“Steering Toward Equity: Navigating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace,” an episode of Conversations on Leadership, features President & CEO Sarah Desmarais, PhD, and Vice President Elan Hope, PhD. In the episode, they delve into Policy Research’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Drs. Desmarais and Hope share how DEI is central to Policy Research’s core values and strategic goals and how they work to ensure DEI is woven into our policies and practices.
Conversations on Leadership is a podcast series highlighting the leaders within Policy Research. In this series, guests share their thoughts on Policy Research and highlight how they are using the firm’s strategic plan to guide their work and advance the field.
DEI is Integral to Employee Well-Being
Understanding the importance of embodying DEI rather than simply performing it, Drs. Desmarais and Hope emphasized PRA’s long-term commitment to creating a safe and inclusive work environment where all individuals can thrive. This commitment involves recognizing that well-being and life-work integration are fundamental to our company’s culture, as well as our success.
Policy Research’s DEI Logic Model
One of the key features of Policy Research’s DEI work is our data-driven approach using a logic model. The DEI logic model guides our efforts to establish and maintain structures that reflect our commitment to DEI, building a representative workforce, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture. The model also defines inputs and outcomes to ensure organizational accountability and facilitate the evaluation of our efforts.
Successes and Learnings
Findings of our DEI evaluation demonstrate that Policy Research has achieved notable success in areas such as salary equity, diversified consultant engagement, and supporting small businesses owned by women and Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities. Our evaluation findings support the positive impacts of our proactive efforts to ensure equity and inclusion; however, they also identify areas for continued growth and transformation.
In the episode, Drs. Desmarais and Hope discuss some of the challenges they have encountered, such as avoiding performative actions and maintaining a long-term perspective while addressing systemic inequalities. By embracing a growth mindset, there is still room to test various strategies to find what works best to empower and engage all team members to participate in our DEI journey.
A Vision for the Future
As Policy Research remains steadfast in its commitment to DEI, future efforts are focused on continuous improvement and adaptability. By staying open to change, learning from both successes and hurdles, and fostering a culture of accountability and transparency, Policy Research aims to lead by example in the DEI landscape.
Conclusion
Drs. Desmarais and Hope’s conversation on DEI in the workplace can serve as a guide for organizations interested in enhancing their own DEI efforts. By prioritizing authenticity, data-driven decision-making, and ongoing dialogue, organizations can move closer towards creating truly inclusive and equitable work environments.
This blog post was developed with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence.