The Communications Industry's Need to Level Up on DEI
Carmella Glover and Sade Ayodele
Today, there is no shortage of data and research around the benefits of being a more diverse and inclusive organization. In the wake of the events of 2020, businesses have a renewed focus on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and across broader society. With public expectation higher than ever, several industries, including PR and communications, have started setting goals and taking conscious steps to advance DEI.
One of the biggest challenges for the communications industry has been the lack of transparency around where we currently stand on our DEI journey. Equally challenging is that the terms "diversity," "equity" and "inclusion" have taken on a universal meaning, despite each having a distinct definition and measure. For this reason, industry benchmarks are virtually non-existent.
There is an opportunity here to address the lack of understanding around the industry's collective DEI standing. Similarly, there is an opportunity to formulate ideas and put them into action. Through each of their coalition's respective efforts, the Diversity Action Alliance (DAA) and Hold the PRess empower their signatories to lean into the movement. Outlined below are the three critical steps that industry leaders should take to actualize DEI initiatives.
Goal setting, Tracking and Benchmarking
To chart a course to any destination, you must first know where you currently stand. The public relations industry has been behind in sharing diversity statistics. DAA and Hold the Press have centered their initial goals around collecting diversity statistics that accurately represent the industry.
It begins with setting realistic goals and tracking against those goals, then building out more extensive responsibilities. Every organization is at a different stage of its DEI journey, so customizing goals, and benchmarks to fit specific DEI objectives can help create meaningful impact. In partnership with key stakeholders, leaders should create action plans with individual-level and organization-wide accountability in mind. One way to achieve this is to identify DEI goals appropriate for every career level. Performance against these goals should factor into annual reviews and, where applicable, merit bonuses. Longer-term company-wide goals should be explicit as well (e.g., to reduce the higher-than-average attrition rate for employees of color over the next five years to a significantly lower rate or one on par with average attrition).
When faced with the challenge of client retention or business growth, leaders do what it takes to meet those goals, especially those linked to their compensation. DEI should be held in the same regard as one would their core business or client deliverables. Accountability is a big part of that. By deeming DEI as critical as budget and finance, organizations can inspire actionable progress informed by successes, milestones, and failures, resulting in a motivation to improve and correct past mistakes.
Incorporating Effective Communications Strategies
Since diversity, equity, and inclusion mean different things for different people, leaders must define what it means for their organization and identify where the efforts are most needed. All leaders must buy into the value of DEI. Only when the entire C-suite buys-in, can DEI initiatives thrive and be sustained through the inevitable ups, downs, and personnel changes that a company faces.
Once there is consistent and genuine communication flowing from the senior-most leadership, DEI inherently becomes a priority for the entire company. This requires investment from the most senior folks, down to the latest hire. The whole organization will need to operate, communicate, and contribute – openly and honestly.
Communication is a two-way concept, so it is imperative that organizations design ways to measure:
- How employees feel about DEI initiatives.
- The impact of DEI initiatives on the business and culture.
- Overall improvement in a specific timeframe.
Some of the most basic ways to handle this can be company surveys, small-group conversations, and town-halls. Communications experts design the most creative of campaigns for brands and clients. Partnering cross-functionally to implement impactful DEI initiatives and measurement tools requires a deliberate investment of resources.
Embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into the Day-to-Day
Having employees of color in decision-making positions is a preliminary step to incorporating DEI into every operational unit of business. Diverse perspectives on business matters result in the reimagination of how to solve strategic issues. As a result, organizations should prioritize hiring people of color at all levels, and more specifically within the senior ranks. An organization can take stock where the business currently stands by asking:
- Are our hiring practices equitable? (i.e., is there a diverse pool of candidates for every position? Additionally, is the interviewing committee diverse to account for unconscious bias?)
- How are we ensuring the retention of employees of color? Are we checking in with new hires to make sure they feel adequately supported? Are we providing them a safe space to grow and thrive?
- How many of my organization's initiatives tie back to DEI? Are all employees equally engaged? If not, how can we ensure they start engaging?
- Do we make an effort to utilize non-white vendors?
- Do we have diverse voices in our company, any in senior leadership? Are we pushing for representation across the board?
- Are my organization's leaders sponsoring diverse talent? What is the mentorship process like, and what types of leadership training are accessible to employees of color?
The company can then address specific areas where the business needs to grow more equitable for employees of color.
Championing DEI in communications will take a thoughtful, innovative approach and is as much about the commitment from an organization-level as it is about inspiring and demonstrating commitment from a personal level. By role modeling positive change, both in words and in deed, leaders can accelerate the shift our field has so desperately needed for far too long.
About the Authors...
Carmella Glover
Carmella Glover is President of the Diversity Action Alliance and the Director of DE&I at Page. In her Page role, she provides strategic direction for member and staff DE&I initiatives. In partnership with the DAA Board, she oversees the operations, programs, budget, and strategic plan of the Diversity Action Alliance (DAA). The DAA is a cross-industry coalition led by communications trade organizations with a mission of accelerating progress in meaningful and tangible achievement in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field for people of color. Before she transitioned to Page, Carmella was the first-ever Executive Director of the PRSA Foundation. She oversaw budget, compliance, programs, and operations for the charitable arm of the PRSA – also focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Glover brings over ten years of corporate experience from L’Oréal USA, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson. Before transitioning into Diversity Communications, Glover was a subject matter expert in supply chain and manufacturing operations. She was designing the organizational strategy for and leading a team of supply chain managers at L’Oréal U.S.A. Glover was accountable for the successful launch of luxury skincare products netting $100+ million in new sales annually, which required close partnership with Marketing and PR business partners. These cross-functional partnerships would be the impetus to her transition into communications. Other operations in her purview included internal communications, intranet newsletters, blog posts, and occasional media relations. Being the only female engineer and often the only Black leader in a room of decision-makers, Glover quickly discovered the synergy between her skill and purpose.
In May of 2019, Glover was the recipient of the Logos Institute Rising Leader Award and a keynote speaker at the New York University School of Professional Studies May 2019 commencement. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Master of Science degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from New York University. Glover is an active member of Newark’s Beta Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, wherein she exercises her zeal for philanthropy. She resides in North Jersey with her husband and daughter.
Sade Ayodele
Account Director driving global, integrated marketing campaigns. As a visionary leader, critical thinker and pop culture enthusiast, with deep experience (on both the brand and agency side) Sade has over nine years of experience creating innovative multi-platform consumer experiences that drive business goals and expand marketplace sponsorship landscapes.
With a background in both traditional media and social, Sade has been recognized for transforming challenges into solutions through inspiring content and storytelling that shifts culture and consumers -- not only business KPI's. For the past few years she has interlocked arms with her clients and teams to drill into challenges and produce meaningful work across several client partners including P&G, Crown Royal, and Captain Morgan. Prior to Taylor, Sade has spent time at Google, Ketchum and Octagon, working on everything from Hershey’s, Tostitos, Special Olympics, Sony, to Google + , Google Glass and more.
In addition to Sports and Entertainment, Sade’s passions lie in helping women and minorities elevate how they market themselves in the workplace, in their businesses, and online. She does this through her blog and business ‘The B is for Boss’ where she empowers them to better communicate their value and provides them with the tools to attract better opportunities. She also cofounded Hold The Press this past year, in an effort to help create a more diverse and equitable future for black talent in the PR, Advertising, and Marketing industry.
