Creating an Authentic Environment to Leverage DEI

Today, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA) hosted its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit at the Holiday Inn Clark, in which speakers discussed how to best embrace diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and how to make it a regular part of a business’s day-to-day operations. 

Speaking on one of the summit’s panels, Megan Pitts, senior director of engagement strategy within the global inclusion & diversity organization at Bristol Myers Squibb said that today, the prioritization of and investment in DEI has come a long way compared to where it was at the beginning of her career.

“About 20 years ago when I was starting in the financial services industry, there was not a full DEI focus at companies,” said Pitts. “Instead, it was just about diversity, and mostly centered around representation, so just ensuring that we are hiring people from different ethnic backgrounds, and that was the extent of it.” 

She added that over time, that hiring focus evolved into looking deeper at talent and training. “It then became about developing the diverse individuals that were brought into an organization, and training the company on diversity via an hour long webinar, for example.”

She then pointed to April 2020 and the death of George Floyd as a “diversity tipping point,” viewing it as a culmination of events that forced people to pay attention to DEI in ways they may not have before.

“A part of what happened is people gained a better understanding how DEI affects the full life cycle of one’s business operations. It’s not just talent and training, but understanding when that talent and training is not effective, what it is actually doing to you and your business. It’s now about understanding how to leverage DEI to fulfill the business strategy,” Pitts said. 

One key to leveraging DEI is to create an authentic culture of inclusion and retain the diverse employees that are brought in.

“Retention comes from creating a psychologically safe environment where employees feel seen, valued, respected and that they belong. If you don’t create that type of culture, an employee will not stay there,” said Marisol Ramirez, supplier diversity manager at Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG). “You have to create that authentic, organic environment. It is not a forced thing, and it is not something where you check off a box. You have to put it into action.”

This authenticity starts at the top, with Pitts adding that representation across leadership is necessary to get to the most optimal place of inclusion at an organization.

“If you don’t have people in the seats of decision making and power that have connectivity or lived experience regarding the issues we are talking about, it’s very difficult to bridge that,” she said. 

She points out that many companies are making commitments and goals to help forge pathways to get to a place that is more inclusive and equitable for all individuals that they serve.

“Goals are very important. If you don’t measure it, it does not happen,” said Ramirez.

Of course, measuring the impact of DEI-related goals, such as hitting a certain ratio of employees of a specific background or gender, for example, is a challenge.  

“In the space of DEI, we are still strengthening how to measure and metric the outcomes and impact of the work that we do,” said Pitts. “It is a fair challenge. We still need to ensure that we are doing work that is driving value for our shareholders.” 

Today’s summit also saw NJBIA and New Jersey Business Magazine honor six companies with the fourth annual NJ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Awards, which recognize companies for their commitment to DEI initiatives throughout their respective organizations.  

The recipients were: 

• BND Consulting Group
• CSG Law – Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC
• CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)
• Einstein’s Alley
• Hackensack Meridian Health
• New Jersey Resources

To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.

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