Much of the world witnessed last year as social justice issues and biases catapulted to the top of the news cycle and became prominent discussions for business leaders globally. Many companies began to look internally and honestly assess if they were doing enough to create meaningful change and promote inclusive work environments. Our 2021 Global Workforce Agility Report reveals that just 43% of organisations have a fully developed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy, and only 19% have a DEI strategy for contingent labour. Honestly, that’s a terrifying statistic, but not surprising. Savvy companies know they need to be more inclusive, flexible, and diverse, but when it comes to the reality of delivering on their best intentions many stumble. The logistics of bringing initiatives to life, competing business priorities, or cultural roadblocks are often significant obstacles to change.

A strong and smart DEI approach isn’t just the right thing to do – study after study has shown that diverse and inclusive businesses are better places to work, deliver more innovation, and outperform the competition financially. The Workforce Agility Report echos these findings, with the Vanguards – the most successful and innovative organisations according to our survey – being twice as likely to have a fully developed DEI strategy.

Still today, 52% of organisations in the UK are only paying lip service to diversity. This isn’t nearly good enough. How can leaders embed real and lasting change? There is no magic wand to make DEI challenges disappear. What’s more, social justice issues, cultural norms, and our understanding of unconscious biases are constantly changing and DEI practices have to evolve at speed.

Here are some ways you can begin to transform your approach to DEI inspired by the Vanguards.

Develop clearer pathways to turn policy into practice

Great ideas are nice. Great ideas that you can turn into definitive actions are much better. The path to strong DEI policies and practices is different in every organisation. It might include dedicated C-suite sponsorship, employee resource groups, or support from third-party professionals depending on a company’s starting point and goals. Whichever approach you take, there has to be a significant investment to mandate changes in behaviour at every level of an organisation. Not surprising, 84% of the Vanguards had measurable goals and objectives to track tangible DEI outcomes. Without a consistent drive for improvement, supported by actionable goals, diversity and inclusion continue to be just lip service.

Rip off the Band-Aid. Lead with bravery

To transform diverse and inclusive practices inside an organisation, take a close look in the mirror. It can be uncomfortable and upsetting, but this isn’t something any company can afford to skip. Many companies are worried that once they start turning over rocks, they will find issues that reflect negatively on them. Part of the journey toward a truly diverse and inclusive culture is being brave enough to own mistakes and missteps and use these learnings to become better. You don’t have to complete your journey at once but aim to make constant positive progress. Start with the foundational, inclusive fundamentals that make sense for your business and people and build from there.

Equip people with the tech to support flexible and inclusive work

Every organisation now has (or absolutely should have) the capability for many of its employees to work from anywhere in the world. This can make it possible for people who struggle to access traditional work, who are caregivers, or lack access to transportation to connect with meaningful work, opening opportunities to underrepresented groups. More than 90% of the Vanguards have programs to remove barriers that prevent underrepresented talent from accessing work. Organisations should implement this mindset into their policies and processes and consider other hardware that makes work possible and practical.

DEI isn’t a standalone goal or challenge to solve, it’s part of an organisation’s DNA. If a company fails to make DEI a priority, it will impact employee engagement and culture from top to bottom. People are also increasingly looking for purpose from their work and want to represent equitable and caring businesses. If you want to be an organisation that great talent calls home, DEI cannot be an afterthought. Learn to live and champion inclusive values and create an environment where everyone feels engaged and valued.