message that your organization is welcoming and diverse.


• Partner with other diverse organizations on events, scholarship programs, and other programs. Such partnerships give you positive visibility in your community and with current and potential constituents.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives will look different depending on your organization's goals and needs. Its culture, community, and constituents will dictate your focus. It will take time, and education is key.

D+I isn't something you can put in place and then walk away. It is ongoing work as our demographics and cultures change.