As companies have invested in diversity, equity and inclusion, we've seen evidence that these efforts are working, and creating more inclusive, safer workplaces. But is the next step in successful DEI programs actually the elimination of DEI?
Fifty-three percent of Fortune 500 companies now have a chief diversity officer or equivalent role, according to a 2021 McKinsey report. Since the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020, more than 60% of companies have appointed their first-ever diversity leader. Despite good intentions, that's put professional pressure on the very
Shai Poulard has been the
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"What I've found in my experience is that sometimes issues can be out of sight and out of mind — until something happens and leaders are forced to rely on a reactive strategy because that's what's trending," Poulard says. "So we're really going to move the dial to embed and integrate DEI in the foundation of a company."
Diversity executives — most of whom are from
Poulard recently spoke to EBN about her experience in DEI leadership and what kind of future she sees for herself outside of the confines of chief diversity officer:
Why don't you want your position to exist in 10 years?
For a lot of DEI professionals, our goal is to embed DEI in all facets of the business. An example I love to give here is about managers, and how we train those managers. In the current state, there is often manager training — and then there's a separate inclusive leader training, right? But I would like to see the expectation that managers are inclusive, and it doesn't feel like an afterthought, but business as usual.
What I would love to see as the future of DEI is for my role to not exist in this capacity, where we're constantly having to pitch and influence and explain why this work matters and why folks should care. It should be so ingrained in how we operate that this function almost shifts into a different capacity and almost becomes more of an advisory or consulting because as we know, people are nuanced and are ever changing. There will always be a need for support, but it won't necessarily be so much of a reactive function, but very much as a proactive function that's in the DNA of a company.
Has it triggered any "DEI fatigue" — the notion that inclusivity efforts fall primarily on the shoulders of BIPOC people — for you?
Absolutely. I have worked for an organization where DEI was embedded and integrated into the DNA of the company, where managers and colleagues were very proactive in saying they valued this work and that they wanted to be an inclusive leader. I didn't really have to spend a lot of time getting the buy-in because the leadership hired me and set the expectation that the company culture was going in an inclusive direction. As somebody that is very passionate about DEI, and as a woman of color, it was more rewarding to be more in the advisory role than to have to pitch and get the buy-in.
In order for that meaningful shift in organizations' relationship to DEI, what will employers need to do?
I compare it to the way every company has a finance function and it's understood that the function is indispensable — finance keeps the lights on. Every company is going to need to have that shift in mindset where leaders understand and internalize that a commitment to DEI is just as non-negotiable. I would like to see more organizations include DEI as a competency to success and really build some strong metrics around how folks are contributing to creating an inclusive environment. How does DEI impact overall career growth, tenure and overall success for the company? If we can get a really strong look at those areas all the other pieces will fall into place.
Let's say everything goes as you hope. What does your career look like10 years?
That will be a testament to NerdWallet wallet, right? NerdWallet is one of the companies that's doing it the right way. We've really created a strategy where myself and the people team drive accountability, but everyone across the business does their part. So If I had to think about my career in 10 years, it's partnering with NerdWallet to champion what that looks like, leading by example and being the case study that shows that when folks are taking ownership, this is what success looks like.
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This is how organizations are able to sustain in an uncertain economy, because you have a workforce that feels empowered to bring their true selves to work and that feels like they have a seat at the table. They have the capacity to be innovative and creative and to make $1 out of 15 cents, because they're not bogged down by microaggressions or implicit bias or systemic discrimination. In the next 10 years I'd like to see us take some of the tools and frameworks that we built to create an inclusive environment at work and apply that to creating an inclusive world.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced that he wants to make it more difficult to enforce DEI policies at work. How does that kind of proposed legislation make you feel, and how does it affect — if at all — your plan?
When I hear initiatives like that, it makes me wonder how DEI is being defined, because diversity, equity and inclusion in its purest form is essentially ensuring that everyone feels included and setting everyone up for success. DEI has become synonymous with people of color and women, and although that is a core focus, when done right everyone wins, regardless of how you identify.
Now, how are we preparing as an organization? Often people will say, "it's not happening here so it won't impact us." Because of that, I try to build my strategy around our span of control — what can we control in this moment, especially when there are macro forces that seem to be going against the work we've committed to. I always say that it's important to focus on the micro. Our approach is to really help individuals focus on their span of control as managers or employees. We don't necessarily need an overarching DEI mandate to enable that, we can choose to have teams that ensure that everyone feels comfortable speaking up in meetings. I can choose to make the extra effort to check in on my team and ask: Are you feeling supported? How can I better support you with resources? And how can I enable and how can I empower you? It takes individuals to commit to really small actions to drive and create an inclusive culture. Bye bye, DEI? Why NerdWallet's diversity chief wants her job to go away
