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According to a recent Society for Human Resource Management study, 71% of organizations consider diversity and inclusion a high priority. However, despite this recognition, many organizations struggle to effectively implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. In fact, a survey by PwC found that only 28% of employees feel that their organization’s DEI efforts are effective. In other words, these employees do not feel fully supported in their ability to drive value to the company or grow their careers despite current corporate DEI efforts. So, what’s the solution? This is where Joseph Santana comes in. As a futurist and DEI expert, Santana offers a unique and innovative approach to closing the gap that hinders successful DEI results. Organizations across various industries have recognized his holistic solutions, and he is a sought-after speaker. This article will explore Santana’s approach and how it can help organizations achieve their DEI goals.
The Structure Gap Problem
Joseph Santana has found that the most significant area organizations ignore is that most companies today have rules and structures-built decades ago to support the less diverse workforce of the 20th century. For example, holiday policies built to honor only Christian holidays and expense reimbursement policies that don’t reimburse childcare expenses incurred in performing work. And these are just a few of the many rules and policies that block the full inclusion of a diverse 21st-century workforce in most companies. The bottom line is that most companies are designed to leverage and support the work of a white, Christian male with a stay-at-home wife caring for their family. Women, non-Christians, and other demographics (Black, Asian, Latino, etc.) being brought into these ill-fitting organizations are as supported in their success and comfortable as an elephant being shoved into a long flimsy house with weak floors, narrow halls, and tall ceilings built for a giraffe. Despite efforts to make these new workforce members feel welcome, valued, and heard, the corporate practice and policy structure are not designed to provide that support. Unfortunately, most DEI efforts focus on modifying people to fit into the company rather than modifying the company to support the new people. Even approaches to dealing with bias are addressed by training individuals while ignoring and not changing bad, impractical, and obsolete policies and practices. (Unfortunately, the bias triggers remain hidden in the organizational structure).
Joseph Santana’s Innovative Solution
Santana recommends that organizations ask their DEI leaders, often called Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs), to work with employee community leaders to identify where policies and practices need remodeling. This can be done through facilitated internal focus group discussions between group leaders and their members, followed by the group leaders meeting with the CDO to debrief on their findings. Organizations can then make policy and practice changes as needed. For example, some organizations have a bucket of floating religious holidays similar to personal time off (PTO) that allow employees to draw on in observance of their faith instead of a fixed Christmas holiday. Using the same focus group approach, DEI practice teams can review and provide feedback on your leadership selection framework. Organizations that want to succeed in the increasingly diverse 21st century should continuously look for and address gaps in the support they offer to people who do not fit the mold of the 20th century’s traditional workforce.
Another essential factor to consider is that DEI leaders must have access to and work with more than just HR to make these structural changes. In many cases, policy and practice changes needed are beyond the sphere of influence of the HR leader and require the acceptance and approval of the CFO and possibly the CEO. This is just one of the many reasons Santana advocates moving DEI outside of HR and having it report to the CEO or a COO level.
Benefits of Santana’s Approach
Implementing Santana’s solutions offers a range of benefits for organizations. Lower costly turnover is one top benefits. Top performers who care about their careers and sense themselves unsupported will leave despite all the company “feel-good” and PR efforts. Total Full Time Equivalent (FTE) value-add increases in the entire workforce is another. Instead of having only one portion of employees fully supported, which drive top value to the company and clients, organizations that put these practices in place will be reaping maximum value from all their team members. That’s a topline profitability booster that will continue to grow as a competitive differentiator as workforce diversity continues to increase in the 21st century.
In conclusion, Joseph Santana’s innovative approach offers a practical and effective solution for organizations struggling to implement DEI practices that produce measurable business results. Companies can reap numerous benefits by recognizing the structural gap problem and modifying policies and procedures to support a diverse workforce. These benefits include lower turnover cost, increased value-add by a more significant number of its workforce members, and a substantial competitive advantage over companies still operating as if they were in the 20th century.
As demographic changes continue to increase workforce and marketplace diversity, building a house for diversity by creating environments that fully support and benefit everyone will be crucial for organizations to remain competitive and thriving in the 21st century. By implementing Joseph Santana’s approach, companies can prepare to become the top competitors in their space today and in the decades ahead.
