The topic of racial equality is gaining extensive media emphasis. Calls for improvements in how organizations and institutions have managed diversity and inclusion are now a central theme in global societies, and leaders are tasked with enhancing underrepresented people's experiences.

The topic of racism has gone viral, emphasizing leadership to better engage with underrepresented communities and build comprehensive plans to eliminate institutional racism.

Companies and industry organizations are busy issuing public statements about the need to reevaluate diversity and inclusion initiatives, and recruiting managers are tasked with developing a more focused inclusion agenda.

Before hiring a new diversity and inclusion manager, leadership must evaluate several essential issues.

1. Be aware of what you are seeking.

Knowing your goals is a good starting point, but it is not the end of the problem. A great deal of anxiety surrounds diversity and inclusion. Companies have attempted to design diversity and inclusion policies that have, for the most part, failed to address the concerns of underrepresented people, resulting in a situation in which underrepresented employees and their communities cannot flourish to the same extent.

Diversity and inclusion integration is a specialized field. Therefore, candidates must not only be able to answer questions or argue the current situation but also thoroughly comprehend the "why and how."

They must be thoroughly aware of how the employers got into the current predicament and, more crucially, the skills and expertise to aid them in effectively implementing organization-wide solutions.

Due to a lack of understanding of the several elements that comprise race equality and inclusion, leaders may focus on responses to the question "what."

The specialized knowledge and skill level necessary to produce reliable results should not be underestimated.

If I were to take my automobile to a mechanic, I am confident they would be qualified and competent and understand the relationship between my car's engine, exhaust, and other components. This is necessary for my safety and the safety of my family and friends. For my safety, I need a qualified mechanic to ensure that the work is conducted to a high degree and produces the desired outcomes.

Similarly, when it comes to racial equality, diversity, and inclusion, leaders need to know what they seek regarding knowledge and skill. They must analyze the interdependencies between race equality and the business's capacity for growth.

It is essential for the effective growth and advancement of underrepresented employees, entitled to the same career outcomes and working experiences as their white colleagues. It is also necessary that the brand reflects an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Hiring knowledgeable personnel to build the diversity and inclusion agenda is advantageous. Relevant for addressing the issues of underrepresented and brown personnel. However, only if done correctly.

Before rushing to recruit a diversity and inclusion manager, you should assess if they are a generalist or an expert, as well as their track record in promoting racial equality. Write a detailed job description in this regard and seek confirmation throughout the interviewing process.

2. Insufficient Credibility

Exists a genuine leadership commitment to advance the race equality agenda? Without it, all attempts at achieving success will fail. Likewise, uncoordinated, temporary endeavors will not be successful. Diversity and inclusion is a long-term, continuous corporate strategy, and race equality is vital to this goal.

As your company builds its diversity and inclusion agenda, it should attempt to manage race equality at the leadership level. Without a leadership commitment to diversity and inclusion, all initiatives to promote racial inclusion will fail.

Leadership should ensure its commitment to a genuine diversity and inclusion agenda that serves as a vital element of an effective business strategy, organizational practice, and people process development agenda.

Develop a comprehensive strategy that supports racial equality by emphasizing understanding and inclusion at the highest levels of the organization.

3. Budget

It is a catastrophic failure to allocate adequate budget and other resources to the race equality agenda. If an organization is genuinely committed to racial equality, it will allocate sufficient funds and resources to promote the mission.

A short-term contract to get the ball rolling is acceptable, but only if the candidate has sufficient experience implementing an organization-wide strategy for race equality in that time frame. Remember that a corporation will pay for what it thinks essential.

Short-term checkbox solutions are inappropriate. They will not produce enduring outcomes and may indicate a lack of commitment to developing a credible plan and a lasting agenda.

Allocate time, resources, and budgetary commitments to developing a race equality agenda, and ensure that leadership and employees have ownership over the agenda.

4. Hiring In Own Image

The failure to achieve accurate and substantial inclusion levels is one of the diversity and inclusion agenda's historical shortcomings. Hiring someone with an experience in human resources is advantageous, but only if that individual can exhibit complete knowledge and skill regarding race. However, without expert understanding regarding diversity and inclusion, lived experience is not meaningful.

White females dominate human Resources. It is perceived as a profession dominated by white women, primarily focusing on gender diversity and limited attention to racial and ethnic diversity.

This does not imply that a white female manager of diversity and inclusion would be useless in her position. However, it does indicate a problem that most white females in HR, who have been in control of the equality agenda, have been slow to establish and achieve meaningful achievements regarding racial equality.

Before hiring hastily to advance the race agenda, it may be prudent to examine the following.

• Are you receiving the proper diversity and inclusion-related information, expertise, and practical experience?

• Does your job description include the necessary experience to achieve the desired outcomes?

• Are you asking pertinent interview questions?

• Are your prejudices influencing your recruiting decisions?

• Supporting and creating a viable race equality agenda begins with recruiting qualified applicants for the manager of diversity and inclusion.

5. Insufficient Emphasis On Developing Talent

Diversity and inclusion in human resources are necessary for efficient organizations, and race equality is on the agenda. In addition, it facilitates the growth of knowledge and skills throughout the human resources and talent acquisition frameworks, and this is where, in conjunction with leadership, significant gains may be made.

The absence of development options for underrepresented employees within businesses is glaring despite the importance of career advancement to businesses. Employers wanting to address issues of racial disparity on a fundamental level will benefit from focusing on barriers to recruitment and career advancement chances.

Leaders must improve their efforts to build comprehensive plans that encourage employment prospects for underrepresented employees.

About Fran Bailey

Frank has worked in the talent management department of Woods Kovalova Group since 2021. He has worked with the manufacturing sector on improving workplace performance.