According to a new resource from global HR research and
advisory firm McLean & Company, HR and DEI leaders face
shifting challenges, misconceptions, and resistance in the DEI
space as they seek to guide their organizations into an inclusive
future of work. Leaders must uncover the root causes of DEI
resistance to effectively address these challenges and enable
building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization for
all.
TORONTO, July 31,
2024 /CNW/ - As the diversity, equity, and inclusion
(DEI) landscape continues to evolve, HR is navigating how to
address misconceptions and sources of resistance to organizational
DEI. In response, McLean & Company, the trusted research
and advisory partner of HR leaders around the world, has released a
new resource to support HR and DEI leaders advocating for greater
inclusion and equity in their talent practices and workplaces. The
guide, Navigate a Path Forward in the DEI
Landscape, explores the evolution and
current importance of DEI as well as the common misconceptions
fueling resistance. McLean & Company's new resource also offers
insights on how best to integrate strategies to address six common
types of DEI resistance alongside integrating the importance of DEI
into organizational culture.
![According to McLean & Company’s new resource, navigating DEI resistance is a complex and sensitive topic that requires mindfulness of varying emotional responses. However, when it is approached with curiosity, openness, empathy, and a willingness to learn, DEI leaders can support the organization in achieving an inclusive future for all. (CNW Group/McLean & Company) According to McLean & Company’s new resource, navigating DEI resistance is a complex and sensitive topic that requires mindfulness of varying emotional responses. However, when it is approached with curiosity, openness, empathy, and a willingness to learn, DEI leaders can support the organization in achieving an inclusive future for all. (CNW Group/McLean & Company)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2472860/McLean___Company_Organizations_Must_Navigate_DEI_Resistance_and.jpg)
In the resource, the firm explains that the benefits of
organizational DEI, including improved financial performance and
organizational outcomes, are undeniable and lead most organizations
to use the business case to advocate for continued investment in
DEI. However, this approach can overlook the fairness and empathy
case, which anchors the importance of DEI in achieving improved
equitable outcomes, building a sense of belonging, and working to
improve society. The firm further stresses that deprioritizing DEI
because of resistance is a mistake and that failing to address
equity and inclusion challenges hinders employee and organizational
outcomes.
"Regardless of the specifics of their approach, DEI leaders
face no shortage of challenges, misconceptions, and resistance on
the path to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable
organization," says Elysca Fernandes, director of
HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company.
"Amid adversity, DEI leaders can sustain progress by focusing on
the people most impacted by DEI challenges to achieve an inclusive
future for all."
To support HR and DEI leaders in their efforts to understand DEI
obstacles and navigate the course to create and maintain an
inclusive workplace for all, McLean & Company has organized the
new guide into three sections:
1. What is DEI today? The first section offers HR
and DEI leaders a high-level review of terms. They'll also gain an
understanding of the benefits of organizational DEI and its
evolution to the present day.
2. Where are we now? The second section
explains six common types of resistance and how they may appear in
the workplace:
i. Perceiving DEI progress through a
zero-sum mindset. A zero-sum mindset refers to the belief that
progress in DEI comes at the expense of those who have historically
benefited from existing systems or structures, assuming
opportunities are finite and limited rather than expansive or
created.
ii. Failing to acknowledge the
impact of systemic inequities on workplace outcomes, commonly known
as the meritocracy myth.
iii. Misinterpreting inclusion in
one domain to justify exclusion in another.
iv. Empathy deficits leading to the
belief that things are "good enough."
v. Lack of recognition of the
indirect and long-term value of investing in DEI.
vi. Focusing on perceptions and
losing sight of the impact of DEI-related change.
3. Where do we go from here? The third and
final section encourages HR and DEI leaders to approach DEI as
long-term cultural change through aligning the focus of
DEI with the organization's stated values of wellbeing and safety.
To achieve this, the resource points to the importance of
segmenting employee experience data to uncover exclusion and hidden
disparities, adopting inclusive design to create a more inclusive
workplace, and encouraging continuous learning and unlearning along
the DEI journey.
McLean & Company reminds leaders that DEI is highly
contextual and requires adapting the approach to differing contexts
and audiences. Shifting mindsets is not easy, especially when views
are based on deeply ingrained values and learned behaviors. Culture
change does not happen overnight, so future-focused leaders must
embrace embedding inclusion into organizational culture as a
long-term journey.
To access the full thought leadership resource, please visit
Navigate a Path Forward in the DEI Landscape.
To learn more about the resources and tools available to support
navigating the current DEI landscape and the best way forward for
organizations' unique contexts, please contact McLean &
Company.
To attend upcoming free webinars on a variety of topics or
explore the publicly available archive of recorded sessions, please
visit McLean & Company's webinars page.
McLean Signature 2024 Conference
To register for Signature, McLean & Company's premier
industry conference for future-focused HR leaders, please visit the
official Signature event page. This year Signature will take
place from October 27 to 29 at
Red Rock Casino
Resort & Spa in Las Vegas,
Nevada.
Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company
analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on
generative AI in HR, HR trends in
2024, the future of work, and more can contact
Senior Communications Manager Kelsey
King at kking@mcleanco.com.
About McLean & Company
McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and
immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position
organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The
global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy
comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops,
action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR
professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team
members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.
McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research
Group.
Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to
research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry
analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access,
contact kking@mcleanco.com.
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SOURCE McLean & Company