Engaging White Males in Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

When I speak to diverse groups about their diversity and inclusion initiatives, I always ask the question, “What are you doing to engage white males in your diversity process?” More often than not, I get blank stares back. Sometimes, I get defensive statements like “We are the one’s that need the help. They already have everything. Why should we engage them?”

The answer is quite simple, in most organizations across the country, white men make up the majority of senior leadership, director and manager positions. They are the crucial decision-makers whose buy-in is crucial and necessary for substantive and sustainable D&I progress. Unless white males are invited to play a role—a leadership role—in improving diversity in the workplace, changes will not come.

Often, diversity leaders and ERG and Council leaders make the mistake of thinking that if their white male leadership simply voices support for their companies’ diversity and inclusion programs, that will suffice to demonstrate their commitment to these initiatives. What instead is needed for any inclusion program to be successful is the full commitment and involvement of white leaders, and this is where many organizations come up short.

While white, male leaders may say they understand the need for diversity and inclusion and that they support the corporate initiative, in reality, this key demographic group often feels excluded from the programs. A study by Greatheart Labs and Georgetown University in 2013 found that exclusion was the top challenge white male executives face when trying to incorporate diversity and inclusion into their leadership efforts. According to the study, nearly 70 percent of white male respondents agreed with the statement “It is still not clear diversity initiatives are meant to include white men.”

What can an ERG or Diversity Council do to start to bring white men into their initiatives and engage them in diversity and inclusion? We first need to acknowledge that white males must play a leadership role in diversity initiatives. Their positions, their influence, and their numbers in your organization make them critical to success. If they are not involved, engaged, and out in front, the initiative cannot succeed.

Secondly, we must also acknowledge that while top management support is essential, in most organization, middle managers and immediate supervisors have a more direct impact on the day-to-day experience of the people they manage than the leaders at the top. Every supervisor has to be a part of the inclusion effort in order to create a culture that is hospitable and welcoming to a diverse workforce. Engage leaders at the middle manager level and make it relevant to them, not just your group. Show them how D&I will improve their lives and make their job easier.

A diversity initiative must be inclusive to be credible. Defining diversity in a way that excludes the concerns of any group, or focuses only on some, undermines what should be the goal of every diversity initiative—to help every person in an organization feel comfortable and to realize his or her potential. A culture that values diversity will benefit everyone in an organization.

Finally, progress comes one person at a time. As important as metrics are, they should never distract from an organization’s focus on the individual. Sustained progress in diversity ultimately requires that each person in the organization be supported and given the opportunity to succeed. Take the time to reach out, invite, educate and engage your white, male leaders. Make them feel not only welcomed, but that they have a role to contribute in the success of your group. The one-person-at-a-time approach may be painstaking and slow, but it will drive lasting success and create a more inclusive and collaborative environment for all.

7 Ways to Engage White Men:

1. Talk about inclusiveness, not just diversity.
2. Reach out to middle level managers and help them build relationships across differences.
3. Welcome them to your groups and provide incentives for them to join.
4. Identify influential white male leaders to help champion your efforts and include them on your ERG and Council committees and encourage them to lead or co-chair one.
5. Educate them about the business imperative.
6. Help them become aware of bias and hidden inequities.
7. Assign them a list of tasks to complete so that they can contribute to your goals, feel part of the solution, and celebrate your achievements.

Only 37% of employers give off Martin Luther King Day

Only 37 percent of employers give the holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a paid day off, according to a recent national survey.

That is about the same percentage of employers offering Presidents' Day as a holiday, the Bloomberg BNA Holiday Practices Survey of 350 human resource professionals found.

The survey gave a breakdown of which types of employers were likely -- and least likely -- to give MLK Day as a paid holiday:

• 62 percent of non-business establishments, which include government, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations, are giving employees a paid day off
• Only 34 percent of non-manufacturing employers are giving a paid holiday
• Only 10 percent of manufacturing companies will give workers the paid holiday
• 45 percent of companies with at least 1,000 employees have made the day a paid holiday
• Only 34 percent of smaller organizations will do so.

So, what does the giving of MLK Day as a paid holiday say about your company’s character?

In light of today’s issues, it is surprising that many employers choose not to acknowledge Dr. King’s contribution to the dialogue of diversity and inclusion in our country. It took almost 20 years for all 50 states to observe the federal holiday. Yet, today there are still 63 percent of US companies that refuse to celebrate his work.

The climate of the 1960s bears an unfortunate resemblance to the current state of our country in 2017. With divisiveness on both sides, we are dealing with issues of political and urban unrest, race baiting and gun legislation. We live in a polarized nation of red state vs. blue state, gay vs. straight, black vs. white and the haves vs. the have nots.

The reason we honor Martin Luther King is that when confronted with the same problems in the 1960s, he chose to respond to these issues not with a closed fist of aggression or a closed mind of hatred, but an open hand of love and an open mind of understanding.

Yet, today, despite all the talk of multiculturalism and inclusiveness in the workforce and the hundreds of millions of dollars that are spent every year on diversity programs and training, if your organization refuses to observe a holiday that acknowledges the man who, in no small part, inspired your internal policies of diversity and inclusion, then diversity is obviously not a priority at your company. It could be considered business as usual at best or passive racism at worst.

By not recognizing the holiday, companies are not only sending a message that their diversity programs are just talk without substance, but they are also missing an opportunity to practice what Martin Luther King taught, to do acts of goodwill and kindness to others. Some enlightened companies such as Comcast, AT&T and others, in addition to giving their employees the day off, also encourage their staff to use the day to volunteer at their favorite charities or for a good cause.

Dr. King once said, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

So, whether or not you have the day off from work, by volunteering and giving back to better your community or to help those in need, you will be honoring the true spirit of what Martin Luther King stood for and the day we celebrate his legacy.