Promoting Inclusion and Diversity: Small Actions Can Have a Big Impact

Don’t let the backlash against inclusion and diversity (I&D) programs deter you, Joy Johnson-Carruthers, SHRM-SCP, founder and CEO of Nashville-based consulting firm JTraining Solutions, told attendees at SHRM INCLUSION 2024 outside Denver.

Some employers have scrapped or dialed back those initiatives or dismantled their related departments—she pointed to Tractor Supply as one example—but HR professionals can still promote I&D in how they conduct themselves.

“How are you going to use your power, your title, your influence” to promote inclusive, diverse workplaces? “How are you going to use your story to help someone else?” Johnson-Carruthers asked during her session Nov. 5.

The U.S. Army veteran, former police officer and former college professor offered some answers with the following tips:

• Model inclusive language.

She pointed to tools such as the Grammarly app, which she uses to write inclusive memos, emails, and other correspondence.

• Lead with purpose-guided values.

“Often, the most impactful things you can do are small, thoughtful actions that can lead to significant change,” Johnson-Carruthers said. You can model inclusive behavior “even when it’s not part of the company’s official goals.”

• Empower others.

“It doesn’t have to be an official role for you to be an ally for someone, to mentor someone,” she explained. “It requires us to make deeper connections. Once that’s done, we can amplify those voices [and] have more exposure.”

She shared examples of informal employee actions resulting in I&D initiatives, such as a parking lot coffee klatch discussion of the news of the day that evolved into an employee resource group. And at one college campus, the act of praying for a deceased colleague led to 75 people meeting every Monday for prayer and meditation.

“It doesn’t always have to be official,” she said of such initiatives. “It just takes one person to say, ‘We’re going to get together.’ ”

• Facilitate learning.

Don’t constantly correct others, Johnson-Carruthers cautioned. Instead, encourage people to take ownership of their own learning around I&D best practices and point them to resources to expand their knowledge.

• Be an advocate when possible.

“It’s about being consistent and standing for what you believe in and making a change however and wherever you can,” she added. That could include promoting diverse hiring practices and embedding inclusive practices in your organization’s onboarding initiatives.

“Wherever you have influence in your workplace, you can do small things, and you don’t have to call it ‘diversity and inclusion,’ ” Johnson-Carruthers noted.

Also, live your values inside and outside the workplace, she urged.

“You can volunteer in organizations like your local SHRM chapter or your local chamber, or mentor,” Johnson-Carruthers said. She is the president-elect of the Middle Tennessee SHRM chapter, as well as the advisor to its I&D initiatives.

• Stay resilient.

Try to work through problems and find solutions. Johnson-Carruthers recalled employers she worked with that were frequently ghosted by new hires. In one instance, she learned the trainer used harsh language that scared off many new workers. In another case, a new employee who showed promise left because the employer did not promote recycling. He returned when he was told the employer would allow him to start a recycling program with his team.

Johnson-Carruthers urged HR professionals to be strong in the face of criticism.

“Sometimes you will be villainized,” she said. “When you’re doing good work and you’re making a difference, you’re going to have haters.”

• Data is important, but don’t overlook the human element.

Surveys and studies have shown inclusive companies are more innovative, as they hear from employees with a broad range of experiences and backgrounds. They also are more likely to hit their financial goals, and because a large percentage of applicants seek companies that promote diversity, those companies have a wider pool of candidates to choose from, Johnson-Carruthers said.

However, she cautioned HR professionals not to let their employers be so data-driven that they miss the human element.

“Data is not a silver bullet,” she said. “It won’t drive change unless both your leadership and your workforce are on board” with the findings and the work needed to be done that is based on those findings.

Much of the work takes time, she said.

It starts” with slowing down and making those connections and sending out those one- or two-question surveys to [ask,] ‘How are we doing? How can we do better?’ Your people, your workforce: That’s where the secret sauce is.”