Who owns D&I in your company? And why?

We conducted a LinkedIn poll and asked, “Who owns D&I in your company? And why?”

The results indicated that 77% percent of the respondents chose ‘All staff and managers’, 20% placed the responsibility on ‘HR’ and a few said it was the ‘Finance and Operations’ department.

What is important is to recognize that the responsibilities during a transformation are different from those after it.

Any organization transforming its culture will need a cross-functional team that drives the change. Even when external consultants are helping out, this team is pivotal to the success of the transformation.

Once new behaviors and mindsets have taken root, all staff and managers own D&I. In fact, that is how we would measure the success of the transformation.

An inclusive culture that appreciates diversity is only possible if all staff and managers believe in its value, see it as a shared responsibility and make their contribution to it wherever they can. The role of HR is that of a custodian of process. Similarly, other departments will have other roles to play in a diverse and inclusive organization.