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spiked to an all-time high in June, accord- ing to Google Trends — with Virginia and Washington, D.C., at the top of the rank- ings by region for searches of the term. However, the focus on diversity may


be a recent change of heart for many companies. During the early months of the pandemic, between March and early June, postings for job titles such as “chief diversity officer,” “diversity and inclusion recruiter” and “D&I program manager” dropped nearly 60%, Glassdoor found. By comparison, postings for overall human resources jobs fell 49% in the same period; job openings in general sank 28%. As Nicole Sanchez, CEO of Berkeley,


California-based Vaya Consulting, which focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion issues, told The Washington Post this July:


“How am I supposed to believe that the thing you said was dispensable just weeks ago is suddenly the most important thing you’re doing?” “Public comments are not enough,” says


Janice Branch Hall, director of diversity and inclusion at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business. “People need material action.” A wealth of research supports the


idea that it’s good business to build and nurture a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization. In 2018, McKinsey & Co. analyzed


the financial results of more than 1,000 businesses and found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic or cultural diversity were 33% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile. Researchers say this makes sense. A


business with decision-makers who under- stand and reflect diverse customers, clients, competitors and colleagues will have an advantage over those without. Leading by example makes a big differ-


ence, McKinsey found: Companies with the most ethnically and culturally diverse boards were 43% more likely to record higher profit.


Culture by design Demographic experts say welcoming


a diverse and inclusive workforce is key to attracting top talent. Millennials — now the largest generational cohort — over-


whelmingly prefer to work with people who are different from themselves and score leaders who value diversity and inclu- sion more highly than those who do not, according to a 2018 Deloitte study. With all that to support the business


case, why have so many corporations recently begun scrambling for support on issues of race and inclusion? Workforce experts again point to the data. White males hold 85% of executive


positions, according to the human resources consulting company company Mercer, yet comprise only about 31% of the nation’s population. Only four CEOs in the Fortune 500 are Black — 0.08% of top executives. Women are similarly underrepresented


in positions of authority. And McKinsey’s researchers note that when women do gain executive positions, they are often in staff roles rather than top-level ones. Women of color, the McKinsey report found, “may suffer a double burden of bias that keeps them from the uppermost levels of corpo- rate leadership.” In most organizations, according to


Mercer, McKinsey and other researchers, the lower down the ladder you look, the more you find people of color. Experts in workforce diversity and


inclusion say the disconnect between the business case, the rhetoric and reality demonstrates how tricky it can be to untangle the interlacing of race, power, culture and inclusion in the workforce. Doing so takes time, attention and focus. “These are complex, messy issues that


are generations in the making,” says Zur. Businesses that want to break through


these roadblocks need to work to build a workplace that invites, welcomes and engages people from many different backgrounds and perspectives. That’s not always easy. “Culture happens by default or it hap-


pens by design, and our default operating code is largely white,” says Tiffany Jana, founder and CEO of Richmond-based TMI Consulting Inc., a diversity and inclusion management consultancy firm. By recruiting and hiring without


intentionally looking outside that default, workplaces often miss qualified candidates. Norms such as preferring candidates from


www.VirginiaBusiness.com


“reputable institutions,” who graduated from the same schools or who offer “a good fit,” rather than making judgments on potential and ability, usually result in workplaces that resemble their managers, Jana says. To offset this, hiring managers can


strengthen and expand their networks. For example, Jana — who identifies as non- binary and uses they/them pronouns — points out that almost every industry and profession has demographically specific organizations associated with it. “Offer to sponsor a conference,” they suggest. “Build relationships.” Another tip: Make sure photos on


websites and recruiting materials reflect the organization you want to build. Few people are willing to be the first person like them to join a company, says Jana, who was on Inc. magazine’s 2018 list of the nation’s top leadership speakers. Once people are on board, experts say,


workplaces need to put in place practices that welcome participation and input from all members. Hiring people without planning for,


encouraging and celebrating their active participation is counterproductive and demoralizing, Jana says: “If you can’t say spe- cifically how groups are going to improve your organization, you’re going to ignore them or ill-use their talent and perspective.” At the same time,


managers should be careful not to rely on members of under- represented groups as spokespeople. Inequity


“is a collective problem and needs a collective solution,” says Hall of Virginia Tech. People with “social and political capital” need to be part of discussions rather than asking members of minority groups to solve these problems, she adds.


Hall


‘Actions speak louder’ One method to address the complex


situation is building intentional networks like Richmond-based Dominion Energy Inc.’s employee resource groups, or ERGs, launched in 2013. The utility currently has eight ERGs, each of which is focused on an ethnic,


VIRGINIA BUSINESS | 25


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