In this first coffee talk of the new year, we focus on an area where many companies want to take action in 2023: diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Margrét is joined by Salomé Germain Trigano, a DEI expert and founder of Arba Advisory. She’s helped companies and universities create and implement DEI action plans. So she has great advice on getting started.
First off, Salomé says, honesty and transparency are key. If an organization has struggled with racism or sexism, it’s important to be upfront about those challenges. This honesty also helps Salomé figure out whether more awareness building is needed before DEI efforts begin.
It’s also important to have certain data, including data on recruitment, promotion, internal mobility, retention, and exits. The data should be disaggregated by gender or any dimension the organization wants to work on. It should also be broken down by level of responsibility, function, and location. And as DEI efforts begin, it’s important to track the data to see changes.
Once the data is in, Salomé helps develop a plan that fits the organization’s goals and resources. New policies are created and implemented. But, Margrét asks, how do you make DEI sustainable?
Salomé says that the key is ongoing awareness of the work culture and environment. To do this, she conducts interviews, surveys, and site visits. Based on her findings, she helps the organization adapt its DEI action plan on a continual basis. That way, organizations can ensure that their DEI efforts are truly driving meaningful change.
Watch the coffee talk below
Friday Coffee Talk from Planet Fair is a YouTube series co-hosted by PayAnalytics founder Margrét Bjarnadóttir and Henrike Von Platen, founder and CEO of the FPI Fair Pay Innovation Lab in Berlin.
