Top 9 Ways to Include DEI in Your L&D Plans

In many organizations, learning and development (L&D) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not coordinated or integrated. For companies that are serious about DEI initiatives, this is a missed opportunity to ensure that employees learn and develop through a DEI lens. It is a powerful way to embed DEI into the culture of an organization and should not be overlooked.

Here are the top 9 ways you can ensure that DEI is fully integrated into your talent development plans for 2023.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez

1. Executive sponsorship

Executive sponsorship is essential to getting this work prioritized, budgeted and executed. The sponsor should be held accountable by tying their personal goals related to DEI L&D efforts into the overall business objectives they will be measured against. If there is an executive sponsor who is spearheading all DEI related efforts across the company that you can align with, even better.

2. Measure your progress

Measure where you are in terms of learning and gaps through survey tools and feedback sessions with employees, employee networks, or working groups. This will help you ensure your efforts are focused on the immediate needs of the organization. Keep an open mind and respect that the data you are receiving is the truth—listen to it thoughtfully and bravely. Don’t dismiss or hide the answers, even if you or your executive sponsor don’t like what you are hearing.

3. Prioritize DEI

Based on the data, determine the highest priority actions you should be taking. DEI efforts are a marathon, not a sprint—some of the issues your organization will need to solve may take not just weeks or months to tackle, but years of continuous effort. Try to pick some actions that will be quick wins (so you can see some progress and avoid discouragement) as well as items that may take longer to accomplish.

4. Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Set Key Performance Indicators that you can utilize to track improvements over time. If you used a survey, plan to run the survey again within a 6 month or 1 year timeframe based on the needs of your organization and the types of actions you are taking. Focus your learning and development efforts around the areas that your organization appears to be weakest in, and hold your organization accountable for providing the tools, time, and content needed to make progress in those areas.

5. Report your progress

Provide your organization, especially your executive sponsor, with monthly or quarterly progress reports based on your plan.

6. DEI balance

Don’t just focus on diversity; ensure that you have the right balance with respect to equity and inclusion within your DEI L&D plans.

7. Keep accessibility in mind

Review any additional educational benefits and resources your company offers to assess if these are truly accessible to all employees. Consider whether the program is truly equitable: for instance, is everyone in the organization eligible, rather than just the engineering organization? Does it require in-person learning, or will you pay for online courses instead or in addition? Take these questions and similar ones into account when deciding on a resource or program.

8. Allyship

The L&D organization you choose should be an organizational ally, continually advocating for inclusive policies and speaking out for marginalized groups. Your team must be fully involved in the DEI learning efforts as well, and you must walk the walk when it comes to DEI cultural behaviors and required change.

9. Mistakes will happen

Finally, your organization is going to make mistakes. Publicly apologize with humility and curiosity; you made a mistake and going forward you’re making a commitment to do better… then really do better! DEI learning and development is a journey—be patient and keep moving forward.

Looking ahead to 2023, be sure to include DEI education in your L&D plans. Continued education is the first step in ensuring that your DEI efforts make a real, positive difference in your organization.

If you’re wondering where the health of your company culture stands, HonestCulture can get you started. Our survey library will help you measure employee sentiment, so you know what’s going well and where there’s room for improvement. We also provide a personalized action plan that’ll help you start developing (or continue to maintain) a safe, equitable, engaging work environment.

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