DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION:
  QUESTION & ANSWER SHEET
 
 
 
 
 
 
Q:   How  can  I  encourage  my  leadership  team  to  have  explicit  conversations  about  
Diversity,  Equity  &  Inclusion?  

A:   To  keep  your  organization  on  track  to  achieving  its  mission,  DEI  must  be  a  priority  for  
your  leadership  team.  Ask  yourself  and  your  team:  What  is  the  impact  on  our  
organization  if  DEI  is  not  properly  addressed?  To  start  this  explicit  conversation,  look  at  
organizational  strategy  (to  include  goals  and  outcomes)  along  with  external  data  and  
what  other  organizations  like  yours  are  doing.  This  will  give  you  insight  into  the  
business  drivers  for  investing  in  a  formal  DEI  effort  and  the  challenges  others  have  
experienced,  how  they  overcame  them  and  the  results  they  were  able  to  achieve  with  
effective  DEI  strategies  in  place.  

   

Q:   As  an  HR  leader  and  the  only  person  of  color  on  the  leadership  team,  how  can  I  help  
move  DEI  forward  without  the  perception  of  it  being  a  personal  agenda?  How  can  HR  
encourage  leadership  to  look  at  DEI  in  all  areas  of  the  business,  including  
development?  

A:   Focus  on  diversity  statistics  and  engagement  survey  results  that  include  questions  that  
address  DEI.  You  can  then  present  the  issue  with  a  focus  on  the  business  needs  of  
organization  and  its  ability  to  make  an  impact  by  attracting  and  engaging  more  diverse  
range  of  employees,  volunteers  and  board  members.  The  numbers  and  expected  
outcomes  will  prove  that  this  is  much  more  than  a  personal  agenda  and  will  ultimately  
benefit  your  organization.  

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 Q:   How  can  we  include  DEI  in  our  job  descriptions  and  interview  processes  while  hiring?    

A:   Include  language  that  aligns  with  the  organization’s  brand  and  the  employer  value  
proposition,  which  is  why  a  candidate  will  choose  your  organization  over  another.  You  
also  want  to  be  transparent  with  candidates  when  you’re  building  a  diverse  workforce  
but  may  not  already  have  one  in  place.  By  having  open  conversations  with  these  
candidates,  they’ll  understand  that  you’re  at  the  early  stages  of  actively  addressing  DEI  
in  your  organization  but  are  being  intentional  with  improvements.  

   

Q:   How  can  we  improve  diversity  amongst  senior  management  when  turnover  at  this  
level  is  low?  

A:   Consider  expanding  what  senior  management  means  at  your  organization.  Include  
individuals  from  a  variety  of  positions  in  important  organizational  decisions.  Or,  
implement  multiple  decision-­‐making  pathways  so  not  all  decisions  go  through  one  
homogenous  group  and  that  varying,  diverse  perspectives  are  considered  when  major  
organizational  decisions  need  to  be  made.    

   

Q:   How  can  I  create  disability-­‐related  inclusion  strategies?  

A:   Ensure  physical  access  in  all  areas  of  your  organization’s  office  including  entrances,  
elevators,  bathrooms  and  office  equipment.  Also  review  your  application  process  with  
the  goal  of  eliminating  unintended  barriers  for  those  living  with  disabilities.  You  will  
also  want  to  ensure  appropriate  online  access  for  team  members  who  work  from  
home.  Additional  support  and  guidance  may  be  available  from  your  local  chapter  of  
the  Job  Accommodation  Network.  

Q:   How  can  we  give  DEI  an  important  role  in  an  organization  going  through  a  significant  
amount  of  change  at  once?  How  can  I  combat  skepticism  with  regards  to  DEI  efforts,  
particularly  diversity?  

A:   Communication  and  transparency  are  crucial.  To  cultivate  support  for  change,  keep  all  
team  members  informed  on  what  the  changes  are  and  why  they’re  happening.  
Communicate  the  benefits  of  DEI  initiatives  to  your  team  and  ensure  alignment  to  your  
organization’s  goals.  

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 Q:   How  can  I  incorporate  DEI  principles  into  performance  management  and  individual  
goal  setting  to  encourage  senior  and  middle  managers  to  be  leaders  in  this  area?  

A:   Manager  DEI  goals  should  be  derived  from  and  based  on  organizational  goals  
surrounding  DEI.  Determine  what  the  organization  wants  to  achieve  and  how  the  
managers  can  support  this  vision.  Then  equip  them  for  success  with  tools  to  
accomplish  those  goals,  such  as  training  and  professional  development  initiatives.  If  
you  already  have  a  clear  DEI  strategy  in  place,  consider  adding  DEI  competency  
measurement  to  your  performance  review  process.  

   

Q:   What  are  best  practices  to  transition  from  a  white  culture  to  a  culture  of  equity  and  
inclusion?  

A:   Understand  that  achieving  DEI  will  be  a  journey  and  not  something  that  can  be  
accomplished  immediately.  Develop  your  DEI  vision,  set  the  goals  and  define  what  is  
both  working  and  not  working  in  terms  of  HR  and  talent  processes  in  creating  and  
sustaining  diversity.  Foster  change  at  a  pace  that  is  both  manageable  and  challenging  
for  the  organization.  Engage  as  broad  a  range  of  staff  as  possible  in  helping  to  shift  the  
culture.  Be  intentional  about  seeking  out  the  opinions  of  those  who  are  different  from  
the  majority  and  include  their  perspectives  and  recommendations  in  your  change  
efforts.  Most  importantly,  keep  your  team  members  informed  about  why  changes  are  
happening  and  how  they  relate  to  your  organization’s  impact  and  success  

Q:   How  does  one  reach  people  who  think  they  are  open-­‐minded  about  diversity  and  
inclusion––but  really  are  not––without  alienating  them?  

A:   Look  to  data  that  demonstrates  your  organization  is  on  the  wrong  track.  Assessments  
are  the  easiest  way  for  you  to  bring  an  objective  case  for  DEI  to  your  team.  

 
 
Are  you  interested  in  implementing  a  strategy  to  create  a  more  diverse  candidate  pool  and  staff  
in  your  organization?  We’re  happy  to  connect  with  you  and  share  additional  tools  to  help  you  
assess  and  measure  your  DEI  strategies.  Contact  Nonprofit  HR  today.  
 

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