Throughout my career, I’ve thrived in male-dominated industries, starting with transportation. Confronting sexism and chauvinism head-on has always been my approach. However, a pivotal moment at work shattered my rose-colored glasses and ignited a passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I).

Our company’s DE&I strategy aimed to increase female representation in technical roles. This involved recruiting female engineers for internships, temporary, and permanent positions. The strategy seemed universally embraced, but a crucial implementation meeting revealed a different reality.

During this meeting, a department head, while agreeing to include women in technical roles, expressed skepticism about their ability to handle night shifts. Instead of becoming defensive, I countered with a series of reflective questions.

First, I asked: “Do women pursuing technical degrees anticipate shift work, including nights?” He acknowledged they did. Next, I inquired: “Are there professions with female night-shift workers?” Using nurses as an example, he again agreed. Finally, I pressed: “Given your previous answers, why wouldn’t these same women be suited for night shifts in our field?” Faced with these logical inconsistencies, he conceded his point.

This encounter was a turning point. We successfully hired our first female technical interns for the night shift. However, it also exposed deeper cultural issues hindering DE&I implementation.

These cultural challenges unveiled the limitations of my initial, idealistic view of DE&I. We addressed these issues through extensive sensitization sessions and policy revisions. This experience became a valuable lesson in DE&I: true understanding requires experiencing challenges firsthand.

Lessons Learned: Building a More Inclusive Workplace

From this journey, I’ve gleaned several key takeaways for fostering a more inclusive environment:

Develop a Robust DE&I Strategy: A strong strategy includes measurable goals, timelines, and action plans to address systemic bias. Remember, a strategy’s true test lies in its implementation.

Build a Diverse Talent Pipeline: Focus on attracting diverse talent through entry-level positions like internships and apprenticeships. This not only strengthens your organization’s talent pool but also benefits the industry as a whole.

Invest in DE&I Training: As my experience demonstrates, unconscious biases exist. Training raises awareness and encourages accountability, fostering a more inclusive culture.

Measure and Adapt: Regularly track DE&I metrics and assess progress towards your goals. One-on-one conversations with targeted groups can help identify and address issues before they escalate. Utilize these metrics to refine your strategy for continuous improvement.

DE&I is a Continuous Journey: Building a truly inclusive workplace requires unwavering commitment, dedication, and a constant striving for progress. By implementing these best practices, you can create a work environment where all employees feel valued and empowered.

This experience transformed my perspective on DE&I. It’s not just a policy; it’s about creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. By embracing these principles, we can all contribute to a more equitable future.