Welcome to the inaugural episode of Breaking it Down with Catalyst, a video YouTube series where Catalyst researchers and experts explain the latest in diversity, equity, and inclusion research.
In this inaugural episode, host Rissa Pappas, Director, Production Editor talks with Catalyst experts Emily Shaffer, PhD, Senior Director, Research and Sherazad Adib, Senior Director, Corporate Engagement about why finding the right balance in diversity messaging matters.
Together, they unpack insights from Catalyst’s newest report, “How to Talk About Diversity to Employees to Achieve Your Company’s Objectives.”
Whether you’re a DEI advocate or a corporate leader, you will want to tune into this episode for valuable insights on navigating the complexities of diversity messaging. Discover why Catalyst chose to focus on this topic now and why it’s crucial for companies to pay attention. Learn how crafting thoughtful DEI messaging can lead to increased inclusion, fairness, and retention.
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Transcript
00:00:09,208
Hello, I’m Rissa Pappas. I’m a Production Editor at Catalyst, based out of Philadelphia. And I’m here with my fellow Catalystas, Emily and Sherazad.
Welcome. Please introduce yourselves.
00:00:20,208
Hi, I’m Emily Shaffer. I’m a Senior Director in the Research and Development Department at Catalyst, and I’m based out of Phoenix, Arizona.
00:00:27,541
Hi, my name is Sherazad Adib. I’m a Senior Director at Catalyst, based in Montreal, Canada.
00:00:34,541
Thank you so much for joining me. So Catalyst recently released a new original report called “How to Talk About Diversity with Employees to Achieve Your Company’s Objectives.” And we’re here to break down why this research is so important. So since you were an author of this report, Emily, can you tell us how you would describe this report in one sentence?
00:00:56,291
Yeah. Sure, Rissa. So, for this global report, we looked at two common messages that organizations send to their employees about why they invest in diversity efforts. And those are the business case and the fairness case. And then we discuss the impact that they have on employees.
00:01:13,000
So, which one is the best one?
00:01:17,250
Well, our data point to the advantages of the fairness case and really reveals some problems with the business case.
00:01:24,500
And so, we talk about how finding the right balance in this messaging can lead to success.
00:01:31,208
Yes, I completely agree. I think finding the right balance between the two is really important.
00:01:38,291
That being said, I think that the fairness case seems to resonate more with employees. And it kind of brings us more close to the objective that we want to achieve here, which is to create a culture of fairness and equity and inclusion.
00:01:56,666
Right. And that kind of brings us to the “So what?” question about this research. Why does Catalyst want to focus on this now?
I mean, why should companies care?
00:02:05,875
I think that right now DEI, more than ever, is especially timely. And organizations are looking for how they can navigate and weather these storms right now. So, really taking a look at your organizational diversity messaging is key and top of mind for organizations right now.
00:02:23,333
And Sherazad, can you tell us why this information is specifically important to our supporters?
00:02:29,416
Yes, absolutely. I think that this report is really coming out at a very timely moment, when we see several companies who are faced with some internal debates on the best way to move forward, and when DEI is being challenged at different levels.
And so in the current context, I think we also have a great opportunity to create a more open communication about DEI and the fact that having fair cultures really benefits everyone. And not only the groups that we want to support in the workplace.
So if we take, for example, the example of flexible, work arrangements, we know that women have traditionally been advocating more for that. But at the end of the day, you know, women, especially mothers, are not the only ones who are benefiting from having more flexibility at work.
So I think that’s the type of messages that companies need to put forward a little bit more.
00:03:45,125
I completely agree. Our research also says that, despite sort of this pushback that we’re seeing right now, DEI is absolutely still important to employees.
We found that 93% of employees say that it’s at least somewhat important for their organization to be vocal about its DEI efforts.
The overwhelming majority of employees do want to hear from their organization about what they’re doing with regard to DEI.
And it’s important that organizations really take that time to focus on their messaging and take the time to understand how messaging about diversity is impacting their employees.
And I would think the way that we communicate about DEI internally would have an impact on some employees more than others.
00:04:29,250
So, who do you think is most impacted by thoughtful DEI messaging?
00:04:35,000
I think certainly DEI messaging impacts all employees because organizations should be talking about it widely and often.
Our research shows that when companies make the fairness case for diversity, employees are more likely to experience inclusion, say that their organization is fair and are less likely to leave.
But we also see that, for employees who belong to marginalized groups, the business case can be associated with being on guard to bias at work, which really has to do with bracing or protecting yourself from instances of bias by doing things like avoiding certain places or changing the way that you look, for example.
00:05:12,916
Yeah, but it’s a really difficult moment across the globe for those of us working in DEI as well, so the way we communicate about it is more important than ever, so that companies can meet their goals.
00:05:23,625
I think in closing, I’d really love to hear from each of you your biggest takeaway from the report, as companies committed to DEI move forward.
00:05:32,250
I think the biggest takeaway for me is that DEI messaging can have a real impact on employees, and I think that can get overlooked.
So, companies should be thoughtful and intentional about crafting their messaging and really acting on their DEI goals in a way that’s consistent with their organization’s values.
00:05:52,208
This report really confirms that we need to create a sense of personal connection for everyone with regards to DEI and that talking about values, about human benefits, you know, the idea of fairness, has a much greater impact than, you know, just talking about some elements that people can perceive as being external to them.
00:06:22,708
Great. Thank you so much for chatting with me today.
You can learn all about these findings in Catalyst’s new report by visiting our website, catalyst.org.